Black American Experience Timeline - Spring 24 by Charan Morris

Buffalo Soldiers

2024-05-07 18:21:01 UTC

Buffalo soldiers were a group of infantry soldiers that were made up of mostly all African Americans. It is said that they were called Buffalo soldiers because of their curly black hair that was similar to the mane of a Buffalo and because the soldiers fought like Buffalo. The unit's patch soon because, as you may guess, the buffalo. At first they were first stationed at national parks in charge of making sure the parks were taken care of correctly but they soon joined the US army fighting in the Korean war where their unit unfortunately came to an end.

Fred Hampton- Justin H

2024-05-07 18:21:07 UTC

Fred Hampton was an active leader in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), leading their Youth Council of the organization’s West Suburban Branch. Hampton joined the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP) in November 1968. He quickly rose to a leadership position, becoming the deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Party. He organized rallies, established a Free Breakfast program, and negotiated a peace pact among rival gangs. As a rising leader in the BPP, Hampton became the focus of an FBI investigation. On December 4, 1969, Hampton, along with fellow Black Panther Mark Clark, was murdered.

The AMERICAN LEAGUE OF COLORED LABORERS (1850-?) - Prince P

2024-05-07 18:24:22 UTC

the ALCL witch is an acronym for (american leaders of colored laborers, was the first ever colored labored union ever. in 1850, in New York they formed their organization for skilled craftsmen and for agricultural and industrial skills for African Americans. in 1852, duglas created a fund to give the black African American entrepreneurs and an industrial affair after the second week in May. The research that I used for this didn't show how this organization ended and only that it was unknown.

Sources:

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfNxWeGXIro.

Website - https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/american-league-colored-laborers.

Henrietta Lacks

2024-05-07 18:26:21 UTC

Henrietta Lacks was a black woman bornj in 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia. Eventually having 5 kids, she would one day go into a hospital (one of the only at the time that accetped poor black people) for excessive bleeding from her genitals. She went to The John Hopkins Hospital. After getting some tests were done, it was discovered that she had Cervical cancer. She began undergoing radium treatements soon after, but to no avail. Henrietta would unfortunately end up passing away less than a year later. A doctor treating Lacks took some of her DNA, as he did with all of his patients and soon foiund ouy that Henrietta's DNA was extremely special. While thye average persons cells would die, hers would double every 20-24 hours. Henriettas DNA is still being used today to help test the effects of different vaccines, drugs, poisons, and hormones without the use of human subjects.

SOURCE: (press image)

Malcolm X Grassroots Movement - Bibi G.

2024-05-07 19:07:03 UTC

The grassroots movement itself is a global movement that ranges of topics of equality for marginalized groups around the world. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement specifically is a organization of Africans in America to promote Human Rights. Following the teachings of Malcolm X and his battle against white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and oppression. This organization follows the principles of supporting human rights, demand of reparations, promoting self-determination, opposing genocide, freeing political prisoners, and ending gender and sexual oppression.

Video: https://youtu.be/xy9nj94xvKA

Source: Malcolm X Grassroots Movement – Free The Land (freethelandmxgm.org )

Tuskegee Experiment 1932-1972 (Gabe M)

2024-05-07 19:11:48 UTC

In 1932, in Tuskegee Alabama, the USPHS started a study on syphilis, a disease that caused painful warts on the patients feet and genitals. They worked with the Tuskegee institution, and conducted research on 600 black men. Their consent was not collected, and they were told they were being treated for "bad blood". In return for being apart of the experiment, free healthcare, meals, and burial insurance. Even though the doctors and researchers knew penicillin was proved to cure the disease, none of the patients were ever offered it. By 1972 a press story was finally published, bringing this wrong doing to light. A month later, the study was closed. In 1973 a lawsuit was filed, on behalf of the Tuskegee people and how the were treated. They were awarded free health care and 10 million dollars compensation. Later in 1997, president Bill Clinton a formal apology for the study.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm

Video: https://youtu.be/afwK2CVpc9E?si=iVbS90OnWGT2uzHJ

Black Wall Street May 31st - June 1st 1921 (Gabe M)

2024-05-08 01:41:47 UTC

On May 31 through June 1, 1921, mobs of white perpetrators attacked, looted, and burned Black residents, homes, and businesses, as well as cultural and public institutions like schools, banks, and hospitals in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK. The Greenwood district was also known as "Black Wall Street," due to an oil boom which helped to create one of the wealthiest Black communities in the United States. As a result of this attack, thirty-five blocks were systematically pillaged and burned, destroying 190 businesses and leaving 10,000 people homeless. The property loss estimated by the Tulsa Real Estate Exchangewould equal in the neighborhood of $31 million in 2017, likely an underestimation. This extreme devastation does not even take into account the horror of estimated 300 innocent lives lost.

