Ida B. Wells-Barnett, journalist, editor, writer, and political activist, was an early leader of the movement and the best chronicler of lynching in America. She was a founder of the NAACP. She died on this day in 1931 in Chicago.
On this day in 1965, the Selma to Montgomery Marches succeeded in reaching Montgomery where a major rally was held. From March 7 to March 25, there were four total marches; their effect led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Aretha Louise Franklin, Queen of Soul, singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist was born on this day in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee.
John Hope Franklin, historian, academic, passed away on this day in 2009 at the age of 94. He was the only historian to have presided over the three main history academic groups: the American Historical Society, the Organization of American Historians, and the Southern Historical Association.
Toni Cade Bambara, also known as Miltona Mirkin Cade, author, film-maker, activist, and university professor, was born on this day in 1939 in New York City. From the tender age of six or seven she began to develop an interest in the arts. Later, she majored in English, began dancing, and got into theater. She went to France and studied mime. She came back to the US, became a college professor at several universities, including Emory University, Atlanta University, Spelman College, Stephens College and Rutgers University. She lectured all over the United States. She died of colon cancer in 1995.
On this day in 1967, Debra Janine Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. She later became one of the foremost figure skaters ever produced by the United States. In 1986, she won her first world championship in Geneva, becoming the first Black person to win such an honor. She was Athlete of the Year by ABC’s Wide World of Sports in 1986; at the same time, she was a pre-medical student at Stanford University, eventually going on to become a physician. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, she became the first black person to win a medal. She was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000.
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