The Rev. Jesse Jackson, activist and 1988 presidential candidate, became the first Black to address a joint session of Congress on May 24,1983. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles Edmund Nash, the first Black Congressman from Louisiana, was born on May 23,1844. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Robert Russa Moton, principal of Tuskegee Institute, received the 18th NAACP Springarn Medal on May 20,1932 for his struggle for the education of Blacks, here and Haiti, and for his expression of ideals in his book, What the Negro Thinks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Willy T.Ribbs became the first Black driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 on May 19,1991. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
James Milton Tuner,educator,diplomat, and Black spokesperson,was born a slave in St.Louis,MO,on May 16,1840. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Oliver Lewis,a Black jockey,won the first Kentucky Derby on May 17,1875.Lewis rode a horse named “Aristides,” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Riding the colt Aristides, Oliver Lewis won the inaugural Kentucky Derby on May 17, 1875. His time of two minutes 37.75 seconds also set an American record over the mile and a half distance (the Kentucky Derby […]
Sidney Bechet,jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, was born in New Orleans, LA, on May 14,1897.Bechet died May 14,1959. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isaac Burns Murphy, jockey who rode a horse named “Kingman,” became the first person to win the Kentucky Derby three times on May 13,1891.Murphy also won in 1884 and 1890. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Joe Gans became the first Black lightweight champion on May 12,1902. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
William Grant Still, musician, born in Woodsville, MS, on May 11,1893.Still’s “Afro-American Symphony” is regarded as the first of its kind by a Black composer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.