Black History Month - Page 3

The Harlem Hellfighters, a segregated World War I unit, earned a Congressional Gold Medal

By Donna M. Owens The all-Black Army regiment nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters battled both the German forces and racism during World War I. Now, more than a century after their service, the unit has been honored with a “long overdue” Congressional Gold Medal. President Joe Biden signed the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act into law last week. Replicas of the prestigious medal will be awarded to families of members of the 369th Infantry Regiment in recognition of the unit’s lengthy service, which included front-line combat and hundreds of lives lost or affected by injuries. “The Harlem Hellfighters risked life and limb

8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier

By Thad Morgan Most people have heard about famous inventions like the light bulb, the cotton gin and the iPhone. But there are countless other, often overlooked inventions that make our daily lives easier. Among the creative innovators behind these devices are African American inventors. From the traffic light to the ironing board, see a list of products that have sprung from the minds of Black inventors. Improved Ironing Board, Invented by Sarah Boone in 1892 The ironing board is a product that’s used possibly just as much as it’s overlooked. In the late 19th century, it was improved upon by Sarah Boone, an African

Celebrate Black History Month With Learning, History and Joy

By Carlett Spike The contributions, achievements and sacrifices of Black Americans throughout U.S. history are something to celebrate. Our current monthlong celebration of that rich legacy has its roots in Negro History Week, which historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland, founders of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, or ASALH), initiated in February of 1926. They chose the second week in February as a nod to the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Over time the celebration evolved, with

Little Known Facts About Black History

By Biography.com editors, February is Black History month, which means that every year we remember the African Americans who have made history and made America what it is today — often with little recognition. Fact #1: As a child, Muhammad Ali was refused an autograph by his boxing idol, Sugar Ray Robinson. When Ali became a prizefighter, he vowed to never to deny an autograph request, which he honored throughout his career. Fact #2: Ali, the self-proclaimed “greatest [boxer] of all time,” was originally named after his father, who was named after the 19th-century abolitionist and politician Cassius Marcellus Clay. Fact #3: Allensworth is the first all-Black Californian

In Celebration of Black History Month: 10 Influential African Americans

By Nick Irvin February is Black History Month in the United States. It’s a time for remembrance and reflection, as the country is reminded of the discrimination African Americans have endured and the continuous struggle against the remnants of slavery, segregation and racial legacy. Black History is the perfect way to begin to understand the question of race in American society today. To help clarify this topic, and in no particular order, here are ten of the most influential African Americans in history. Martin Luther King Jr. No single African American in history is perhaps as famous as Martin Luther

The First African Americans to Win Olympic Medals

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By Marie Schulte- Bockum Since the first Olympic Games debuted in Athens, Greece in 1896, the gathering of the world’s dominant athletes has become a global event. But with historic discrimination and fewer opportunities for elite training, Black athletes faced immense challenges to compete. Nonetheless, starting in the early 20th century, African American athletes began competing in the Games—and shattering records. Though Olympians like Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Simon Biles are household names, there are many African American athletes who broke barriers in the Winter and Summer Games. Below are six Black American Olympian pioneers. 1. John Baxter Taylor U.S. Olympian John

Learn About Black History in 7 Unexpected Places

Courtesy of NPCA, National parks preserve the legacies of visionaries such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, as well as landmark sites in the struggle for equality, including the Brown v. Board of Education and Little Rock Central High School National Historic Sites and dozens of Civil War battlefields where soldiers fought and died to end slavery and preserve the union. Yet many other lesser-known parks share compelling and unexpected stories. Here are seven fascinating but less obvious places to learn about Black history. Note that many of these sites are temporarily closed

Baseball legends honored in MLB’s Black History Month art series

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By Sydney N. Walton Major League Baseball celebrated Black History Month this year by merging America’s favorite pastime with art. The MLB commissioned 10 artists to celebrate the careers of legendary Black baseball players, in an effort to “honor the past and current game changers in baseball,” said Barbara McHugh, MLB’s senior vice president of marketing. “We also wanted to use this as a moment to really get visibility to some of the future cultural game changers,” McHugh told CNN. The players honored this past month include: Jackie Robinson, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947-1956; Hank Aaron, who

A civil rights hero’s posthumous memoir a guidebook for today’s activists

By Nicole Chavez, CNN Standing on the steps of a courthouse, the Rev. Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian pleaded for the right of every person to vote with “verbal jabs” when a sheriff literally jabbed him, beating and knocking him to the ground. The Baptist minister and director of national affiliates for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had led a group of people to register to vote in Selma, Alabama, on February 16, 1965. In his posthumous memoir, “It’s in the Action: Memories of a Nonviolent Warrior,” the civil rights leader recalled the infamous showdown with the sheriff that blocked

NASA’s DC headquarters is being renamed for ‘Hidden Figures’ scientist Mary Jackson

By Shirin Ali and Melissa Gray, CNN The name of Mary Jackson, NASA’s first African American female engineer and one of the barrier-breaking inspirations for the book “Hidden Figures,” will officially adorn the space agency’s Washington, DC, headquarters Friday. NASA announced its decision last year to name the building in Jackson’s honor. Members of her family, including granddaughter Wanda Jackson, are expected to be at Friday’s renaming ceremony along with Acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk, the agency announced. Jackson died in 2005 at the age of 83. The renaming ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will air live

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