What happened on this day. These are the August 8 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1863 — Tennessee’s Eighth of August emancipation tradition takes root According to oral tradition preserved by the National Park Service, Andrew Johnson emancipated the people he enslaved on August 8, 1863. Black communities in Tennessee […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 7 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1930 — White mob lynches Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Indiana On August 7, 1930, a white mob broke into the jail in Marion, Indiana, and lynched Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith before either […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 6 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1861 — First Confiscation Act challenges Confederate slaveholding On August 6, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed the First Confiscation Act. The law allowed Union forces to seize property, including enslaved people, being used to support […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 5 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1864 — Black sailors fight in the Battle of Mobile Bay On August 5, 1864, Union naval forces defeated Confederate defenses in the Battle of Mobile Bay. Black sailors served across the Union fleet, and […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 4 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1916 — Treaty is signed for the United States to acquire the Danish West Indies On August 4, 1916, the United States and Denmark signed a treaty arranging the sale of the Danish West Indies, […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 3 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1936 — Jesse Owens wins Olympic gold in the 100-meter dash On August 3, 1936, Jesse Owens won the 100-meter final at the Berlin Olympics in 10.3 seconds. His first of four gold medals made […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 2 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1790 — First United States census begins under the three-fifths system On August 2, 1790, the United States began its first federal census. Enslaved Black people were counted in a separate category and only three-fifths […]
What happened on this day. These are the August 1 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1834 — Slavery Abolition Act takes effect across much of the British Empire On August 1, 1834, Britain’s Slavery Abolition Act took effect, legally emancipating hundreds of thousands of enslaved people across much of the […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 31 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1874 — Patrick Francis Healy is made full president of Georgetown On July 31, 1874, the acting portion of Patrick Francis Healy’s title was removed, making him full president of Georgetown University. Healy, born to […]
What happened on this day. These are the July 30 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1866 — New Orleans Massacre attacks Black voting rights On July 30, 1866, white mobs and police attacked Black marchers and Republican convention supporters outside the Mechanics Institute in New Orleans. The massacre targeted Reconstruction-era […]