History in August
In 1963, an estimated 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. for this event, where Martin Luther King gave his iconic "I have a Dream" Speech
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
Beginning in 1791 and ending in 1804, this was the largest and most successful rebellion by enslaved Africans in the Western Hemisphere, leading to the creation of the first Black Republic in the world.
What is the Haitian Revolution
Born in Maryland in 1820 and nicknamed "Moses," this abolitionist made 13 perilous trips on the Underground Railroad to free enslaved Africans in the United States despite suffering from epileptic seizures.
Who is Harriet Tubman
This Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows the continuation of slavery as punishment for a crime
What is the 13th Amendment
This activist and playwright, known for his essays on race and sexuality, and author of "The Fire next Time" and "If Beale Street Could Talk," was born on August 2, 1924 in Harlem
Who is James Baldwin
After the 2014 police killing of teenager Michael Brown, protests ignited in this Missouri city.
What is the Ferguson uprising
Listed as the FBI's Most Wanted after escaping from a New Jersey prison in 1979, this Black Liberation Army member was granted political asylum in Cuba
Who is Assata Shakur
President Nixon's assistant, John Ehrlichman, confessed that this campaign's goal was to "arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news."
What is the War on Drugs
In 1955 in Mississippi, members of the Ku Klux Klan abducted and lynched this 14 year old, whose death led to the modern era civil rights movement
Who is Emmett Till
One of the largest revolts of Africans in the U.S. occurred in Southampton, Virginia in 1831, organized by this preacher, who believed to have seen a vision from God to lead enslaved Africans out of bondage.
Who is Nat Turner
Born in 1887, this Jamaican activist was known for founding the Universal Negro Improvement Association and popularized Pan-Africanism in the U.S.
Who is Marcus Mosiah Garvey
Sentencing that results when judges' hands are tied and prosecutors hold all the cards
What are mandatory minimum sentences
In August of this year, the first 20 enslaved Africans were trafficked to Jamestown in British North America
What is 1619
In Los Angeles in 1965, a large series of protests against police brutality and economic conditions broke out after the arrest of Marquette Frye during a traffic stop.
What is the Watts Rebellion, also known as the Watts Riots
Born August 30th, 1948, this deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party was assassinated at 21 years of age by the Chicago PD in his home after FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover designated him as "The Messiah"
Who is Fred Hampton
On September 9, 1971, a rebellion broke out for basic human rights in this New York state prison which led to the beginnings of the prisoner rights movement
What is Attica State Prison
In 1964, this Black political activist and farmer testified at the Democratic National Convention "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired," while documenting the abuse she experienced while trying to register to vote in Mississippi
Who is Fannie Lou Hamer
In 1970, teenager Jonathan Jackson used guns purchased by this political activist and feminist to take over the Marin County Courthouse in California, to call for the release of his older brother George Jackson from San Quentin State Prison
Who is Angela Davis
In 1981, this Black Liberation Army member and stepfather of Tupac Shakur was sentenced to sixty years in prison for his alleged involvement in the robbery of a Brinks armored truck, and was later paroled after 37 years, passing away in July of 2023
Who is Mutulu Shakur
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover started this program to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, and otherwise neutralize Black nationalist leaders and their supporters"
What is COINTELPRO