Today In Black History On January 15th

0 Posted by - January 15, 2016 - January, LATEST POSTS, Today In Black History
  1. The Confederacy’s last major port was closed (January 15, 1865) thanks to the Black division under the command of Major General Charles Paine. The Fort Fisher expedition was one of many battles fought against the confederacy, and this was the final blow to finally claim victory for the brave soldiers who fought. Fort Fisher was an important post for the confederacy, which included several trading routes that were vital for the confederacy’s survival.
  2. Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded (January 15, 1908) and was the first black Greek sisterhood at Howard University. Twenty students led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle founded the group, and at the time, broke down many barriers that went beyond just racial lines. Women’s rights were still an issue in this day, so by empowering women of African, Native American, Asian, Indian, Hispanic, and Caucasian descent, Alpha Kappa Alpha became an important rite of passage for young women across America. There many community service programs to help the culture that has progressed many careers and opened up new paths for people everywhere.
  3. Yancey Williams fights (January 15, 1941) for his right to join the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet. Asking the federal court to order the secretary of war to consider his enlistment application didn’t go through, despite being backed by the NAACP. Although he was a fully capable of performing these tasks, as a Howard University student, integration was still an issue at the time. This was one of many stories, and the reason that the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama was created. The Tuskegee Airmen would eventually prove everyone wrong that held them back, but small court cases like this were helpful in bringing attention to the discrimination.
  4. With over 4,000 delegates attending the National Emergency Civil Rights Conference (January 15, 1950), the U.S. began to take steps that were necessary in creating a fair society for all individuals. The 4,000 delegates that attended were from over 100 different national organizations, showing wide support for such a movement.

No comments