Source: https://www.history.com/news/tulsa-massacre-black-wall-street-before-and-after-photos

Video: https://youtu.be/nyrHcgwMIeA?si=vO0qBC7e3fr67UWK

Jane Bolin 1908-2007 (Ajla)

2024-05-08 22:12:47 UTC

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss4hROCMDRI

Jane Matilda Bolin became the first black female judge and first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School. She was born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1908 to an interracial couple. Her father was an attorney and president of the Dutchess County Bar Association. Her mother died of illness when she was a child. Bolin graduated from high school in her mid teens and went onto Wellesley College where she graduated top of her class. She went on to attend Yale University and, at the time of her enrollment, there were only 22 Black female attorney's in the country. At law school she was one of the 3 women in her class and the only Black woman. She endured many acts of racism during her time at law school. She graduated in 1931, thus becoming the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from Yale. Bolin worked with her families law firm before moving to New York with her attorney husband Ralph E. Mizelle in 1933. She ran for State Assembly in 1936 and a year later was hired in the New York City Corporation Counsel’s office, working in Family Court as Assistant Corporation Counsel. She was the first Black woman to work in the City’s legal department and the first Black woman to join the New York City Bar Association. In 1939, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia swore Bolin in as a judge of the City’s Domestic Relations Court. She was the first Black woman to hold a seat on the bench in the United States. Her most significant achievements as judge include the end of race-based assignments of probation officers and segregated childcare facilities. She served as judge for 40 years, retiring in 1978. Bolin was a member of the Regents Review Committee of the New York State Board of Regents. She died in 2007 at the age of 98 in Queens, New York.

Sources:

https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/historical-profile-jane-matilda-bolin-31

https://www.biography.com/legal-figures/jane-bolin

Marsha P. Johnson 1945-1992 (Ajla)

2024-05-08 23:11:13 UTC

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxknhL5nBeA

One of the most well-known leaders of the LGBT rights movement in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s was Marsha P. Johnson. She fought for gay and transgender rights, HIV/AIDS victims, and homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Born on August 24, 1945, she was the fifth of seven children born to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta Claiborne. She enjoyed wearing clothes made for women and wore dresses starting at age five. She was bullied and peer pressured to stop dressing in clothing that she felt reflected herself. She moved to New York City as soon as she had graduated high school. Johnson described herself as a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns; the term “transgender” only became commonly used after her death. The state of New York regularly criminalized the presence of LGBTQ+ individuals, and continued to punish them. LGBTQ+ rights were suppressed and disregarded. Struggling to find a job, Johnson resorted to sex work. She didn't have a home and was constantly abused by clients and arrested by the police. She was able to also find employment waiting tables and doing drag shows. In a 1992 interview, Johnson said "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen". Johnson was apart of the raid on Stonewall, which was a riot launched by police raiding a bar and arresting costumers, most of whom were gay men. The raid launched the Gay Rights Movement and the first Gay Pride Parade took place in 1970. Johnson was involved but grew frustrated by the exclusion of transgender and LGBTQ+ people of color from the movement. In the 1970s she was a lead member of the movement and in 1980, she was invited to ride in the lead car of the Gay Pride Parade in New York City. She continued to get arrested and engage in sex work because she didn't know any other ways to make money. In 1990, she was diagnosed with H.I.V., which she advocated publicly in the news for. On July 6, 1992, her body was found in the Hudson River at age 46. While the police suspected suicide, 1992 was one of the most worst years for anti-LGBTQ+ violence and close friends and members of the Gay Rights Movement suspected foul play. The police refused to investigate further and many the news did not cover her death. Hundreds of people showed up to her funeral. In 2019 it was announced she would be subject of a monument and in 2020 New York State named a waterfront park in Brooklyn for Johnson.

Source:

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson

park in Brooklyn for Johnson.

New York State named a waterfront park in Brooklyn for Johnson.

