BLACK HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN JULY!
JULY 1, 1970:
Kenneth Allen Gibson became the first African American elected mayor of any major city in the Northeastern United States when he took oath as the mayor of Newark, NJ.
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JULY 2, 1777:
Delegates in Vermont met to adopt a new Constitution. This constitution was the first to prohibit slavery and to give all adult males, not just "slave owners", the right to vote.It was officially adopted on July 8, 1777.
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JULY 3, 1983:
Calvin Smith became the "fastest man in the world" when he broke the 100-meter dash world record. HIs record stood for nearly four years before it was broken by Carl Lewis in 1987.
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JULY 4, 1876:
Black militia was engaged in military exercises when two white farmers attempted to drive through and started an argument. This day led to the Hamburg Massacre that occured on July 8, 1876 in Hamburg, SC.
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JULY 5, 1975:
Arthur Ashe defeated the heavily favored Jimmy Connors and became the first Black man ever to win Wimbledon.
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JULY 6, 1957:
Althea Gibson claimed the women's singles tennis title at Wimbledon and became the first African American to win a championship at London's All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
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JULY 7, 2009:
A public memorial service was held for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
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JULY 8, 2002:
Serena Williams ranked #1 for the Women's Tennis Association, WTA, for the first time.
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JULY 9, 1993:
After six seasons, "A Different World" aired its last show. The show took place at Hillman College, a fictional hIstorical Black College.
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JULY 10, 1893:
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first document open-heart surgery on or close to this day.
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JULY 11, 1905:
W.E.B. DuBois and William Monroe Trotter convened a conference of Black leaders to renounce Booker T. Washington's policy of accommodation. They met at Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.
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JULY 12, 1967:
The Newark Rebellion began in Newark, NJ. This riot lasted for four days.
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JULY 13, 1863:
The New Yoork Draft Riot began in New York. It ended before midnight on July 16, 1863. It is one of the biggest riots in U.S. history.
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JULY 14, 1953:
The George Washington Carver monument became the first monument to be dedicated to an African American.
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JULY 15, 1998:
The U.S. Postal Service issued four stamps in the "Legends of American Music, Gospel Singers' Series. These stamps included Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Sister Rosetta, and Clara Ward.
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JULY 16, 1988:
Florence Griffith-Joyner set a world record of 10.49 seconds in the 100-meter sprint at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field. Months later, "Flo-JO" set another world record of 21.34 at the Seoul Olympic Games.
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JULY 17, 1862:
The Second Confiscation and Militia Act allowed President Abraham Lincoln to receive Blacks into the military.
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JULY 18, 1863:
William Carney rescued the Union Flag during Battle. For this act, he later became the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor.
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JULY 19, 1919:
A race riot took place in Washington D.C. and lasted for about five days.
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JULY 20, 1967:
The first national Black Power conference was held in Newark, New Jersey.
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JULY 21, 1959:
The Boston Red Sox became the final MLB team to integrate when Eligjah "Pumpsie" Green joined the team.
JULY 22, 1938:
Caterina Jarboro became the first African American to perform with an all-white opera company in the United States.
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JULY 23, 1962:
Jackie Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
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JULY 24, 1939:
Jane Bolin was inducted and became the nation's first African-American judge. She was appointed two days prior by Mayor La Guardia.
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JULY 25, 1960:
The Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, NC desegregated months after The Greensboro Four held their sit-in.
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JULY 26, 1948:
President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, desegregating the U.S. armed Forces and mandating equallity of opportunity and treatment.
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JULY 27, 1895:
The first National Conference of Colored Women of America began at Berkely Hall in South Boston.
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JULY 28, 1917:
The Silent Protest Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City was one of the first events in the Civil Rights Movement. The protestors marched in silence, mourning African Americans killed as an act of racism.
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JULY 29, 1940:
The color barrier in tennis was broken at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club. The best white player in the United States, Don Budge, traveled to Harlem to face the best black player, Jimmy McDaniel.
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JULY 30, 2002:
Lisa Leslie became the first player in WNBA history to dunk during a game.
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JULY 31, 2007:
The Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in the largest NBA deal at that time.
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