On August 28, 1844, George Boyer Vashon graduated from Oberlin College. This was historically significant, because he was the first black student ever to graduate from Oberlin. He received valedictorian honors. George Boyer Vashon was born on July 25, 1824 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He was the only son and youngest child of his parents, John […]
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Carl Stokes – June 21st in African American History
On June 21, 1927, Carl Stokes was born. One reason we celebrate his birthday is the fact he was the first major American city mayor to be black. Being the first black mayor of a major city in the U.S. is not the only accomplishment that deserves recognition. He was a US Ambassador, an Ohio […]
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher – February 8th in African American History
February 8, 1924 Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, the first African American to attend law school in Oklahoma, was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Fisher graduated from Langston University with honors in 1945. In 1946, she applied for admission to the University of Oklahoma School of Law, but was denied because of her race.
Thomas J. Bradley – December 29th in African American History
December 29, 1917 Thomas J. Bradley, the first African American Mayor of Los Angeles, California, was born in Calvert, Texas but raised in Los Angeles. In 1940, Bradley became a member of the Los Angeles Police Department and rose to the rank of lieutenant, the highest ranking African American at that time. In 1956, he […]
Dred Scott v. Sandford – March 6th in African American History
March 6, 1857 The United States Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford. Commonly referred to as the “Dred Scott decision,” that people of African descent imported into the United States and enslaved, or their descendants, enslaved or free, were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States. […]
Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company – March 3rd in African American History
March 3, 1865 President Lincoln signed legislation to incorporate the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, commonly known as the Freedman’s Bank. The bank was set up to receive deposits only “by or on behalf of persons heretofore held in slavery in the United States, or their descendants.” The bank was setup to help with the […]
James Edward O’Hara – February 26th in African American History
February 26, 1844 James Edward O’Hara, lawyer and congressman, was born in New York City. O’Hara studied law in North Carolina and at Howard University and served as a clerk for the 1868 North Carolina state convention that drafted a new state constitution. In 1871, he completed his law apprenticeship and passed the North Carolina […]