This Week in Black History January 15 – 21

Rev. Martin L. King Jr.

January 15, 1929 – Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia

George Washington Carver

January 17, 1923 – Spingarn Medal awarded to George Washington Carver, head of the department of research at Tuskegee Institute, for his pioneering work in agricultural chemistry

Eartha Kitt

January 17, 1927 – Actress and Singer, Eartha Kitt was born in the small town

of North, South Carolina

Muhammad Ali

January 17, 1942 – Former Heavyweight Champion boxer, Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay Jr.) was born in Louisville, Kentucky

Eva Jessye

January 20, 1895 – Choral conductor, Eva Jessye was born in Coffeyville, Kansas

Congressman George H. White

January 20, 1900 – Black Congressman George H. White (R-North Carolina) introduced a bill to make lynching of Americans a federal offense. The bill died in committee. In 1900, 105 African Americans were lynched in the United States. The US would not pass a federal anti-lynching bill until March 29, 2022 – 122 years later. There were more than 1800 Black people lynched in that time.

President Reagan after some initial opposition signed MLK Day Bill in November 1983

January 20, 1986 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed for the first time.

President Barack H. Obama

January 20, 2009 – Barack H. Obama became the 44th President of the United States. He was the first Black President in the history of the United States.