BLACK HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN SEPTEMBER!
SEPTEMBER 1, 1994:
The United States Postal Service issued the Nat "King" Cole stamp.
SEPTEMBER 2, 1956:
Tennessee National Guard was sent to Clinton, Tennessee to put an end to white mobs demonstrating against school integration.
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SEPTEMBER 3, 1838:
Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery. He posed as a sailor and boarded a train bound for Philadelphia.
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SEPTEMBER 4, 1875:
The Clinton Massacre began in Clinton, Mississippi at a Republican meeting. The meeting was interrupted by White Democrats who opened gunfire.
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SEPTEMBER 5, 1859:
Harriet Wilson became the first African-American woman to publish a novel in the United States.
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SEPTEMBER 6, 1960:
Rafer Johnson became the first African American to win an Olympic Decathlon
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SEPTEMBER 7, 1986:
Desmond Tutu became the first black archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa.
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SEPTEMBER 8, 1993:
Joycelyn Elders became surgeon general of the Public Health Service, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Dr. Elders was the first African American to serve as surgeon general.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 1979:
Robert Guillaume won an Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy series for his role in the show "Soap."
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SEPTEMBER 10, 1990:
The Fresh Prince of Belair, a sitcom about a young black male from Philadelphia who went to live with his family in Bel-Air, aired for the first time.
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SEPTEMBER 11, 1959:
Duke Ellington gets the Springarn Medal for his musical achievements.
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SEPTEMBER 12, 1987:
"It's Showtime at the Apollo" aired for the first time.
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SEPTEMBER 13, 1981:
Isabel Sanford won an Emmy award as best comedic actress for "The Jeffersons".
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SEPTEMBER 14, 2016:
Dr. Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress. She was the third professional librarian, the first woman, and the first Black to hold the position.
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SEPTEMBER 15, 1963:
A bomb exploded during Sunday morning services in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls.
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SEPTEMBER 16, 1940:
President Roosevelt signs the Selective Training and Service Act.
SEPTEMBER 17, 1983:
New York's Vanessa Williams was crowned the first Black Miss America at age 20.
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SEPTEMBER 18, 1895:
Booker T. Washington delivered his famous "Atlanta Compromise" speech at the opening of the Cotton States and International Exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia.
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SEPTEMBER 19, 1868:
The Camilla Massacre took place near Albany, Georgia.
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SEPTEMBER 20, 1987:
Alfr Woodard won her second Emmy award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series.
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SEPTEMBER 21, 1872:
John Henry Conyers became the first Black student at Annapolis Naval Academy.
SEPTEMBER 22, 1989:
Family Matters, a sitcom about a Black Family in Chicago, premiered. The show lasted for nine seasons.
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SEPTEMBER 23, 1957:
The LIttle Rock Nine entered Central High. With the help of police escorts, the students successfully entered teh school through a side entrance. However, because of the angry white mob they did not stay the full day.
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SEPTEMBER 24, 2016:
The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened as the newest Smithsonian Institution museum along Washington, D.C's National Mall.
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SEPTEMBER 25, 1962:
Sonny Liston beat Floyd Patterson to become the heavyweight champion.
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SEPTEMBER 26, 1962:
On or close to this day, A. Leon Higginbotham became a member of the five-man Federal Trade Commission, which made him the first African American ever to be appointed to a federal regulatory agency.
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SEPTEMBER 27, 1950:
Charles H. Houston was awarded the Springarn Medal posthumously for his pioneering work in developing the NAACP legal campaign.
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SEPTEMBER 28, 1868:
The Opelousa's Massacre occurred when whites sought after Black voters.
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SEPTEMBER 29, 1975:
WGPR-TV, the nation's first Black owned and operated television station, was founded in Detroit, Michigan.
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SEPTEMBER 30, 1962:
A riot broke out at University's of Mississippi when a deal was reached for James Meredith to be the first Black to enroll. A mob of angry whites confronted U.S. Marshalls that stationed on campus to protect Meredith. James Meredith was able to register the next day on October 1.
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