People, Locations, Episodes

Elizabeth Carter Brooks, Educator, and Preservationist born

*This date in 1867 is celebrated as the birth date of Elizabeth Carter Brooks, a Black educator, social activist, and architect. Elizabeth Carter was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Her mother, Martha Webb, was a former slave owned by President John Tyler and involved with the Underground Railroad. Her daughter developed a “passion for equality” […]

Maggie L. Walker, Businesswoman born

On this date in 1867, Maggie Lena Walker was born. She was a noted African American businesswoman, civics leader, and the first Black female bank president in America.

Irving Penn, Educator, Journalist, and Administrator born

The birth of Irving Garland Penn in 1867 is celebrated on this date. He was an African American educator and journalist.

Madame C.J. Walker, Businesswoman born

Madame C. J. Walker was born on this date in 1867. She was an African American businesswoman and philanthropist generally acknowledged as one of the first Black female millionaire in the United States.

The Black Elks Fraternity is Formed

On this date in 1899, the Black Elks were formed. This historically Black non-profit charitable fraternal organization is still operating.

The New National Era Newspaper is Published

*This date in 1868 celebrates the publication of the New National Era newspaper. Originally called the New Era and Citizen, it was a national newspaper for the Black community. It was published in Washington, D.C., during Reconstruction, the decade after the American Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. Frederick Douglass took over the New Era […]

Robert R. Taylor, Architect born

Robert R. Taylor, an African American architect, was born on this date in 1868.

Born in Wilmington, N.C., Robert Robinson Taylor came from a middle-class family. His father, Henry, was the son of a white slave owner and a Black mother. The elder Taylor had been allowed to go into business for himself before the Civil War, building cargo ships for trade routes between the United States and South America through the Caribbean. He also built many commercial and residential edifices.

John Standard, Inventor born

*John Standard was born on this date in 1868. He was a Black inventor.   From Newark, New Jersey, little is known about his early life, except that he was born to Mary and Joseph Standard.   Standard’s improvements to kitchen appliances eventually led to further innovations in refrigerator and stove designs, which changed how people around […]

Robert Abbott, News Journalist born

The birth of Robert Abbott in 1870 is celebrated on this date. He was an African American news businessman and lawyer.

O. W. Gurley, Teacher and Businessman born

*O. W. Gurley, a black teacher and businessman, was born on this date in 1868.  Ottowa W. Gurley was born in Huntsville, Alabama, to John and Rosanna Gurley, formerly enslaved persons, and grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. After attending public schools and self-educating, he worked as a teacher and in the postal service. Gurley […]

Pat Chappelle, Vaudeville Pioneer born

*Pat Chappelle was born on this date in 1869. He was a Black stage showman, theatre owner, and entrepreneur.  Patrick Henry Chappelle was from Jacksonville, Florida, the son of Lewis Chappelle and his wife Anna, who had been slaves in Newberry County, South Carolina. After slavery was abolished, they left South Carolina with their relatives […]

Frank Leland, Baseball Player, Coach, Manager, and Owner born

*The birth of Frank Leland is celebrated on this date in 1869. He was a Black baseball player, field manager, and club owner in the Negro Leagues. Frank C. Leland was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, graduating in 1886. He began his professional baseball career with the Washington Capital Cities in […]

John L. Thompson, Lawyer born

The birth of John Lay Thompson in 1869 is marked on this date. He was an African American businessman and lawyer.

Thompson was a native of Iowa’s Decatur County, and a graduate of the Iowa Business College in 1896 and Drake University’s law school in 1898. He secured political positions considered especially prestigious for African Americans in an age of tokenism and unchecked discrimination. A Republican, Thompson was appointed file clerk for the Iowa Senate in 1894 and file clerk for the Iowa General Assembly in 1896.

The Colored National Labor Union, a story

*The Colored National Labor Union (CNLU) first met on this date in 1869. Established during a 4-day convention, the CNLU was formed by Blacks to organize their labor collectively nationally. The CNLU, like other labor unions in the United States, was created to improve the working conditions and quality of life for its members. During the […]

The Knights of Labor (Union) is Founded

*The Knights of Labor (KOL) began on this date in 1869. Founded in Philadelphia, the Knights of Labor was America’s largest labor union in the 19th century. Uriah Stephens founded it, and James L. Wright and a small group of Philadelphia tailors founded a secret organization, the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor. Created […]