What happened on this day. These are the September 16 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1940 — The first peacetime draft becomes law with segregation intact On September 16, 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act, the nation’s first peacetime draft. The law barred discrimination in […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. B.B. King Full name: Riley B. King Born September 16, 1925 — died May 14, 2015 King of the Blues. With Lucille and 250 shows a year, King carried the […]
Muhammad Ali “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” — Muhammad Ali Ali turned confidence into an art form. His spirit reminds us that self-belief is not arrogance — it’s power.
Honoring those we lost on September 15 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. The Six Children of Birmingham Died September 15, 1963 Addie Mae Collins, 14; Cynthia Wesley, 14; Carole Robertson, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Johnny Robinson, 16; Virgil Ware, 13. Four girls were murdered when Klansmen dynamited the […]
What happened on this day. These are the September 15 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1963 — The 16th Street Baptist Church is bombed in Birmingham On September 15, 1963, Klansmen dynamited the 16th Street Baptist Church during Sunday services, murdering Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 15 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Claude McKay Full name: Festus Claudius McKay Born September 15, 1889 — died May 22, 1948 Jamaican American poet and novelist. "If We Must Die" became an anthem of Black […]
Thurgood Marshall “The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to protect and nurture the least of its citizens.” — Thurgood Marshall Marshall’s work built the legal foundation for equality. His words define justice as compassion in action.
Honoring those we lost on September 14 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. John Adams Hyman Born July 23, 1840 — died September 14, 1891 North Carolina’s first Black congressman. Born enslaved and sold away from his family for teaching himself to read, Hyman was elected to the United […]
What happened on this day. These are the September 14 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1874 — The White League stages a coup in New Orleans On September 14, 1874, thousands of armed White Leaguers overwhelmed the integrated Metropolitan Police at the Battle of Liberty Place and seized control of […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 14 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Cachao Full name: Israel López Valdés Born September 14, 1918 — died March 22, 2008 Afro-Cuban bassist and composer. With his brother Orestes, Cachao co-created the mambo and pioneered the […]