People, Locations, Episodes

Kamala Harris, Politician born

*Kamala Harris was born on this date in 1964. She is a Black politician and community advocate.  From Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of a Tamil Indian mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer researcher who emigrated from Chennai, India, in 1960, and a Jamaican American father, Donald Harris, a Stanford University economics […]

Kenya Achieves Independence From Britain

On this date Jomo Kenyatta was elected the first minister of the newly independent Kenya.

As an independent country, Kenya was initially a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch as its nominal head of state and a prime minister as head of the government. Although the British hoped to hand over power to moderates, when Kenya became independent, it was the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta that formed a government shortly before Kenya became independent in December 1963.

Heart of Atlanta Motel Inc. v. the United States is Decided

*On this date in 1964, Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. the United States was decided. This court case was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court. It held that the Commerce Clause gave the U.S. Congress power to force private businesses to abide by Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits […]

Hicks v. Knight is Filed

On this date in 1965, Hicks v. Knight was filed.  The suit, aimed against Bogalusa Chief of Police Claxton Knight, argued that police “must protect black demonstrators instead of harassing them, beating them, arresting them, and leaving them at the mercy of white mobs.” The racial episode at Cassidy Park, especially the canine attack on […]

The 1965 American Voting Rights Act is Passed

*On this date the American Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed into law. The most sweeping reforms were embodied in the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Voting History of Black Women in America, a story

*On this date in 1965, Black women and voting history in America is briefly shared.  Black women in America began to agitate for political rights in the 1830s, creating Female Anti-Slavery Societies in New York and Philadelphia. These interracial groups were radical expressions of women’s political ideals, leading directly to voting rights activism before and after the […]

LeRoy W. Homer, Pilot, and 9/11 Hero born

*LeRoy Homer, Jr. was born on this date in 1965. He was an African American pilot.

The Race Relations Act is passed

*On this date in 1965, the Race Relations Act was enacted. This was the first legislation in the United Kingdom to address racial discrimination. The Act outlawed discrimination on the “grounds of color, race, or ethnic or national origins” in public places in Great Britain. It also prompted the creation of the Race Relations Board […]

Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections is Decided

*On this date in 1966, Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, 383 U.S. 663 (1966), was decided.  This was a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that Virginia’s poll tax was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.   In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eleven southern states established poll taxes as part of their disenfranchisement of most blacks and […]

The United States v. Guest is Decided

*On this date in 1966, the Supreme Court decided United States v. Guest, 383 U.S. 745. Justice Potter Stewart authored this landmark decision. The Court extended the protection of the 14th Amendment to citizens who suffer rights deprivations at the hands of private conspiracies, where there is minimal state participation in the conspiracy. The Court also held that […]

Guyana Gains Independence From Britain

*On this date in 1966, Guyana gained independence from Britain. Located in Northeastern South America, Guyana’s recorded history began in 1499, when Alonso de Ojeda’s first expedition arrived from Spain at the Essequibo River through the Middle Passage. The Guyana story has been shaped by the many national and ethnic groups and the colonial policies […]

The Black Panther Party is Founded

On this date in 1966, the Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded. It was a Black political organization; originally known as the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.

Barbados Gains Independence From Britain

On this date in 1966, Barbados gained independence from Britain. The country has been a member of the Unit (OAS) ever since.

In 1973, Barbados helped form the Caribbean Community, an organization that promotes social and political cooperation and economic integration. Barbados has enjoyed a stable democratic government and a smooth transfer of power between the two major political parties.

Loving v. Virginia is Decided

On this date in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Loving v. Virginia.

Black History And The Vietnam War, a story

*On this date in 1967, Black history in the Vietnam War is briefly written about. The Vietnam War was the first American war in which black and white troops were not formally segregated, though de facto segregation still occurred. American troops arrived in 1961.  Blacks were more likely to be drafted than whites. Though 11% […]