Black History Month
The Latham Family Reunion is celebrating Black History Month, which reflects on and honors the African-American experience.
Latham Family Reunion Black History Month Historical Features
Before Rosa Parks, There Was Claudette Colvin
On 3/2/1955, 15 yr. old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus. #BlackHistoryMonth
Few people know the story of Claudette Colvin: When she was 15, she refused to move to the back of the bus and give up her seat to a white person — nine months before Rosa Parks did the very same thing. Read the full story HERE |
Listen to the Story:
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Today in Black History: February 1, 1974 "Good Times" premieres on CBS
Good Times earned its place in television history for its decidedly different view, not only of Black family life, but American family life in general. Good Times interjected relevancy and realism into prime-time television by dealing with the pressing issues of the day. |
Today in Black History: February 2, 1897 - Alfred L. Cralle patents the Ice Cream Mold - Patent No. 576395
Alfred L. Cralle (September 4, 1866 – 1920) an African-American from Virginia, who became an inventor and businessman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best remembered for inventing the ice cream scoop in 1897. It was while working in Pittsburgh as a porter that Cralle noticed that ice cream, which had become a popular confection, was difficult to dispense. It tended to stick to spoons and ladles, usually requiring use of two hands and at least two implements to serve. To overcome this, he invented a mechanical device now known as the ice cream scoop and applied for a patent. On February 2, 1897, he was granted U.S. Patent #576395. |
Today in Black History: February 3, 1956 - Autherine J. Lucy becomes the first black student to attend the University of Alabama
She was expelled three days later "for her own safety" in response to threats from a mob. In 1992 Autherine Lucy Foster graduated from the University with a master’s degree in education. The same day, her daughter, Grazia Foster, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance. |
Today in Black History: February 4, 1913 - Rosa Parks (born Roas Louise McCauley) was born in Tuskegee, Alabama
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African-American Civil Rights activist, whom the United States Congress called "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement". Her birthday, February 4, and the day she was arrested, December 1, have both become Rosa Parks Day. |
Today in Black History: February 5, 1990 - Columbia University graduate and Harvard University law student Barack Obama became the first African-American named President of the Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review, generally considered the most prestigious in the country, elected the first black president in its 104-year history . The job is considered the highest student position at Harvard Law School. After graduating from Columbia University Barack Obama spent four years heading a community development program for poor blacks on Chicago's South Side before enrolling in law school at Harvard University. |
Today in Black History: February 6, 1898 - Melvin B. Tolson, author, educator, poet born
Melvin Beaunorus Tolson (February 6, 1898 – August 29, 1966) was an American Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician. His work concentrated on the experience of African Americans and includes several long historical poems. His work was influenced by his study of the Harlem Renaissance, although he spent nearly all of his career in Texas and Oklahoma. Tolson is the protagonist of the 2007 biopic The Great Debaters. The film, produced by Oprah Winfrey, is based on his work with students at predominantly-black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and their debate with University of Southern California (USC). Tolson is portrayed by Denzel Washington, who also directed the film. |
Today in Black History: February 7, 1926 - Dr. Carter G. Woodson: The Father of African-American History creates Negro History Week. In 1976 it became Black History Month
Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 - April 3, 1950) was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson was one of the first scholars to study African-American history. A founder of Journal of Negro History in 1916, Woodson has been cited as the father of black history. In February 1926 he announced the celebration of "Negro History Week", considered the precursor of Black History Month. |
Today in Black History: February 9, 1971 - Satchel Paige was inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame inducts Leroy "Satchel" Paige. Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime. |
Today in Black History: February 10, 1927 - Leontyne Price born
Mary Violet Leontyne Price (born February 10, 1927) is an American soprano. Born and raised in Laurel, Mississippi. She rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s, and was one of the first African Americans to become a leading artist at the Metropolitan Opera. |
Today in Black History: February 12, 1909 - NAACP Founded
The National Association for The Advancement of Colored People is a civil rights organization founded in 1909 by 60 black and white citizens. It helps prevent unjust acts, and set equality for all minorities. It achieved major success in the arts, business, and other fields. |
