People, Locations, Episodes

The First Black College Football Game in America is played

On this date in 1892, the first Black College Intercollegiate football game was played. The game was played in the snows of North Carolina, two days after Christmas.

Emma Chambers Maitland, Dancer and Boxer born

*Emma Chambers Maitland was born on this date in 1893. She was a Black dancer, teacher, and boxer. Born Jane Chambers, she was from near Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Wyatt Chambers and Cora Chambers. Her parents were sharecroppers, and she had seven brothers. She was educated at a convent school in Rock Castle, Virginia, and […]

Fritz Pollard, Football Player, and Coach born

*Fritz Pollard was born on this date in 1894. He was the first African American coach in the National Football League.

Frederick Douglas “Fritz” Pollard grew up in Chicago. By the time he graduated from high school, he was a talented baseball player, running back and a three-time Cook County track champion. He briefly played football for Northwestern, Harvard and Dartmouth before receiving a scholarship from the Rockefeller family to attend Brown University in 1915.

Cleveland Abbott, Athlete, and Teacher born

*Cleveland Abbott was born on this date in 1894. He was a Black football player, coach, and educator. Cleveland Leigh “Cleve” Abbott was born in Yankton, South Dakota., one of seven children to Albert Abbott and Mollie Brown Abbott. Abbott attended and graduated from high school 1908-1912 in Watertown, South Dakota. He was a multi-sport […]

The Colored Hockey League is Formed

*On this date, in 1895, the Colored Hockey League was formed.  This was an all-Black ice hockey league featuring teams across Canada’s Maritime Provinces.  The league was founded by a group of four Black Baptist leaders and intellectuals: Pastor James Borden of Dartmouth Church; James A.R Kinney, who would go on to be the first […]

Tiger Flowers, Boxer born

*Theodore “Tiger” Flowers was born on this date in 1895. He was an African American boxer.

Nicknamed The Georgia Deacon, he was from Camille, GA. The muscular Flowers was a deserving champion in an era of great middleweights. He fought 36 times alone in 1924 and 31 times the following year, losing only four. Flowers took the middleweight crown from Hall of Famer Harry Greb, lost it to Mickey Ealker. It has been said of him that Flowers “fought ’em all,” including Sam Langford, Jamaica Kid, Fireman Jim Flynn, Jack Delaney, Jock Malone, Mike McTigue, and Maxie Rosenbloom.

Silas Simmons, Baseball Player, born

*Silas Simmons was born on this date in 1895. He was a Black semi-professional and professional left-handed pitcher/outfielder baseball player for Black teams in the pre-Negro League era. Silas Joseph Simmons was born in Middletown, Delaware. Simmons was five-foot-ten and began playing for the Germantown Blue Ribbons, a semi-pro team, in 1911. In 1913, the Blue […]

Oscar Charleston, Baseball Player born

Oscar Charleston was born on this date in 1896. He was an African American baseball player and manager who was considered by many to be the best all-around ball player in the history of the Negro leagues.

Oscar McKinley Charleston was born in Indianapolis, and left school in his mid-teens and entered the U.S. Army during World War I. He was in the army when he first played organized baseball while stationed in the Philippines. He was the only black player in the Manila League in 1914.

William J. Powell, Pioneer Aviator born

The birth of William J. Powell in 1897 is celebrated on this date. He was an African American aviator and businessman.

From Henderson, KY, he moved with his family to Chicago when he was eight. After graduating from Wendell Phillips High School at age 16, he applied to the University of Illinois School of engineering. He was a top student and musically talented to boot. He interrupted his studies at the University of Illinois to serve in World War I as an infantry lieutenant.

‘Biz’ Mackey, Baseball Player born

*”Biz” Mackey was born on this date in 1897. He was a Black baseball player and manager in Negro League baseball. James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, to a sharecropping family with two brothers. He began playing baseball with his brothers on the Luling Oilers, a Prairie League team, in 1916 in his […]

Hubert Julian, Aviation Pioneer born

The birth of Hubert Julian in 1897 is marked on this date. He was an African American aviation pioneer, and businessperson.

Ora Washington, Athlete born

*On this date in 1898 we celebrate the birth of Ora Mae Washington. She was an African American tennis player.

Born in Philadelphia, she is best remembered for her twelve years of undefeated play (1924-36) in the all-Black American Tennis Association (ATA). Washington won eight ATA National Crowns in women’s singles between 1929 and 1937. With a number of different partners, she also won every woman’s doubles championship between 1925 and 1936, and mixed doubles championships in 1939, 1946, and 1947.

Duke Slater, Athlete, and Judge born

*”Duke” Slater was born on this date in 1898.  He was a Black football player and judge.   Frederick Wayman “Duke” Slater was born in Normal, Illinois, the son of George Slater, a Methodist minister. As a boy, he somehow picked up the name of the family dog, Duke, as a personal nickname and would carry it all his life. When […]

Robert W. Johnson, Doctor, and Tennis Mentor born

*Robert W. Johnson was born on this date in 1899.  He was a Black physician and community activist.   Robert Walter Johnson was born in Norfolk, VA.  He graduated in 1924 from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania; he was a classmate of Melvin B. Tolson. Following a college career playing football at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University as a […]

Helen Webb Harris, Educator, and Administrator born

*Helen Webb Harris was born on this date in 1899.  She was a Black educator, sports enthusiast, playwright and administrator.   Born in Washington, DC she was one of five children of Mr. and Mrs. Elias Webb.  She was a graduate of the old M Street High School and the old Miner Normal School. She earned a bachelor’s […]