Black History Month Facts
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Juneteenth
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A Month of Notables
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Little Known Facts
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Historically Black Colleges and Universities
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Resources
Black History Month Facts
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Origins
On June 19, 1865, the Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Tex., to inform inhabitants of the Civil War’s end. Two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Granger’s General Order Number 3 finally freed some 800,000 slaves whose bondage, due to the minimal Union presence in the region, had been essentially unaffected by Lincoln’s efforts. June 19th—which was quickly shortened to "Juneteenth" among celebrants—has become the African-American addendum to our national Independence Day, for, as Juneteenth jubilees remind us, the Emancipation Proclamation did not bring about emancipation, and the prevailing portrayal of Independence Day ignores the ignominious incidence of slavery entirely.
EvolutionObservance of Juneteenth has traditionally tended towards church-centered celebrations featuring food, fun, and a focus on self-improvement and education by guest speakers. Although initially associated with Texas and other Southern states, the Civil Rights Era and the Poor People’s March to Washington in 1968, in particular, helped spread the tradition all across America—to the extent that Milwaukee and Minneapolis now host two of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the nation.
Juneteenth TodayThe state of Texas made Juneteenth an official holiday on Jan. 1, 1980, and became the first to grant government recognition of the celebration. To this day, the Lone Star State remains alone in its affirmation of an anniversary of significance to many African Americans. Nonetheless, supporters and celebrants of Juneteenth continue to grow in number and in diversity; today, Juneteenth is promoted not only as a commemoration of African-American freedom, but as an example and encouragement of self-development and respect for all cultures.
On February 1, 1870 Jonathan Jasper Wright is elected to the South Carolina Supreme court. He is the first African American to hold a major judicial position
On February 2, 1948 Biologist Ernest E. Just receives the Spingarn medal for his pioneering in cell division and fertilization.
On February 3, 1903 Jack Johnson became the first Black Heavyweight Champion.
On February 4, 1913 Rosa Parks (born Roas Louise McCauley) was born on this day.
On February 5, 1950 Singer Natalie Cole, daughter of legedary singer Nat Cole, born in Los Angeles, California. Singing professionally at age 11, by 1976 Cole had won Grammys for New Artist of the Year and Best R&B Female.
On February 6, 1933 Walter E. Fauntroy was born in Washington, D.C. He went on to become a District of Columbia delegate to the House of Representatives.
On February 7, 1968 Officers killed three students during demonstration on the campus of South Carolina State in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Students were protesting segregation at an Orangeburg bowling alley.
On February 8, 1968, Diminutive actor Gary Coleman was born in Zion, IL. Despite a childhood of medical problems, Coleman went on to become a television star in numerous situational comedies.
On February 9, 1952 Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man won the national Book Award
On February 10, 1907 Civil rights activist and politician Grace Towns Hamilton was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The first African-American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1965. She served in the Georgia House of Representatives until 1984.
On February 11, 1976 Clifford Alexander, Jr. is confirmed as the first African American Secretary of the Army. He held the position until the end of President Jimmy Carter's term.
On February 12, 1900 For a Lincoln birthday celebration, James Weldon Johnson writes the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing". With music by his brother, J. Rosamond, the song is first sung by 500 children in Jacksonville, Fla. It will become known as the "Negro National Anthem".
On February 13, 1892 The first African American performers, the World's Fair Colored Opera Company, appear at Carnegie Hall.
On February 14, 1867 Morehouse College organized in Augusta, Georgia. The institution was later moved to Atlanta.
On February 15, 1968 Henry Lewis became the first African American to lead a symphony orchestra in the U.S.
On February 16, 1957 Actor Levar Burton was born in Landsthul, Germany. Burton won fame for his acting in the television mini-series “Roots,” which was based on the novel by Alex Haley.
On February 17, 1902 Opera singer Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Anderson was entered in the New York Philharmonic Competition at age 17 by her music teacher, and placed first over 299 other singers.
On February 18, 1931 On this day Toni Morrison, who will win the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, is born in Lorain, Ohio.
On February 19, 1942 The Army Air Corps' all African American 100th Pursuit Squadron, later designated a fighter squadron, was activated at Tuskegee Institute. The squadron served honorably in England and in other regions.
On February 20, 1927 On this day Sidney Poitier, was the first African American
to win an Academy Award in a starring role. He was born in Miami, Fl.
On February 21, 1961 Otis Boykin, Inventor, patented the Electrical Resistor. U.S. 2,972,726 He is responsible for inventing the electrical device used in all guided missiles and IBM computers, plus 26 other electronic devices.
On February 22, 1888 Horrace Pippin was born in West Chester, PA. Pippin is considered one of the major American painters of his period. One of his more significant works, “ John Brown going to his hanging,” is owned by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
On February 23, 1925 Louis Stokes, former Mayor of Detroit, MI, and member of the U. S. House of Representatives, was born in Cleveland, OH. Stokes was the first African American elected to the house from Ohio.
On February 24, 1966 Elected leader and first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, ousted in military coup while he is away on a peace mission to Vietnam.
On February 25, 1870 Hirman R. Revels of Mississippi sworn in as first Black U.S. senator and first Black representative in Congress.
