February 21, 1936 Barbara Charline Jordan, the first African American woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives from a southern state, was born in Houston, Texas. Jordan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Texas Southern University in 1956 and her Juris Doctorate degree from Boston University in 1959. […]

Barbara Charline Jordan – February 21st in African American History
Tags: House of Representatives, National Women’s Hall of Fame, Presidential Medal of Freedom

Frederick Douglass – February 20th in African American History
Tags: editor
February 20, 1895 Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, women’s suffragist, editor, author, and statesman, died. Douglass was born enslaved on February 14, 1818 in Tuckahoe, Maryland and named Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. Douglass taught himself to read and write and in 1838 escaped from slavery. Douglass delivered his first abolitionist speech at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society’s annual […]

Jonathon Jasper Wright – February 19th in African American History
Tags: judge, Supreme Court
February 19, 1885 Jonathan Jasper Wright, lawyer and South Carolina Supreme Court judge, died. Wright was born February 11, 1840 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. After studying the law for three years and feeling himself qualified for the legal profession, Wright applied for admission to the Bar, but was refused an examination because of his race. […]

James H. Harris – February 18th in African American History
Tags: Medal of Honor
February 18, 1874 James H. Harris was awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration, for his actions during the Civil War. Harris was born in 1828 in Saint Mary’s County, Maryland. He worked as a farmer before enlisting in the Union Army in 1864 as a private in Company B of the 38th […]

Albert Richardson – February 17th in African American History
Tags: February 17
February 17, 1891 Albert C. Richardson of South Frankfort, Michigan was awarded patent number 446,470 for inventing a new and improved churn. His invention provided a simple and inexpensive churn capable of readily converting the lacteal fluid into butter and delivering the same upon a suitable plate for convenient removal. Richardson created several other devices […]

Isaiah Mays – February 16th in African American History
Tags: Army, Medal of Honor
February 16, 1858 Isaiah Mays, Medal of Honor recipient, was born enslaved in Carters Bridge, Virginia. By May 11, 1889, Mays was serving as a corporal in Company B of the 24th Infantry Regiment. On that day, he was involved in an engagement with robbers and his actions earned him the medal which was awarded […]

Bruce Scott Gordon – February 15th in African American History
Tags: Gettysburg College
February 15, 1946 Bruce Scott Gordon, former president of the NAACP, was born in Camden, New Jersey. Gordon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College in 1968 and his Master of Business Administration degree in management from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1988. After earning his undergraduate degree, Gordon joined Bell […]
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- June 9th in African American History – Jacob Lawrence
- September 19th in African American History – Earl Cyril Palmer
- June 18th in African American History – Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki
- Archibald John Motley, Jr. – January 16th in African American History
- September 28th in African American History – Constance Baker Motley