March 23, 1928 Channing E. Phillips, minister, social activist and the first African American placed in nomination for President of the United States by a major party, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Phillips was a founding member of the Coalition of Conscience, a conglomeration of local organizations working to alleviate social problems in Washington, […]
Tag Archives | social activist
Horace Julian Bond – January 14th in African American History
January 14, 1940 Horace Julian Bond, social activist, politician, professor, and writer, was born in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1960, Bond was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and served as communications director from 1961 to 1966. In 1965, Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives where he served four terms […]
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 […]
December 18th in African American History – Raiford Chatman “Ossie” Davis
December 18, 1917 Raiford Chatman “Ossie” Davis, actor, director, playwright and social activist, was born in Cogdell, Georgia. Davis began his acting career in 1939 with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem and made his film debut in 1950 in “No Way Out.” Over the next 55 years, he appeared in almost 50 movies, including […]
December 9th in African American History – Toni Cade Bambara
December 9, 1995 Toni Cade Bambara, author, social activist and college professor, died. Bambara was born Miltona Mirkin Cade on March 25, 1939 in New York City. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and theater at Queens College in 1959 and her Master of Arts degree in African fiction at City College […]
October 4th in African American History – Hubert Gerold “H. Rap” Brown
October 4, 1943 Hubert Gerold “H. Rap” Brown, social activist, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the early 1960s, Brown became active with the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and in 1967 was named chairman of the organization. In 1968, he left SNCC and joined the Black Panthers, eventually becoming justice minister. One of […]
September 14th in African American History – Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee
September 14, 1980 Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee, physician, educator, and social activist, died. Ferebee was born October 10, 1898 in Norfolk, Virginia. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Simmons College in 1920 and her medical degree with top honors from Tufts University Medical School in 1924. Not allowed to intern at white hospitals […]