Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 26 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Gilberto Gil Born June 26, 1942 Title: Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and cultural figure Gilberto Gil is one of Brazil’s most important musicians and a founder of the Tropicália movement. […]
David Walker “America is more our country than it is the whites’—we have enriched it with our blood and tears.” Author of Walker’s Appeal, one of the most radical antislavery documents in U.S. history. Walker’s words confront America with the truth that Black labor, blood, and sacrifice built this country.
Honoring those we lost on June 25 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Michael Jackson Born August 29, 1958 — Died June 25, 2009 Title: Singer, songwriter, dancer, entertainer, and global pop icon Michael Jackson was one of the most influential entertainers in modern history, changing music, dance, video, […]
What happened on this day. These are the June 25 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1941 — Executive Order 8802 bans discrimination in defense industries On June 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, banning racial and ethnic discrimination in defense industry jobs. The order came after […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 25 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. James Meredith Born June 25, 1933 Title: Civil rights activist, writer, Air Force veteran, and education integration figure James Meredith became the first Black student admitted to the University of […]
Anna Julia Cooper “Only the BLACK WOMAN can say, ‘When and where I enter… the whole race enters with me.’” Educator and early Black feminist who advocated for higher education and racial equity. Cooper places Black women at the center of racial progress and collective uplift.
Honoring those we lost on June 24 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Sissieretta Jones Born January 5, 1869 — Died June 24, 1933 Title: Concert singer, soprano, and classical music trailblazer Sissieretta Jones, often called “The Black Patti,” was one of the first Black women to gain international […]
What happened on this day. These are the June 24 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on. 1896 — Booker T. Washington receives an honorary degree from Harvard On June 24, 1896, Booker T. Washington received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Harvard University. It was a major symbolic moment in […]
Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 24 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history. Georg Stanford Brown Born June 24, 1943 Title: Actor and director Georg Stanford Brown is a Cuban-born actor and director who became widely known through television and film. His work […]
Charlotte Forten Grimké “The cloud may be dark now, but behind it shines the eternal light of justice and truth.” Abolitionist, educator, and member of the famed Forten family; taught freedmen in the South during the Civil War. Forten Grimké’s life reminds us that education, writing, and witness can serve justice.