Vivien Thomas 1930-1979 (Iyaritsy)

2024-05-09 00:31:10 UTC

Vivien Thomas was a cardiac surgeon and instructor who developed revolutionary surgical techniques. Suffering from the great depression, Thomas lost his college savings and didn’t receive a formal education. As a result, Thomas worked as a janitor and later as a carpenter. While working as a carpenter in Nashville, he met Dr. Alfred Blalock and eventually became his lab assistant. Working alongside Blalock, Thomas helped to save the lives of thousands of soldiers who suffered from traumatic shock during World War II. Consequently, Blalock was offered many jobs at different institutions but refused to accept them unless they would hire Thomas too. This was during a time in which Blalock was not allowed to hire a Black man. However, this did not stop Thomas from learning how to treat Tetralogy of Fallot, which plays a role in blue baby syndrome (low oxygen levels in babies’ hearts), and create special surgical tools needed for the procedure. Thomas performed his first blue baby surgery in 1944, in which he coached Blalock. The surgery was successful and received worldwide attention and praise. However, Thomas was not given credit for the course-changing surgery he performed. Throughout Thomas and Blalock’s blue baby surgeries, surgeons from around the world came to watch and learn how to perform the procedure. In 1946, Thomas developed a way to improve blood circulation for patients who had their arteries rearranged, called an atrial septectomy. Throughout his career, Thomas received many recognitions including serving as the John Hopkins supervisor of surgical laboratories, receiving an honorary doctorate by John Hopkins (1976), and chosen as the instructor of surgery at the John Hopkins School of Medicine.

Sources:

Vivien Thomas | University of Maryland Medical System (umms.org )

https://www.umms.org/about/equity-diversity-inclusion/news/holidays/black-history-month/resources/vivien-thomas

Video Link:

https://youtu.be/1NSarzR_ktY?si=PKs6CGEwxc8KDCaL

bessie coleman-Azariah

2024-05-09 01:27:50 UTC

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) was an American civil aviator who became the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license. Born in Atlanta, Texas, she grew up working in the cotton fields before moving to Chicago as a young woman.

Pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot, Coleman had to overcome both racism and gender discrimination that prevented her from enrolling in flight schools in the United States at the time. Undeterred, she learned French and moved to France in 1920, earning her international pilot's license from the prestigious Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in 1921.

Returning to the U.S. as the first African American woman with a pilot's license, Coleman performed daring stunt flying shows across the country, thrilling audiences and earning the nickname "Queen Bess." Her goal was to start her own flight school to train other Black aviators. Tragically, Coleman's pioneering aviation career was cut short at the age of 34 when she died in a plane crash in 1926 while preparing for an airshow. Despite her early death, Bessie Coleman overcame many odds and broke barriers, inspiring generations of Black Americans and women to pursue their dreams of flight.

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/bessie-coleman

Billie Holdiay, “Strange Fruit”- Azariah

2024-05-09 01:33:09 UTC

Billie Holiday (1915-1959) was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time, known for her deeply emotional and innovative vocal style. In 1939, she recorded the haunting song "Strange Fruit" which powerfully condemned the racism and lynchings that were still occurring in the American South. The lyrics of "Strange Fruit," written by Abel Meeropol, vividly depict the image of Black victims hanging from poplar trees in the South - "the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth" of those lynched. With its somber melody and Holiday's chilling delivery, the song shined a spotlight on the brutal reality of racial violence and murder that Black Americans too often faced. At the time, "Strange Fruit" was highly controversial and the censors associated it with a shocking political statement. However, Holiday insisted on performing it at every show as a searing protest against lynching. The song went on to become not just a signature part of her legacy, but one of the most important songs of the era in giving voice to the Civil Rights movement. "Strange Fruit" cemented Billie Holiday's role as an artist of immense courage and conscience.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/the-story-behind-billie-holidays-strange-fruit/17738/

1919 - Elaine Massacre (Ridi R)

2024-05-09 03:11:44 UTC

The Elaine Massacre was a tragic event that took place in Elaine, Arkansas, in 1919. It was one of the deadliest racial conflicts in American history. The massacre occurred during the Red Summer, a period of intense racial violence in the United States. In Elaine, African American sharecroppers were organizing a meeting to demand fairer payments for their crops. The union also made efforts to subvert racial divisions in labor relations and had hired a white attorney to negotiate with land owners for better cotton prices. A group of white men, including law enforcement officers, attacked the meeting of black sharecroppers, leading to a shootout. In the aftermath, white mobs, along with law enforcement, targeted and killed many African Americans in the area. Estimates suggest that more than 800 of African Americans were killed. 67 Black people were arrested and charged with inciting violence, while dozens more faced other charges. No white attackers were prosecuted, but 12 Black union members convicted of riot-related charges were sentenced to death.

