Category Archives: Black History Knowledge

Black History Knowledge — August 18

1920 — Nineteenth Amendment is ratified

What happened on this day. These are the August 18 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1920 — Nineteenth Amendment is ratified On Aug 18, 1920, Tennessee became the decisive thirty-sixth state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment, constitutionally barring denial of the vote on the basis of sex. Black women helped […]

Black History Knowledge — August 17

2016 — Elaine Thompson completes an Olympic sprint double

What happened on this day. These are the August 17 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 2016 — Elaine Thompson completes an Olympic sprint double On Aug 17, 2016, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson won the 200-meter final at the Rio Olympics in 21.78 seconds. The victory, four days after her 100-meter […]

Black History Knowledge — August 16

1967 — Louis Armstrong records “What a Wonderful World”

What happened on this day. These are the August 16 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1967 — Louis Armstrong records “What a Wonderful World” On Aug 16, 1967, Louis Armstrong recorded “What a Wonderful World” during a late-night session in Las Vegas. Though initially underpromoted in the United States, the […]

Black History Knowledge — August 15

1914 — Panama Canal opens after work by tens of thousands of Caribbean laborers

What happened on this day. These are the August 15 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1914 — Panama Canal opens after work by tens of thousands of Caribbean laborers On Aug 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened to traffic with the passage of the steamship Ancon. More than 50,000 […]

Black History Knowledge — August 14

1908 — The Springfield Race Riot begins in Illinois

What happened on this day. These are the August 14 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1908 — The Springfield Race Riot begins in Illinois On August 14, 1908, a white mob began attacking Black residents, homes, and businesses in Springfield, Illinois. The three days of violence included two lynchings and […]

Black History Knowledge — August 13

1906 — The Brownsville Affair begins in Texas

What happened on this day. These are the August 13 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1906 — The Brownsville Affair begins in Texas On the night of August 13, 1906, gunfire in Brownsville, Texas, was blamed on Black soldiers of the Twenty-fifth Infantry despite conflicting evidence and their denials. President […]

Black History Knowledge — August 12

1922 — Frederick Douglass’s Cedar Hill home is dedicated as a memorial

What happened on this day. These are the August 12 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1922 — Frederick Douglass’s Cedar Hill home is dedicated as a memorial On August 12, 1922, the restored Frederick Douglass Memorial Home at Cedar Hill was formally dedicated in Washington, D.C. Black women’s organizations, including […]

Black History Knowledge — August 11

1965 — The Watts Rebellion begins in Los Angeles

What happened on this day. These are the August 11 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1965 — The Watts Rebellion begins in Los Angeles On August 11, 1965, the arrest of Marquette Frye after a traffic stop sparked six days of unrest in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The […]

Black History Knowledge — August 10

1821 — Missouri enters the Union as a slave state

What happened on this day. These are the August 10 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1821 — Missouri enters the Union as a slave state On August 10, 1821, Missouri was admitted to the United States as a slave state under the Missouri Compromise. Its admission preserved a political balance […]

Black History Knowledge — August 9

1936 — Jesse Owens wins his fourth Olympic gold medal

What happened on this day. These are the August 9 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1936 — Jesse Owens wins his fourth Olympic gold medal On August 9, 1936, Jesse Owens anchored the United States 4-by-100-meter relay team to a world record and his fourth gold medal at the Berlin […]