Stories from history that you may not have heard and how they relate to our lives today. Knowing history gives us another way to understand what is happening in the world.
And while we share stories of Black History 365 days a year, we are putting more emphasis on these stories during the month of February 2025. In the face of erasure, we will Celebrate Us! These posts will include “Keepin Black History 100” in their feature image.
Greensboro Four Sit-In
On February 1, 1960, Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil sat down at the Whites Only lunch counter of the Woolworth in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, and asked to be served. They were declined and asked to leave. They politely declined. Police were called but they were not arrested. Why? Before…
Raised Fists
Decades before Colin Kaepernick kneeled or LeBron James was told to “shut up and dribble”, Tommy Smith and John Carlos raised their black gloved fists skywards at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico. Smith and Carlos, two Black athletes on the 1968 U.S. Track and Field Olympic team, placed 1st and 3rd in…
The 14th Amendment: Then and Now
On this date in 1868 the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified (made official). It is often referred to as one of the Reconstruction Amendments because it was created as a response to the end of slavery and Civil War. Lately several of its sections have been in the news. Let’s start with…
Miranda turns 66
The June 13, 1969, Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona resulted in the requirement that law enforcement advise individuals under arrest of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney. This requirement has become known as giving a person their Miranda Rights. Note that it only applies when a person is…
Celebrating 100 Years of Malcolm X
Malcolm Little who would later change his name to Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska – a city which less than a week ago elected its first Black mayor. Malcolm X’s philosophy and organizing strategy evolved over time — even though media, too often, only speak of him as violent.…
Brown v. Board of Education: Impacts Then and Now
Today, May 17, 2025, this Supreme Court decision turns 71 years old. For some, that seems like ancient history. For others, it is their own story or the story of a parent or grandparent. In other words, not so long ago. To help us understand how recent this history is, remember that Linda Brown, the…
Why Yick Wo v. Hopkins Matters Today
“Due Process” has been in the news a lot over the past few months. But what does “due process” mean and why has it been in the news? Both the 5th and 14th Amendments to the US Constitution include a “due process clause” – meaning a specific section – that “prohibits the government from taking…
Behind the Little Rock Nine
On September 4, 1957, nine Black students arrived at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas intending to integrate the school. Their names were Minnijean Brown, Terrance Roberts, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Patillo, Gloria Ray, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls. After making their way through an angry white, they were greeted at…
Lonnie Johnson: Summertime Soaking
(Don’t miss the videos at the end of the post!) Lonnie Johnson was born October 6, 1949, in Mobile, Alabama. Little did anyone know he’d go on to invent 1991’s number 1 selling toy — the Super Soaker. Johnson was inspired at an early age by the story of George Washington Carver and began dreaming…
Philip Bell Downing
Phillip Bell Downing was born on March 22, 1857, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was one of six children born to George T. Downing and Serena L. deGrasse. His father was a successful businessman and well-known abolitionist who also ran the dining room for the US House of Representatives for several years after the Civil…
Dr. Shirley Jackson
Have you watched something on a streaming platform like Netflix, Prime or Apple TV lately? Have you connected a device to a Wi-Fi connection? Do you ever look to see who’s calling before you answer your phone? If you answered “Yes” to any of these, then you used something made possible by the breakthrough scientific…
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