On July 16, 1862, prolific writer and civil rights crusader, Ida B. Wells was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Ida’s mother, Elizabeth, was famous for her cooking. Ida’s father was a carpenter. His name was James. The nation’s slaves were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation six months after her birth. Both parents were […]
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John Robert Lewis – February 21st in African American History
February 21, 1940 John Robert Lewis, civil rights leader and politician, was born in Troy, Alabama. Lewis earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in theology from the American Baptist Theological Seminary in 1961 and another Bachelor of Arts degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University in 1963.
Aaron Douglas – February 3rd in African American History
February 3, 1979 Aaron Douglas, painter and educator, died. Douglas was born May 26, 1899 in Topeka, Kansas. He developed an interest in art during his childhood. Douglas earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1922.
January 2nd in African American History – John Hope Franklin
January 2, 1915 John Hope Franklin, historian and author, was born in Rentiesville, Oklahoma. Franklin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University in 1935 and his Master of Arts degree and Ph. D. in history from Harvard University in 1936 and 1941, respectively. In the early 1950s, he served on the NAACP Legal […]
December 17th in African American History – Cora Mae Brown
December 17, 1972 Cora Mae Brown, the first African American woman elected to the Michigan State Senate, died. Brown was born April 16, 1914 in Bessemer, Alabama, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1931 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Fisk University in 1935. […]
William Edward Bughardt Du Bois – April 27th in African American History
April 27, 1963 William Edward Bughardt Du Bois, civil rights activist, historian, and author, died. Du Bois was born February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In 1888, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University. He went on to Harvard University where he earned another Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in […]