On February 26, 1920 Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950) announced the institution of Negro History Week, which coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. This week would later become Black History Month.
On February 27, 1872 Charlotte Ray graduates from Howard Law School. She is the first African American lawyer in the U.S.
On February 28, 1984 Musician and entertainer Michael Jackson wins eight Grammy Awards. His album, "Thriller", broke all sales records to-date, and remains one of the
top-grossing albums of all time.
One out of every four Union sailors was Black. Of the 118,044 sailors in the Union Navy, 29,511 were Blacks. At least four Black sailors won Congressional Medals of Honor.
Southern states believed the election of Lincoln as president meant the end to slavery. Immediately after the election in November 1860, several states began holding conventions and debating secession from the Union. Before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union. South Carolina was the first to secede on December 20, 1860.
In late August 1944, as American troops advanced across France, convoys of daring soldiers dodged German fighter planes, snipers and mines as they rushed supplies to the front the massive World War II operation, know as the Red Ball Express this involved 23,000 men, 18,000 of whom were African American. Serving as engineers, mechanics, drivers, and clerks these soldiers transported essential, fuel, ammunition, and rations along a circuit from the Normandy beaches to Paris and back.
In addition to being the first African American to graduate from an American college, Alexander Lucius Twilight was also the nation’s first elected black state representative. Born free in Bradford, Vermont, in 1795, Twilight received a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in 1823.
In the late 1800s, the nation’s first historically black colleges and universities(HBCUs) emerged in the North. During these years, blacks were prohibited from attending white institutions. Several states even had laws preventing blacks from learning to read and write. Recognizing the limited opportunities for blacks, churches and other organizations founded many of the early historically black colleges and universities. These institutions stood as beacons to African-Americans in search of a better future.
Today, more than 300,000 students of all nationalities choose one of the nation’s 103 HBCUs as their guiding light. Having provided the nation with hundreds of elected officials, physicians, teachers, ambassadors and business executives, the success of HBCUs speaks for itself. They are a source of pride for all Americans, and reflect the determination and spirit that are essential to achieving educational success.
North Carolina Central University
The National Religious Training School and Chautauqua in Durham, NC was the nation’s first liberal arts institution for African-Americans. Founded in 1909, the school would become North Carolina Central University 60 years later. From its beginning, NCCU declared its mission to be the “development of young men and women for real service to the nation”.
Today, that mission stands strong as NCCU graduates continue to make a difference in their nation as well as the world through the university’s exclusive Community Services Program. All NCCU students are required to serve in their communities before graduation and challenged to make a difference in their environment.
Students also are challenged in the classroom. Since 1972, NCCU has been a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina. Through this program, students are able to cross- register at any of the 16 joining campuses in the state, including the University of North Carolina and Duke University.
NCCU remains one of the nation’s best liberal arts institutions and boasts one of the nation’s lowest student- to- teacher ratios. With courses on the undergraduate and graduate level, the university offers comprehensive programs for all.
Since 1975, NS and its predecessors have maintained a commitment to excellence in part through its recruiting efforts at NCCU. Over the past 28 years, NS has hired NCCU graduates who have made significant contributions to the company’s success
Five of those graduates are featured below.
Sam Groggins is a 1975 graduate and one of Norfolk Southern’s first NCC graduates. Currently employed as a trainmaster, Groggins says that his experience at NCC gave him the foundation that’s helped him achieve success with the company.
“I think NCC prepared me by teaching me the value of patience, discipline and hard work. They really teach you how to be a team player and how to look at objects from all points of view.”
1976 graduate Terry Evans, vice president of operations planning and budget, acknowledges his experiences on campus and the football field for his positive character and responsibility.
“I attended Central on a football scholarship. Through the program I learned a great deal about responsibility accountability and teamwork. It represented a great opportunity for me and I’m sure that it still holds that value today.”
Graduating just two years later, Glenn Hinton, Market Manager, joined Norfolk Southern setting the framework in place for a strong tradition of North Carolina Central Eagles at NS. Hinton, who at first majored in biology and later settled his interests in law, found NCC to a place that helped him develop his long-term career goals.
“North Carolina Central is home to a number of very dedicated instructors. They had academic and real world experience and they brought that experience to the classroom. They help their students succeed. Our placement officer also worked very closely with the Fortune 500 businesses, and they really helped us prepare with the right attitude and made sure that we had the right classes to succeed.”
In 1979, Mel Crawley, Superintendent Terminals joined NS after graduating from NCC with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Mel thanks the supportive environment and strong African-American heritage at North Carolina Central for his success today at Norfolk Southern.
“For the first time in my life, I was able to meet blacks in powerful positions. There was a lot of opportunity around me, and I was exposed to an environment where I was able to achieve more. I was encouraged. Central taught me that I could achieve greatness.”
African American History Books http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/exhibits/rec_acq/home.html
Encyclopedia Britannica’s guide to Black History http://search.eb.com/blackhistory
CNN Black History Month http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1998/black.history/
Profiles of prominent African Americans http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/
History Channel Exhibits http://www.historychannel.com/blackhistory/