People, Locations, Episodes

Gambia Gains Its Independence From the UK

*On this date in 1964, the Gambia Independence Act 1964 was issued.  This was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that gave independence to The Gambia with effect from February 18, 1965.   This episode happened 80 years after the Berlin Conference convened.  It marked the high point of white European competition […]

Elaine Weddington Steward, Sports Lawyer born

*The birth of Elaine Weddington Steward is celebrated on this date in 1964. She is a Black Lawyer and administrator. Born in New York City, Steward was hired by the New York Mets. She won the Jackie Robinson Foundation program scholarship in sports management to attend St. John’s University and graduated with honors, earning a […]

Kamala Harris, Politician born

*Kamala Harris was born on this date in 1964. She is a Black politician and community advocate. From Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of a Tamil Indian mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer researcher who emigrated from Chennai, India, in 1960, and a Jamaican American father, Donald Harris, a Stanford University economics […]

Kenya Achieves Independence From Britain

On this date Jomo Kenyatta was elected the first minister of the newly independent Kenya.

As an independent country, Kenya was initially a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch as its nominal head of state and a prime minister as head of the government. Although the British hoped to hand over power to moderates, when Kenya became independent, it was the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta that formed a government shortly before Kenya became independent in December 1963.

The 1965 American Voting Rights Act is Passed

*On this date the American Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed into law. The most sweeping reforms were embodied in the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Voting History of Black Women in America, a story

*On this date in 1965, Black women and voting history in America is briefly shared.  Black women in America began to agitate for political rights in the 1830s, creating Female Anti-Slavery Societies in New York and Philadelphia. These interracial groups were radical expressions of women’s political ideals, leading directly to voting rights activism before and after the […]

LeRoy W. Homer, Pilot, and 9/11 Hero born

*LeRoy Homer, Jr. was born on this date in 1965. He was an African American pilot.

Guyana Gains Independence From Britain

*On this date in 1966, Guyana gained independence from Britain. Located in Northeastern South America, Guyana’s recorded history began in 1499, when Alonso de Ojeda’s first expedition arrived from Spain at the Essequibo River, having traveled through the Middle Passage. The Guyana story has been shaped by the diverse national and ethnic groups, as well […]

Barbados Gains Independence From Britain

On this date in 1966, Barbados gained independence from Britain. The country has been a member of the Unit (OAS) ever since.

In 1973, Barbados helped form the Caribbean Community, an organization that promotes social and political cooperation and economic integration. Barbados has enjoyed a stable democratic government and a smooth transfer of power between the two major political parties.

The Republic of Biafra is Founded

*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 […]

The First Black Judge On The United States Supreme Court is Appointed

On this date in 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in and became the first African American judge on the U.S. Supreme Court.

It was a signal moment in U. S. history when African Americans everywhere realized that one of their own was seated on the highest court in the land. Thurgood Marshall, who had been in the forefront of legal battles on behalf of civil rights and the destruction of segregation, was now going to have a direct role in influencing and interpreting the country’s laws.

The National Conference of Black Lawyers is Formed

*This date in 1968 affirms the beginning of the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL). This African American association was originally formed to offer legal assistance to black civil rights activists; it comprises judges, law students, lawyers, legal activists, legal workers, and scholars.   That founding year, young people of African descent in America were growing impatient with the slow […]

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 .