June 29, 1941 Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), political activist and one of the first users of the term “Black Power,” was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Carmichael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Howard University in 1964. While at Howard, he became involved with the Nonviolent Action Group, a […]
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Harriet E. Adams Wilson – June 28th in African American History
June 28, 1900 Harriet E. Adams Wilson, considered the first female novelist, died. Wilson was born March 15, 1825 in Milford, New Hampshire. Her father died and her mother abandoned her when she was young. As an orphan, she was made an indentured servant. After the end of her indenture, Wilson worked as a house […]
Mark Clark – June 28th in African American History
June 28, 1947 Mark Clark, assassinated Black Panther leader, was born in Peoria, Illinois. At an early age, Clark became active with the NAACP and joined in demonstrations against discrimination in housing, employment, and education. In the mid-1960s, he joined the Black Panther Party and later organized a chapter in Peoria with a free breakfast […]
Marion Motley – June 27th in African American History
June 27, 1999 Marion Motley, hall of fame football player, died. Motley was born June 5, 1920 in Leesburg, Georgia but raised in Canton, Ohio. After playing college football at South Carolina University and the University of Nevada, Motley joined the United States Navy and played for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team.
Thelma Lucille Sayles (Lucille Clifton) – June 27th in African American History
June 27, 1936 Thelma Lucille Sayles (Lucille Clifton), poet and educator, was born in Depew, New York. Clifton graduated from the State University of New York in 1955 and over the next 15 years worked for the New York State Division of Employment and the federal Office of Education. In 1996, her poetry was included […]
James Weldon Johnson – June 26th in African American History
June 26, 1938 James Weldon Johnson, author, diplomat, poet, songwriter, and civil rights activist, died. Johnson was born June 17, 1871 in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree from Atlanta University in 1894 and 1904, respectively. In 1900, Johnson along with his brother, John Rosamond, co-composed “Lift […]
Bernard Anthony Harris, Jr. – June 26th in African American History
June 26, 1956 Bernard Anthony Harris, Jr., the first African American to walk in space, was born in Temple, Texas. Harris earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Houston in 1978 and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in 1982. He completed a residency […]