People, Locations, Episodes

Swaziland Gains Independence from Britain

*On this date in 1968, Swaziland gained its independence from Britain.   This was another step for African countries’ self-rule after the white European invasion resulting from the Berlin Conference of 1884.  Following the 1967 elections, Swaziland was a protected state until independence was regained the following year. Following the elections of 1973, the constitution […]

The National Black Law Students Association is Formed

*The National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) is celebrated on this date in 1968. NBLSA is a nationwide organization formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of black law students and effectuate change in the legal community. 1968, Algernon Johnson Cooper Jr. founded the first Black American Law Students Association at the New […]

The Congressional Black Caucus is Formed

This date is the anniversary of the origin of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969.

It is a group of African American members of the United States Congress who focus on issues of particular interest to Black Americans. Newly elected African American representatives of the 77th Congress joined six incumbents to form the “Democratic Select Committee” which began the organization. The committee was renamed the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in 1971 .

Nyamko Sabuni, Politician born

*Nyamko Sabuni was born on this date in 1969. She is an Afro Swedish (Black Swede) politician and former government cabinet minister. Nyamko Ana Sabuni was born in Bujumbura, Burundi.  Her family relocated in exile after her father, Maurice Sabuni, a left-wing politician from Congo (formerly Zaire), had been frequently jailed. The Sabuni family is Muslim and […]

Cory Booker, Politician born

*Cory Booker was born on this date in 1969. He is an African American politician.

Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education is Decided

*On this date in 1969, Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education, 396 U.S. 19 (1969), was decided.  It followed 15 years of delays to integration by most Southern school boards after the Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregated public schools were unconstitutional.  This was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ordered immediate […]

Benjamin Crump, Attorney born

*Benjamin Crump was born on this date in 1969. He is a Black lawyer who specializes in civil rights and catastrophic personal injury cases, such as wrongful death lawsuits. Benjamin Lloyd Crump was born near Fort Bragg in Lumberton, North Carolina. Crump, the oldest of nine siblings and stepsiblings, grew up in an extended family […]

Ras Baraka, Politician born

*Ras Baraka was born on this date in 1970.  He is a Black educator, author, and politician. A Newark, NJ native, Baraka is the son of poet and activist Amiri Baraka and his wife, Amina. Baraka was educated in the Newark Public Schools and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University in Washington, DC, and […]

Harold Ford Jr., Tennessee Politician born

*Harold Ford was born on this date in 1970. He is an African American politician and lawyer.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Lawyer, and Judge born

*Ketanji Brown Jackson was born on this date in 1970. She is a Black attorney and a federal judge. Ketanji Onyika Brown was born in Washington, D.C. Her parents graduated from historically black colleges and universities. Her father, Johnny Brown, ultimately became the Miami-Dade County School Board; her mother, Ellery, served as school principal at […]

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is Formed

*The founding of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is celebrated on this date in 1970.  This American political organization is comprised of African Americans who were elected to the Maryland General Assembly. Since incorporation, the Caucus membership has grown from 17 to 44 and is one of the country’s largest state legislative Black caucuses.   Lena King Lee founded the caucus […]

Adrian Fenty, Politician and Lawyer born.

*Adrian Fenty was born on this date in 1970. He is a Black politician and lawyer. Adrian Malik Fenty was born in Washington, D.C., the second of the three children of Jeanette Bianchi Perno Fenty and Phil Fenty. He is the middle child of three boys: Shawn, himself, and Jesse. Fenty’s mother is Italian-American. His […]

The Angola Three, a story

*The Angola Three are celebrated on this date in 1971. Three former Black prison inmates are Robert Hillary King, Albert Woodfox, and Herman Wallace. They were held for decades in solitary confinement while imprisoned at Louisiana State Penitentiary (also known as Angola Prison). Wallace and Woodfox were each sent to Angola Prison in 1971: Wallace […]

Idi Amin Takes Over Uganda

*On this date in 1971, Idi Amin Dada became president and ruler of Uganda. He was the deputy commander of Uganda’s armed forces ousted President Obote to get control of the country.

The one-time heavyweight-boxing champion’s erratic and brutal rule of eight years left the country in disarray. A year after becoming president, he expelled non-Africans, mostly Asians, some 40 to 50 thousand people, from the country. He nationalized foreign companies and killed as many as 300,000 Ugandans who opposed his policies. The Ugandan economy collapsed.

Williams v. Eaton is Decided

*On this date in 1971, Williams v. Eaton was decided.  This case challenged the constitutional right to free speech and was part of an incident at the University of Wyoming football program.