Today in Black History: February 13, 1892 the first African American performers appeared at Carnegie Hall
On this day in 1892 the first all African American performers, The World's Fair Colored Opera Company, with featured singer, soprano Matilda Sissieretta Jones appeared at Carnegie Hall—less than one year after the hall's opening. |
Today in Black History: February 14, 1867 - Morehouse College organized in Augusta, Georgia
Morehouse College organized in Augusta, Georgia. The institution was later moved to Atlanta. New registration law in Tennessee abolished racial distinctions in voting. The photo depicts the most iconic building on Morehouse’s campus, Samuel T. Graves Hall. When it was built, the entire college was housed in this building; classrooms, cafeteria, dorm rooms, president’s residence etc. |
Today in Black History: February 15, 1965 - Nat King Cole (45), singer and pianist, died
Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an African American singer who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. He was widely noted for his soft, baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres. |
Today in Black History: February 16, 1857 - Frederick Douglass was elected President of Freedman Bank and Trust
The Freedmen’s Savings and Trust Company, commonly referred to as The Freedmen’s Bank, was incorporated on March 3, 1865. It was created by the United States Congress along with the Freedmen’s Bureau to aid the freedmen in their transition from slavery to freedom. By 1874, massive fraud among upper management and among the board of directors had taken its toll on the bank. Hoping to revive the bank, Frederick Douglass, who was elected president in 1874, donated tens of thousands of dollars of his own money to shore up the declining institution. Although Douglass pleaded for Congress to intervene, on June 29, 1874, the bank was officially closed. |
Today in Black History: February 17, 1942 - Black Panther Party Founder Huey P. Newton born
Black Panther Party Founder Huey P. Newton. An illiterate high-school graduate, Newton taught himself how to read before attending Merritt College in Oakland and the San Francisco School of Law, where he met Seale. In Oakland in 1966 they formed the Black Panther group in response to incidents of police brutality and racism and as an illustration of the need for black self-reliance |
Today in Black History: February 18, 1688 - First Formal Protest Against Slavery
Quakers conducted the first formal protest against slavery in Germantown, Pennsylvania. The historic "Germantown Protest" denounced slavery and the slave trade. Populated by carpenters, weavers, tailors, and shoemakers, the immigrant Mennonite and Quaker families that comprised Germantown knew the pain of religious persecution and valued the religious freedoms of their new home. As such, it was difficult for them to understand how some of their fellow English settlers could support the slave trade. Drafted by Francis Daniel Pastorius and signed by himself and three others, the petition stated: “There is a saying that we shall doe (sic) to all men like as we will be done ourselves; making no difference of what generation, descent or colour they are.” |
Today in Black History: February 19, 1942 - Tuskegee Airmen Initiated
The Army Air Corps' all African American 100th Pursuit Squadron, later designated a fighter squadron, was activated at Tuskegee Institute. The squadron served honorably in England and in other regions of the European continent during World War II. |
Today in Black History: February 20, 1927 - Sidney Poitier born
Sir Sidney Poitier is a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author and diplomat. In 1964 Sidney Poitier became the first Bahamian-American actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. The significance of this achievement was bolstered in 1967 when he starred in three successful films, all of which deal with issues involving race: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, making him the top box-office star of that year. Poitier has directed a number of popular movies, such as A Piece of the Action, Uptown Saturday Night, Let's Do It Again (with friend Bill Cosby), Stir Crazy (starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder) and Ghost Dad (also with Cosby). In 2002, thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor Award, Poitier was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to receive an Honorary Award, designated "To Sidney Poitier in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being." On August 12, 2009, Sidney Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama. |
Today in Black History: February 21, 1965 - Malcolm X was assassinated in Audubon Ballroom
Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was an African-American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. As a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the 1950s and '60s. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans; detractors accused him of preaching racism and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. Due largely to his efforts, the Nation of Islam grew from a mere 400 members at the time he was released from prison in 1952 to 40,000 members by 1960. Articulate, passionate and a naturally gifted and inspirational orator, Malcolm X exhorted blacks to cast off the shackles of racism "by any means necessary," including violence. The fiery civil rights leader broke with the group shortly before his assassination, February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, where he had been preparing to deliver a speech. Three Blacks were later convicted of the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Today in Black History: February 22, 1888 - Painter Horace Pippin born
