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 […]
Tag Archives | NAACP
December 29th in African American History – Robert Clifton Weaver
December 29, 1907 Robert Clifton Weaver, the first African American to hold a cabinet level position in a United States President’s administration, was born in Washington, D.C. Weaver attended Harvard University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in economics in 1929, his Master of Arts degree in 1931, and his Ph.D. […]
July 26th in African American History – Spottswood William Robinson III
July 26, 1916 Spottswood William Robinson III, educator, civil rights attorney, and judge, was born in Richmond, Virginia. Robinson earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Union University in 1936 and in 1939 he received his law degree from Howard University, graduating first in his class and achieving the highest scholastic average in the history of […]
July 24th in African American History – Mary Church Terrell
July 24, 1954 Mary Church Terrell, civil and suffrage rights activist, died. Terrell was born September 23, 1863 in Memphis, Tennessee. Terrell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884 and her Master of Arts degree in 1888 from Oberlin College, making her one of the first African American women to earn a college degree. […]
July 23rd in African American History – Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson
July 23, 1962 Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson became the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was a star athlete, from 1939 to 1941 and served in the United States […]
March 24th in African American History – Dorothy Irene Height
March 24, 1912 Dorothy Irene Height, educator and social activist, was born in Richmond, Virginia. While in high school, Height was awarded a scholarship to Barnard College, but when she enrolled she was denied admittance because at that time Barnard only admitted two African Americans per academic year and they had already admitted two. Height […]
March 14th in African American History – Richard Berry Harrison
March 14, 1935 Richard Berry Harrison, actor, teacher, and lecturer, died. Harrison was born September 28, 1864 in London, Ontario, Canada, the son of formerly enslaved parents who had escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. As a young man, Harrison moved to Detroit, Michigan and began dramatic studies at the Detroit Training School of […]