28 Black History facts you may not know

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com B lack History Month is the perfect time to reflect on the incredible achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history. From groundbreaking inventors to Olympic champions, here are 28 fascinating facts, one for each day in February, to celebrate the richness of Black history.

1. Did you know the first-ever Black settlement in the U.S. was in Florida? Founded in 1738, Gracia Real De Santa Teresa De Mose was home to freed men and women near St. Augustine. It was abandoned after the Seven Years’ War but remains a significant piece of history.

2. Ever wonder who the first Black person born in the American colonies was? That would be William Tucker, born near Jamestown, Virginia, in 1624. His parents were part of the first group of Africans brought to the colonies.

3. Black history wouldn’t be the same without Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He launched Negro History Week in 1926, which later became Black History Month in 1976. Thats why he’s known as the Father of Black History.

4. Before Barack Obama, there was George Edwin Taylor. Taylor ran for president in 1904 under the National Negro Liberty Party, long before Obama made history in 2008.

5. The Underground Railroad was incredibly effective. Historians estimate that 100,000 enslaved people escaped to the North between 1810 and 1850.

6. Gabby Douglas made Olympic history. In 2012, she became the first Black gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal, securing victories in both the all-around and team competitions.

7. James Brown helped prevent riots. The day after Martin Luther King Jr,. was assassinated, Brown performed live in Boston, and his show is credited with calming tensions and preventing violence.

8. Speaking of MLK, his death had a profound effect on Maya Angelou. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968—her birthday. She stopped celebrating it for years and sent flowers to Coretta Scott King annually until her passing.

9. Hattie McDaniel was the first Black Oscar winner. In 1940, she won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone With the Wind. It took 24 years before Sidney Poitier became the first Black man to win Best Actor.

10. Betty Boop was inspired by a Black jazz singer. Esther Jones, a Harlem-based performer, was known for her “boop-oop-a-doop” singing style, which became a signature trait of the cartoon character.

11. Vermont was ahead of its time. On July 2, 1777, it became the first colony to ban slavery and gave full voting rights to Black men.

12. Alexander Miles changed elevators foreverr. In 1887, he patented a mechanism that allowed automatic elevator doors, making them much safer.

13. Wilma Rudolph made Olympic history in 1960. She became the first American woman (and first Black woman) to win three gold medals in one Olympic Games.

14. Before we had Netflix, we had The Proud Family. The show was Disney Channel’s first animated series about a Black family when it premiered in 2001.

15. Robert Johnson became America’s first Black billionaire. He founded BET and later sold the cable network in 2001, making history.

16. The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is one of a kind. Founded in 1984, it remains the only touring African American rodeo in the world.

17. The first player signed to the WNBA? Sheryl Swoopes. She made history in 1996 when the league was first establshed.

18. The first-ever hip-hop hit was thanks to Sylvia Robinson. Known as “Hip-Hop’s First Godmother,” she produced Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang, which became the first commercially successful rap song.

19. A Black inventor is responsible for the yellow light. Garrett Morgan patented a three-light traffic signal in 1922, adding the caution light we use today.

20. George Carver did more than just peanuts. He developed 300 products from peanuts – including soap, ink, and cosmetics and over 100 from sweet potatoes.

21. Cathay Williams was the first female Buffalo Soldier. She disguised herself as a man and served, in the 38th Infantry in 1866.

22. Mark Dean helped create the modern computer. He co-invented IBM’s first personal computer and made it possible to plug in printers, keyboards, and monitors.

23. Ann Lowe was the designer behind Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress. The Black fashion designer created the famous ivory silk gown worn during Jackie and John F. Kennedy’s 1953 wedding.

24. Lucy Stanton was the first Black woman to graduate from cllege. She earned her degree from Oberlin College in 1850, delivering an anti-slavery speech at graduation.

25. The first Black senator was elected in 1870. Hiram Rhodes Revels represented Mississippi just five years after the Civil War ended.

26. George “Crum” Speck invented the potato chip – kind of. The chef’s thinly sliced, fried potatoes became a hit, but his sister Kate claimed she was actually the one who made the first chip.

27. Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner changed period care forever. She patented the sanitary belt in 1957 – a major innovation in menstrual hygiene.

28. Allensworth, California, was founded by and for African Americans. Established in 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth, iit was the first town completely financed and governed by Black residents.

Black history is rich, inspiring,, and full of innovation, resilience and achievement. While February is dedicated to celebrating these stories, they should be recognized year round.