Source link: https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/sep/30

Video link: https://youtu.be/qDZAkrgellk?si=-7LZ0yhVzT6OUrfW

Angela Davis- Esildi Plepi

2024-05-09 12:30:18 UTC

Angela Davis was an activist and feminist she gained her popularity with her trial. She was an excellent teacher who had an excellent record but because of her opinions the university of California they didn't wanna renew her appointment. She was part of the communist party where she tried to run the US vice president but was unsuccessful.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/angela-davis

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oIVxooM5kG8&pp=ygUMYW5nZWxhIGRhdmlz

Black Art Movement 1965-1975 Geovanny Pena

geovannyp22 — 2024-05-09 16:54:42 UTC

The Black Arts Movement was a cultural movement in the 1960s and 1970s that celebrated Black culture and fought against racism. Artists, writers, and musicians created work that highlighted Black pride and the struggles of Black people. It was an important part of the Civil Rights Movement, leaving a lasting impact on American culture. Prominent figures associated with the Black Arts Movement include writers like Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, and Sonia Sanchez, as well as musicians like Gil Scott-Heron and visual artists like Romare Bearden. These artists used their work to challenge mainstream narratives, celebrate Black culture, and advocate for social change.

Video link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v1z_RqxrHk

Source link: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-arts-movement-1965-1975/

Victor J. Glover 1976 - Present Day Geovanny Pena

geovannyp22 — 2024-05-09 17:02:01 UTC

Victor J. Glover, known for his roles as an astronaut and engineer, has left a significant mark on space exploration. His groundbreaking stint as the first Black astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station for an extended duration not only represented a pivotal moment in space history but also stood as a beacon of diversity and inclusivity in STEM disciplines. Glover's accomplishments serve as a source of motivation for aspiring scientists and engineers, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, encouraging them to pursue their dreams in fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1F4YPJc1qc

Source Link: https://www.nasa.gov/people/victor-j-glover-jr/

Stono Rebellion - Kelvin

kelvinh22 — 2024-05-09 22:33:38 UTC

The stono Rebellion was just a whole bunch of enslaved people who rebelled against the whites and caused destruction to escape Florida but as their plan had fail by the militia who caught the rebelled slaved which afterwards influenced south carolina passing a strict slave laws, this had an impact on the slaves which made conditions harder for them.

54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment - (Jacob F.)

2024-05-10 18:16:25 UTC

The brave men of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment of the US Army were one of the African American regiments of the Civil War. Fighting for Liberty and Glory, these brave men fought tooth and nail to abolish slavery and assist President Abraham Lincoln in the preservation of the Union. In the picture, the 54th Infantry Regiment are attacking well fortified fort named Fort Wagner. Although they sustained heavy losses in the assault, they remained steadfast in the attack. These men are a great representation of Black strength and resistance against oppression and is an example on how hard Black men and women have fought for this nation and do not be deserve to be treated as outsiders.

Link: https://www.nps.gov/articles/54th-massachusetts-regiment.htm

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls8Mdeh80no

Black Panther Party 1966-1982 Justin F

2024-05-12 03:36:06 UTC

So,The Black Panther Party, founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, was a revolutionary socialist organization focused on combating racial oppression and police brutality against African Americans in the United States. The party advocated for self-defense, community empowerment, and social change through a ten point program that called for basic rights such as housing,

employment and also education. They organized community programs such as free breakfast for children, health clinics, and educational initiatives, earning widespread support but also facing intense government scrutiny and repression. Despite internal conflicts and external pressure, the Black Panther Party left a lasting legacy in the fight for civil rights and social justice. ended in 1982

Bell Hooks (Sept 25 1952- Dec 15 2021) Ebraheem Shadid

2024-05-12 20:54:51 UTC

Bell hooks (born September 25, 1952, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, U.S. died December 15, 2021, Berea, Kentucky) was an American scholar and activist whose work examined the connections between race, gender, and class. She often explored the varied perceptions of Black women and Black women writers and the development of feminist identities. In the 1980s hooks established a support group for Black women called the Sisters of the Yam, which she later used as the title of a book, published in 1993, celebrating Black sisterhood.

https://youtu.be/05DMEyxRTNg?si=8pmN6klW3jnHkcQ5

Black Panther Breakfast Program 1968-1970-Eli Torres

2024-05-13 14:37:08 UTC

Free Breakfast For Students was one of the best programs that started in January 1969 at an Oakland Episcopal church. It expanded from feeding a small number of children to hundreds. Volunteers and partygoers went to nearby supermarkets to ask for donations, spoke with nutritionists about kid-friendly breakfast alternatives, and made and served the food at no cost.“The school principal came down and told us how different the children were,”Ruth Beckford, a parishioner who helped with the program, said later. “They weren’t falling asleep in class, they weren’t crying with stomach cramps." FBI agents went door-to-door in cities like Richmond, Virginia, telling parents that BPP members would teach their children racism. parents were told the food was infected with venereal disease; sites in Oakland and Baltimore were raided by officers who harassed BPP members in front of terrified children, and participating children were photographed by Chicago police. “the Chicago police broke into the church and mashed up all the food and urinated on it.” This, along with other attempts to dismantle the Black Panthers, caused the program to end. In 1975, the School Breakfast Program was permanently authorized.

