Before the 1920s, many scholars and scientists believed that the origins of human beings were traced back to Europe or Asia based on archaeological finds in those regions. But in 1924, a discovery in South Africa became the first step to changing this perception of...
She was given the name “Fundi” which is a Swahili word roughly meaning a person who passes down a craft to the next generation. It was this moniker that reflected the life work of Ella Baker, one of the most prominent female black activists of the Civil Rights...
Moneta Sleet Jr. received his first camera (a box version) as a child, but professional photography wouldn’t become a calling until he went to college at Western Kentucky State College when he switched majors to photography. After World War II, he continued his...
For an African American, it was a challenge to patent an invention, especially in the late 1800s. However, Isaac R. Johnson succeeded in this challenge when he patent the bicycle frame on October 10, 1899.[1] Isaac R. Johnson was born in New York sometime during...
Born on January 13, 1850 in New York, Charlotte E. Ray began teaching at Howard University but was unfulfilled by this occupation because her real aspiration was to become a lawyer.[1] This ambition made Ray enroll in Howard University School of Law under C.E. Ray...
After the Civil War, there was a lot of question from the former southern slave states on what was going to happen with the freedmen. The freedmen wondered what the future held while the former slave owners had other questions. In late 1865, the end of the Civil War...
From the end of the Civil War to about the early 20th century, African Americans considered themselves Republicans, which is not surprising being Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. However, over time and usually dozens at once, they started to switch to the Democratic...
Denmark Vesey, an illiterate and skilled carpenter, was born around 1767 in St. Thomas. In late 1799, Denmark Vesey, who was then known as Telemaque, won over $1,000 in the lottery. He gave his owner $600 in order to buy his own freedom, after which he created the...
While there is debate on exactly where Charlotte Manye Maxeke was born, the date she was born was April 7, 1874 in South Africa. Throughout her life, education was always a big focus, and it was for this reason she traveled to the United States of America with her...
Ralph J. Bunche, born on August 7, 1904 in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised by his grandparents due to the deaths of his parents. However, the difficulties in Ralph’s childhood did not stop him from succeeding in school, becoming the valedictorian both in high school...
