People, Locations, Episodes

Emile Zinsou, Nationalist born

Emile Zinsou was born on this date in 1918. He was an African nationalist, and politician.

Coleman Young, Politician born

On this date in 1918, Coleman Young, an African American politician, was born.

The 805th Pioneer Infantry is formed

*On this date in 1918, the 805th Pioneer Infantry was formed. During World War I, it was an all-Black segregated United States Army infantry regiment. The 805th contained black soldiers from the state of Mississippi. The battalion landed in France in July 1918 to support the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which began on September 26, 1918. The […]

Nelson Mandela, South African Leader born

*On this date in 1918 Nelson Mandela was born. He was a South African activist and leader who helped end apartheid, the first Black president of South Africa, and a winner of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.

Frank M. Johnson, Lawyer, and Judge born

This date marks the birth of Frank M. Johnson, a White American lawyer and Federal judge, in 1918.

George Iles, Military Officer born

*George Iles was born on this date in 1918. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force officer. George Jewell Iles was born in Quincy, Illinois, Adams County, to George D. Iles and Juanita Howell Iles. The elder George worked as a barber and later as an employee at Firestone’s Electric Wheel Works. The family […]

The Communist Party USA is Formed

*On this date in 1919, the American Communist Party was formed. Officially called the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), it is a communist party in the United States established after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revolution.    The CPUSA has a long, complex history of intersectionality that ties with the American labor movement and communist parties worldwide. Initially operating […]

Mary Eugina Charles, Caribbean Politician born

Mary Eugenia Charles, was Black politician, was born on this date in Pointe Michel, Dominica, in 1919.

Sse is a granddaughter of former slaves and one of five children of John Baptiste and Josephine Delauney. Her father was the founder of the Penney Bank. Her three brothers are doctors and her sister is a nun. Charles attended Catholic schools in Dominica and Grenada, then, from 1942 to 1946, she went to the University College of the University of Toronto and received a B.A. in law. She continued her studies of law at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Erwin Lawrence, Soldier born

*Erwin Lawrence was born on this date in 1919. He was a Black soldier. Erwin B. Lawrence, Jr., was from Cleveland, Ohio. After enlisting in the army, he graduated from flight training at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. During this time, he married chemist Blanche Lawrence. After flight training, Lawrence joined the 99th Fighter Squadron, declared combat-ready […]

Elizabeth Koontz, Educator, and Politician born

On this date in 1919, we celebrate the birth of Elizabeth Koontz, an African American educator and politician.

Elizabeth Duncan Koontz was born in Salisbury, N.C., and attended that city’s public school system. She graduated from Livingstone College in 1938. Koontz attained her Masters Degree from Atlanta University in 1941, and did further study at Columbia University. A classroom teacher who devoted her entire life to education, Koontz also served as the first Black woman president of the National Education Association (NEA) in 1968.

Aurabelle Caggins, Community Activist born

*Aurabelle Caggins was born on this date in 1919.  She was a Black educator, community activist, and politician.  From Kiln, Mississippi, Aurabelle Denise Mondy moved to Bay St. Louis, MS, at the age of three with her family.  She was educated in the Gulfport school system and graduated from 33rd Avenue High School in 1937. […]

George Wallace Jr. Segregationist born

*George Wallace Jr. was born on this date in 1919.  He was a white-American politician and segregationist.  Born in Clio, Alabama, George Corley Wallace Jr. attended the University of Alabama School of Law and served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war, he won the Alabama House of Representatives election and served as a state […]

Charles J. French, Naval Hero born

*Charles Jackson French was born on this date in 1919.  He was a Black World War II hero.  Charles French was an orphan from Foreman, Arkansas, who learned to swim in the Red River at eight. He first enlisted in the United States Navy in 1937 and completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska, where […]

Edward Brooke, Politician, and Author born

On this date in 1919, Edward Brooke, an African American politician and author, was born in Washington, D.C.

His father, Edward W. Brooke Jr., was a lawyer with the Veterans Administration. His mother was the former Helen Seldon. The Brookes were comfortably middle class. Brooke graduated from Howard University in 1941. During World War II, he served in the Army infantry. He rose to the rank of captain, saw combat in Italy, and was awarded a Bronze Star. While in Italy, he met Remigia Ferrari-Scacco. They married in 1947.

Charles Bailey, Pilot, and Teacher born

*Charles Bailey was born on this date in 1919. He was a Black army pilot, educator, businessman, and WW II hero.   From DeLand, Florida, he was the son of Archie, and Josephine Bailey raised these children in a small town on the southwest coast of Florida; their hometown offered no schooling for Blacks. He and […]