What In The Black History

Giving some lesser known (and maybe some known) individuals in black history a chance to shine

Bud Billiken Parade 11/29/2025

Bud Billiken Parade Known as the oldest African American parade in the country. *SOURCES* • ENCYCLOPEDIA: • BRITANNICA: /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/39190745

Chaney, Goodman, Schwerner Murders 11/22/2025

Chaney, Goodman, Schwerner Murders One of the most harrowing events to occur during the civil rights movement (TRIGGER WARNING INCLUDED) *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: • FBI: • HISTORY: • PBS: /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/39121625

Clara Belle Drisdale Williams 11/15/2025

Clara Belle Drisdale Williams First African American to graduate from New Mexico State University SOURCES • BLACKPAST: • NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY: /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/39021610

Charles Haley 11/08/2025

Charles Haley The first player in NFL history to achieve 5 Super Bowl Rings *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: • BLACKPAST: • PRO FOOTBALL HOF: /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38868760

Dr. John Withers 11/01/2025

Dr. John Withers Army Lieutenant during WWII who risked his career to help 2 survivors of the Holocaust *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38868625

Buffalo Soldiers 10/25/2025

Buffalo Soldiers First Black troops established during peacetime after the conclusion of the Civil War *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2016/08/01/little-known-black-history-fact-buffalo-soldiers/ • NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY: https://www.thenmusa.org/buffalo-soldiers-2/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38761005

Blanche Kelso Bruce 10/18/2025

Blanche Kelso Bruce 2nd African-American to be elected to the U.S. Senate. SOURCES • BLACKPAST: https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/bruce-blanche-kelso-1841-1898/ • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/06/17/little-known-black-history-fact-blanche-kelso-bruce/ • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Blanche-K-Bruce • ENCYCLOPEDIA: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bruce-blanche-kelso /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38593810

Blind Boone 10/11/2025

Blind Boone A gifted Black Musician *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/05/09/little-known-black-history-fact-blind-boone-musical-wonder/ • AAREGISTRY: https://aaregistry.org/story/blind-boone-a-musical-prodigy/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38525220

Bessie Smith 10/04/2025

Bessie Smith The Empress of the Blues *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2019/04/15/little-known-black-history-fact-bessie-smith/ • BLACKPAST: https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/bessie-smith-1894-1937/ • HISTORY: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-15/bessie-smith-is-born-in-chattanooga-tennessee • BIOGRAPHY: https://www.biography.com/musicians/bessie-smith • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith • SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE: https://nmaahc.si.edu/lgbtq/bessie-smith /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38464685

Bill Lucas 09/27/2025

Bill Lucas First African-American General Manager in Major League Baseball *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2014/09/17/little-known-black-history-fact-bill-lucas/ • NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: https://baseballhall.org/discover/Lucas-broke-barriers-in-Braves-front-office /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38374610

Betty Davis 09/20/2025

Betty Davis An American singer-songwriter, model, and pioneer of feminist funk (EXTREMELY MINOR PROFANITY) SOURCES • BLACKPAST: https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/betty-davis-1945-2022/ • ROLLING STONE: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/betty-davis-dead-obit-1297372/ • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Betty-Davis /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/38287935

Black Is Beautiful 09/13/2025

Black Is Beautiful A powerful movement that began with the words of John S. Rock *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/11/26/little-known-black-history-fact-black-is-beautiful/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37955230

Charles Gordone 09/06/2025

Charles Gordone First African-American to win the Pulizter Prize for drama *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2014/11/26/little-known-black-history-fact-charles-gordone/ • ENCYCLOPEDIA: https://www.encyclopedia.com/african-american-focus/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/gordone-charles • BLACKPAST: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/gordone-charles-1925/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37955170

Beverly Loraine Greene 08/30/2025

Beverly Loraine Greene Thought to be the first African-American woman to be registered as an architect in the United States *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2014/12/29/little-known-black-history-fact-beverly-loraine-greene/ • PIONEERING WOMEN: https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/beverly-lorraine-greene/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37955110

Black Herman 08/23/2025

Black Herman A groundbreaking and prominent African American magician. *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2012/07/18/little-known-black-history-fact-black-herman/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37928065

Carol Moseley Braun 08/16/2025

Carol Moseley Braun First African-American woman elected to the United States Senate *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2014/09/14/little-known-black-history-fact-carol-moseley-braun/ • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carol-Moseley-Braun /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37844145

