Black Historical past Month has been acknowledged yearly since 1976. Whereas it’s essential to take this chance to look again and mirror in addition to have fun unbelievable milestones and victories, we don’t have to attend till February! Listed below are some Black Historical past Month information to share with children all yr spherical.
Plus, click on the button beneath to seize a free copy of our Black Historical past Month Info Google Slideshow to share along with your class.
Black Historical past Month Info for Children
1. Carter G. Woodson is the “Father of Black Historical past.”
The historian was the second Black scholar to graduate from Harvard College with a doctorate diploma. His unbelievable analysis led to the establishment of Black Historical past Month in 1926. It later grew to become a nationally acknowledged annual occasion in 1976.
2. Black Historical past Month is in February in recognition of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
The month was chosen in recognition of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Through the Civil Conflict, Lincoln labored tirelessly to increase the rights of Black Individuals. Douglass, a previously enslaved man, grew to become a pacesetter who fought to finish slavery throughout the abolitionist motion.
3. William Tucker was the primary Black particular person born within the 13 colonies.
William Tucker was born in 1624 to indentured servants in Jamestown, Virginia. They have been among the many first group of Africans dropped at the colonies by Nice Britain.
4. The primary novel revealed by a Black creator was revealed in 1853.
William Wells Brown wrote “Clotel: or, The President’s Daughter“. He was a lecturer and abolitionist.
5. Claudette Colvin was the primary Black lady recognized to refuse to surrender her seat on a bus.
If you happen to’re in search of Black Historical past Month information to shock your college students, do that one. Whereas Rosa Parks is often given credit for being the first Black woman to refuse to give up her seat on a bus, Claudette Colvin was truly arrested nine months earlier for refusing to surrender her seat for white passengers.
6. Lucy Stanton was the primary Black lady to earn a four-year faculty diploma.
Stanton earned a literary degree from Oberlin Faculty in 1850.
7. Lucy Terry wrote the primary recognized poem by a Black American.
From a younger age, Lucy Terry lived in enslavement in Rhode Island. She was freed at age 26 when she married a free Black man. She penned “Bars Fight” in 1746.
8. Phillis Wheatley revealed the primary e book of poetry by a Black creator in 1773.
A household in Boston bought Wheatley, who was born in Gambia, when she was simply 7 years outdated. She was emancipated shortly after releasing Poems on Varied Topics, Non secular and Ethical.
9. Nat King Cole was the primary Black American to host a tv present.
The beloved jazz pianist and singer hosted The Nat King Cole Show on NBC in 1956.
10. Hattie McDaniel was the primary Black particular person to win an Oscar.
In 1940, Hattie McDaniel took house the Academy Award for her supporting role in Gone With the Wind. It took 24 extra years for Sidney Poitier to turn into the primary Black man to win the Best Actor award (for Lilies of the Area), and 62 years for Halle Berry to win the Best Actress prize (for Monster’s Ball).
11. Within the early 1770s, Quakers created the primary public faculty for Black youngsters.
Anthony Benezet based the varsity. He was a white Quaker, educator, and abolitionist.
12. Thurgood Marshall was the primary Black justice to serve within the U.S. Supreme Court docket.
The longtime lawyer was officially nominated in 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Marshall served till 1991.
13. Barack Obama was the primary Black president of the USA.
The lawyer and former senator was first elected in 2008.
14. Kamala Harris is the primary Black vice chairman of the USA.
When she took workplace in 2021, Harris grew to become the primary lady and first particular person of African or Asian descent to step into the role of vice president. Her father immigrated from Jamaica and her mom immigrated from India.
15. “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang was the primary commercially profitable rap file.
The bottom-breaking music was produced by “Hip Hop’s First Godmother,” Sylvia Robinson. Alongside together with her husband, Robinson co-owned Sugar Hill Information. It was the primary hip-hop music label.
16. Stevie Marvel was the primary Black artist to win a Grammy Award for Album of the 12 months.
Not solely did he win for his 1973 masterpiece Innervisions, however he went on to turn into the primary and solely musician to take house the prize three years in a row!