In West Chester, Pennsylvania, African American painter Horace Pippin was born. Pippin is considered one of the major American painters of his period. One of his more significant works, "John Brown Going to His Hanging," is owned by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. |
Today in Black History: February 23, 1979 - Frank E. Peterson Jr. named the first Black General in the Marine Corps
Lieutenant General Frank E. Peterson Jr. earned his Bachelor of Science in 1967. He received a Master's in International Affairs in 1973. Both degrees came from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In 1979 Frank Peterson became the first black general in the Marine Corps. In 1986 he was named the first black commander of Quantico Marine Base in Virginia. |
Today in Black History: February 24, 1864 - Rebecca Lee Crumpler First Black Woman to receive an M.D.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first black woman to receive an M.D. degree. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was born in 1833. She worked from 1852-1860 as a nurse in Massachusetts. |
Today in Black History: February 25, 1964 - Muhammad Ali defeats Sonny Liston
Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston for world heavyweight boxing championship. On Feb 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay shocked the boxing world by defeating heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. The fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston for boxing's World Heavyweight Championship was among the most anticipated, watched and controversial fights in the sport's history. Sports Illustrated magazine named the first Clay–Liston fight (Ali had not yet changed his name from Cassius Clay) as the fourth greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. |
Today in Black History: February 26, 1869 - Fifteenth Amendment Guaranteeing the Right to Vote
Fifteenth Amendment guaranteeing the right to vote sent to the states for ratification. In 1869, the Republicans were ready to introduce a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the black man’s right to vote. For two months, Congress considered the proposed amendment. Several versions of the amendment were submitted, debated, rejected and then reconsidered in both the House and Senate. Finally, at the end of February 1869, Congress approved a compromise amendment that did not even specifically mention the black man: Section 1: The right of citizens of the United States vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. While Congress debated the 15th Amendment early in 1869, 150 black men from 17 states assembled for a convention in Washington, D.C. This was the first national meeting of black Americans in the history of the United States. Frederick Douglass was elected president of the convention. |
Today in Black History: February 27, 1988 - Debi Thomas 1st Black to Win Winter Olympic Medal
Debi Thomas is an African American figure skater, surgeon and community activist. As the first African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics in Calgary she skated to the music of Bizet's. Also while a pre-med student at Stanford University, Thomas won the 1986 U.S. National and World Figure Skating titles, becoming the first and only African American to hold those titles. She was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000. After figure skating Thomas went back to school to become an orthopedic surgeon. She graduated from Stanford in 1991 with a degree in engineering and from Northwestern University Medical School in 1997. Thomas followed this with a surgical residency at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital and an orthopedic surgery residency at the Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center in South Central Los Angeles. She is currently practicing in Terra Haute, Indiana. She still remains involved in the figure skating world as a frequent committee member and judge. |
Today in Black History: February 28, 1984 Michael Jackson Wins 8 Grammys
Musician and entertainer Michael Jackson wins eight Grammy Awards. His album, "Thriller", broke all sales records to-date, and remains one of the top-grossing albums of all time. In 1984 Micahel Jackson’s his landmark album Thriller became the first album to generate seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Thriller, released when Jackson was 24, logged 37 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. That constituted the second-longest run in the top spot since the chart became a weekly feature in 1956. Also in 1984 Michael Jackson became the first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night. That same year, he became the only artist to win GRAMMYs in the Pop, Rock and R&B Fields in one year. (He remains one of only three artists to win in all three fields over the course of a career. The others are B.B. King and Tina Turner.) |