Bill Richmond 08/09/2025

Bill Richmond First African-American to be labeled an international "prizefighter" *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/06/06/bill-richmond-boxer-little-known-black-history-fact/ • BLACKPAST: https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/richmond-bill-1763-1829/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37382070

Emmett Ashford 08/02/2025

Emmett Ashford First Black umpire *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2016/04/12/little-known-black-history-fact-emmett-ashford/ • SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH: https://sabr.org/journal/article/emmett-ashford/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37382045

761st Tank Battalion 07/26/2025

761st Tank Battalion Considered the first black armed tank unit to rlenter combat during WWII. *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2016/05/24/little-known-black-history-fact-761st-tank-battalion/ • NATIONAL WW2 MUSEUM: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/black-panthers-761st-tank-battalion • NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: https://www.nps.gov/articles/761sttankbattalion.htm • HISTORY: https://www.history.com/articles/761st-tank-battalion-black-panthers-liberators-battle-of-the-bulge /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37382035

Belva Davis 07/19/2025

Belva Davis First African-American woman news reporter on the West Coast *SOURCES* • BLACKPAST: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/davis-belva-1932/ • ENCYCLOPEDIA: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/davis-belva /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37382020

Beatrice "Miss Bea" Borders 07/12/2025

Beatrice "Miss Bea" Borders Delivered over 6,000 babies at the Georgia B. Williams Nursing Home in Camilla, GA *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/03/26/little-known-black-history-fact-beatrice-miss-bea-borders/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37382005

Alice Coachman 07/05/2025

Alice Coachman First black woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal. *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2014/07/16/little-known-black-history-fact-alice-coachman/ • WOMEN’S HISTORY: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/alice-coachman • BIOGRAPHY: https://www.biography.com/athlete/alice-coachman • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Coachman • BLACKPAST: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/coachman-alice-marie-1923/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37081375

Andrew Hatcher 06/28/2025

Andrew Hatcher First African-American appointed as associate press secretary to the President of the United States *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2016/11/10/little-known-black-history-fact-andrew-hatcher/ • ENCYCLOPEDIA: https://www.encyclopedia.com/african-american-focus/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hatcher-andrew-t /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37081300

August Wilson 06/21/2025

August Wilson An American playwright whose work illuminated the joys and struggles of the African-American experience. *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2015/02/16/little-known-black-history-fact-august-wilson/ • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/August-Wilson • PBS: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37081255

Got Ads! 06/17/2025

Got Ads! /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37034985

Amos Brown 06/14/2025

Amos Brown Indianapolis broadcaster and community activist that was a vocal champion on behalf of the city’s Black citizens. *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2015/11/09/little-known-black-history-fact-amos-brown/ • ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INDIANAPOLIS: https://indyencyclopedia.org/amos-c-brown-iii/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/37008170

African American Music Appreciation Month 06/07/2025

African American Music Appreciation Month A month long celebration focusing on the musical contributions of African Americans *SOURCES* • NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY: https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/celebrating-black-music-month • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/06/01/little-known-black-history-fact-african-american-music-appreciation-month/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/36899225

Arcola Philpott 05/31/2025

Arcola Philpott First African American “motormanette.” *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/04/15/little-known-black-history-fact-arcola-philpott/ • UNION PACIFIC: https://www.up.com/customers/track-record/tr020122-black-leaders-in-transportation-history.htm /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/36329675

Arthur Mitchell 05/24/2025

Arthur Mitchell First African American to become a principal dancer with a major American ballet troupe *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2018/09/21/little-known-black-history-fact-arthur-mitchell/ • BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-Mitchell • DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM: https://www.dancetheatreofharlem.org/our-history/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/36329670

Francis Hall Johnson 05/17/2025

Francis Hall Johnson A legendary composer who built one of the most beloved black choirs in the country. *SOURCES* • BLACK AMERICA WEB: https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/09/01/little-known-black-history-fact-hall-johnson/ • BLACKPAST: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/johnson-francis-hall-1888-1970/ • GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/hall-johnson-1888-1970/ • AFROVOICES: https://afrovoices.com/hall-johnson-biography/ /episode/index/show/41baabce-b482-4334-a547-c538e384098d/id/36329600

What In The Black History

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