*La Francis Rodgers-Rose was born on July 19, 1936. She is a Black sociologist and Educator. La Francis Rodgers-Rose was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and grew up in segregated Portsmouth, Virginia, with her mother, two older brothers, and younger sister. She graduated from Morgan State University with honors in sociology and anthropology in 1958, where […]
learn more*Biafra was founded on this date in 1967. Officially, the Republic of Biafra was a partially recognized state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Early modern maps of Africa from the 15th to the 19th centuries, drawn from accounts written by explorers and slave traders, show references. According […]
learn more*The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, began on this date in 1967. It was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra. This secessionist state had declared its independence from Nigeria earlier in 1967. General Yakubu Gowon and Biafra led Nigeria by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. The conflict […]
learn more*The Igbo people were first celebrated on this date in 1000. They are an ethnic group in Nigeria, including Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, which are largely unknown. The Igbo people are one of the largest indigenous communities in Africa. The Igboid […]
learn more*Chukwuemeka Ojukwu was born on this date in 1933. He was a Black Nigerian military officer and politician. Chukwuemeka “Emeka” Odumegwu Ojukwu was born in northern Nigeria. He was the son of Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo businessman in the transport business; he took advantage of the business boom during World War II to […]
learn more*Samuel Crowther’s birth is celebrated on this date in 1809. He was a Yoruba linguist, clergyman, and the first Black African Anglican bishop of West Africa. Samuel Crowther was born in Nigeria, the grandson of King Abiodun, through his mother, Afala; Ajayi was around 12 years old when he and his family were captured by […]
learn more*The birth of Manuel Lopes is celebrated on this date in 1812. He was a Black barber, businessman, and sailor. Lopes was born in the Cape Verde Islands of Africa. He was enslaved, kidnapped, and brought to America. He worked as a sailor in New England, first in Maine and then in the New Bedford area of […]
learn more*The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is celebrated on this date in 1973. CDF is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on child advocacy and research. Based in Washington, D.C., and created by Marian Wright Edelman. The CDF exists to improve federal policies concerning child welfare and public education systems. CDF has offices in several states: California, […]
learn more*Carl ‘Luz’ Long was born on this date in 1913. He was a white German Olympic long jumper and soldier. Carl Ludwig ‘Luz’ Long was born in Leipzig, Stadtkreis Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. He studied law at the University of Leipzig, and as a 21-year-old, 1.84-meter-tall (6’½”), Long had finished third in the 1934 European Championships […]
learn more*William Gladstone was born on this date in 1809. He was a white British statesman, slave owner, and politician. Born in Liverpool, William Ewart Gladstone was of Scottish ancestry. He was the fourth son of the wealthy enslaver John Gladstone and his second wife, Anne MacKenzie Robertson. In 1814, young “Willy” visited Scotland for the […]
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