Source Link: https://www.history.com/news/free-school-breakfast-black-panther-party

video link: https://youtu.be/tCGA4TLaq8g?si=9MetN4f0WPj8fZfJ

August Wilson (April 27 1945- October 2nd 2005) Apart of the Black Horizon - Kaine Longmire.

2024-05-13 16:11:21 UTC

August Wilson was a bi racial man who was born on April 27th 1945. August Wilson was raised in Pittsburg in a single parent household due to his father being absent. August attended High school where he was builied at for being Mixed. August dropped out of High School after being accused of plagiarism. August did not tell his mother that he dropped out he furthered his Education at Carneige Library of Pittburgh. In 1962 he joined the army and unlisted within a year of him being in the army. Later on in 1962 he returned back to Pittsburg to find a job to support himself. August was always a great reader since young, he also started doing poetry at a young age. August used to listen to people stories to Motivate himself, those stories Motivated him to start writting plays. In the 1960s August joined a group of poets, educators and artist. Who performed at the centre Avenue Poets theatre. During his time of being apart of that Group he met some named Rob Penny, August and Rob Penny later on Co- founded a group called the Black Horizons. The man behind the legacy was one of August first plays. August relocated to Minneapolis where he received a fellowship to Minesota Playrights center. Then he was accepted to the National playrights conference at the O'neil center in Connecticut. In 1987 August recieved the Tony award and the Pultzer award for his play The ground which I stand on. in 1990 he won the Pulitzerz award again for the piano lessons play. The plays that he made took place in Pittsburgh (almost all of them) They all combined historical facts, comedy, and supernatural elements of black people. August was married 3 times and had two children. In 2005 he was diagnosed with cancer then he later on died. Overall August Wilson has many accomplishments due to his plays and his hard work, and that is why he will forever be relevant in black history.

Karine Jean-Pierre (Present)

2024-05-13 16:49:48 UTC

Karine Jean-Pierre is the White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary and is known for becoming the first LGBTQ+ Black woman to hold a White House press briefing. She also holds records for being the first openly gay spokeswoman, and the second black woman to conduct a briefing from the podium of the White House briefing room. She was born in Martinique and immigrated to New York at the age of 5. She has worked on Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, was senior advisor/spokesperson for MoveOn.org, a site which is dedicated to keeping democrats in higher-up positions, and has also lectured on international and public affairs at Columbia University. She is still making history today. source

Tatiana Hayes

Black Power Movement (1960's-1970's)Zaire Wright

2024-05-13 17:05:38 UTC

The Black Power Movement started in the 1960s as a social and political movement advocating for the empowerment of Black people. It aimed to promote self-determination, racial pride, and equality. Emerging in response to systemic racism and oppression, the Black power movement emphasized the importance of cultural awareness, political activism, and community solidarity. Figures such as Malcolm X played key roles in shaping the movement's ideology and goals(whose assassination in 1965 had brought even more attention to his ideas), as well as liberation movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the Black Power movement that flourished in the late 1960s and ‘70s argued that Black Americans should focus on creating economic, social and political power of their own, rather than seek integration into white-dominated society.

source: https://www.history.com/news/black-power-movement-civil-rights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE6oS_3HSlM

Black Feminist Movement 1970 - Present - Madisyn C

2024-05-13 18:31:52 UTC

The Black Feminism Movement is a political and social movement that focuses on the multidimensional aspects of the oppression of black women in the United States and other countries. Black feminism differs from mainstream feminism in that it seeks to understand the injustices affecting the daily lives of black women, it is also distinguished by a long standing emphasis on intersectionality as well as sexism, institutional racism and discrimination. Although the roots of black feminism in the United States can be traced to the mid 19th century, the black feminist movement did not gain prominence until the 1970s. During the 1960s and 70s, the period of the second wave of mainstream feminism, black women were largely excluded from positions of leadership within women's rights, organizations and their concerns tended to be marginalized.