Honoring those we lost on October 23 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Lucy Craft Laney Born April 13, 1854 — died October 23, 1933 Educator, school founder, and community leader Laney founded the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Augusta, Georgia, building an academically ambitious school for Black […]
What happened on this day. These are the October 23 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1775 — A conference with Washington agreed to reject Black men from the new Continental Army enlistment On October 23, 1775, delegates of the Continental Congress conferring with George Washington at Cambridge considered whether ‘Negroes’ […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on October 23 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James Alexander Spencer Born October 23, 1850 — died July 27, 1911 Educator, Reconstruction legislator, and Black Catholic leader. Spencer represented Abbeville County in South Carolina’s House of Representatives from […]
Richard Pryor “You can have a good time just celebrating being alive.” — Richard Pryor Pryor turned pain into laughter. His humor revealed truth, showing that joy itself is resilience.
Honoring those we lost on October 22 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. James W. C. Pennington Born c. 1807 — died October 22, 1870 Minister, abolitionist, author, and educator Pennington escaped slavery in Maryland at nineteen and was later the first Black student at Yale Divinity School, although […]
What happened on this day. These are the October 22 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1945 — Black tobacco workers launched a major Charleston strike On October 22, 1945, unionized workers at the American Tobacco Company’s Cigar Factory in Charleston walked off their jobs, beginning a strike that lasted about […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on October 22 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James A. Bland Born October 22, 1854 — died May 5, 1911 Composer, singer, and banjo player. Bland wrote songs that circulated widely in nineteenth-century American entertainment, including Oh! Dem […]
Thurgood Marshall “Equal means getting the same thing, at the same time, and in the same place.” — Thurgood Marshall Marshall’s legal battles defined fairness. His message insists that equality must be both principle and practice.
Honoring those we lost on October 21 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Alfred B. Hilton Born c. 1842 — died October 21, 1864 Union Army color sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient Hilton, a farmer from Harford County, Maryland, enlisted in Baltimore in 1863 in the 4th U.S. […]
What happened on this day. These are the October 21 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1916 — A white mob lynched landowner Anthony Crawford in Abbeville, South Carolina On October 21, 1916, Anthony Crawford, a 56-year-old Black planter who owned 427 acres, was arrested after he argued with a white […]