17. Bryant Gumbel was the primary Black particular person to host a morning present.
The printed journalist joined NBC’s Today show in 1981.
18. John Taylor was the primary Black athlete to win a gold medal on the Olympics.
Taylor received the 4 x 400-meter relay in 1908. It took 40 years, however Alice Coachman grew to become the first Black woman to win gold after dominating the excessive leap.
19. Madam C.J. Walker was the primary Black feminine self-made millionaire.
Walker created a line of hair-care merchandise for Black girls. The Netflix sequence Self Made tells her superb story.
20. Robert Johnson was the primary Black billionaire.
He based Black Leisure Tv (BET) and amassed a fortune when he offered it in 2001.
21. Althea Gibson was the primary Black tennis participant to win a Grand Slam.
Gibson won her first in 1956 and went on to win one other 11 Grand Slam tournaments all through her profession.
22. George Washington Carver’s work led to greater than 500 merchandise created from peanuts and candy potatoes.
The agricultural scientist promoted crops alternative to cotton and his analysis drastically contributed to the financial development of the agricultural South. He additionally invented methods to keep away from soil depletion.
23. Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall have been the primary Black athletes to play within the NFL.
The football players joined in 1920. Later, Pollard would go on to turn into the NFL’s first Black coach.
24. Sheryl Swoopes was the primary participant to signal with the WNBA.
The star athlete joined in 1996, and the league debuted the next yr.
25. Gabby Douglas made historical past on the 2012 London Olympics.
The gymnast grew to become the primary Black lady to win the Particular person All-Round title.
26. Septima Poinsette Clark helped discovered practically 1,000 citizenship colleges.
The efforts by the civil rights activist and campaigner helped Blacks register to vote.
27. The primary Black-owned newspaper was revealed in 1827.
Freedom’s Journal, revealed in New York Metropolis, was the primary Black-owned and -operated newspaper in the USA. It supplied a platform to counter racist narratives and advocate for abolition and civil rights.
28. Mae Jemison was the primary Black lady to journey to area.
In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison made history aboard the House Shuttle Endeavour. She can be a doctor, engineer, and advocate for STEM training.
29. Bass Reeves, the primary Black deputy U.S. marshal, could have been the inspiration for the Lone Ranger.
Whereas it can’t be confirmed conclusively, many consider Reeves to be the inspiration for the well-known character. Born into slavery, he grew to become a legendary lawman within the Previous West, capturing greater than 3,000 fugitives throughout his profession.
30. The primary Black-owned hospital opened in 1891.
Provident Hospital in Chicago was based by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who additionally carried out one of many first profitable open-heart surgical procedures.
31. Oscar Micheaux was the primary Black filmmaker to supply a feature-length movie.
Micheaux launched The Homesteader in 1919, paving the best way for Black voices in cinema.
32. Henrietta Lacks’ cells revolutionized drugs.
In 1951, cells taken from Henrietta Lacks with out her information grew to become the first immortal human cells. Generally known as HeLa cells, they’ve been instrumental in medical analysis, together with the event of vaccines and most cancers remedies.
33. Marian Anderson was the primary Black singer to carry out a number one position on the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1955, Anderson broke boundaries in classical music by showing on the Met stage, turning into an emblem of progress throughout the Civil Rights Motion.
34. Early Black inventors held greater than 50,000 patents in the USA.
Within the interval from 1870 to 1940, “Black people accounted for more inventions throughout this era than immigrants from each nation besides England and Germany.” Improvements just like the site visitors mild (Garrett Morgan), trendy refrigeration (Frederick McKinley Jones), and automated elevator doorways (Alexander Miles) have been created by Black inventors.
35. Shirley Chisholm was the primary Black lady to run for president.
In 1972, Chisholm campaigned for the Democratic nomination, making history as a trailblazer for girls and other people of colour in politics.
36. The Black Lives Matter motion was based by three girls.
Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi started the global movement in 2013 to fight systemic racism and violence in opposition to Black communities.
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