James C.B Gray

On this date may 13th in the year 1891 Isaac Murphy,an African American Hall of Fame Jockey won his 3rd Kentucky Durby astride (Kingman) the only horse owned by an African American to ever win the Kentucky Durby!!!!I

On this date May 12th in the year 1862 Robert Smalls and 7 other slaves took control of CSS Planter "a Confederate Ship" Robert Smalls learned how to pilot the ship by watching the Captain do it and he successfuly piloted the ship past 5 confederate forts to escape slavery.

On this date May 11th in the year 1892, Alonzo "Lonnie" Clayton rode in and won the Kentucky Derby where he recorded a time of 2:41.50. Riding Azra, he also set a record as the youngest rider to win the prestigious race.

On this date May 10th in the year 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first Democratically elected state President of South Africa. #nelsonmandela #firstblackpresidentofsouthafrica

On this day May 9th in the year 1750 a South Carolina slave named Caesar Norman was granted his freedom and an annuity of $100 a year for the rest of his life in exchange for his cures for poisons,viruses,poisonous plants and poison snake bites.

On this date May 8th in the year 1958 President Eisenhower ordered the National Guard out of Little Rock,AK as Ernest Green,the oldest of the Little Rock 9 graduated from Central High School,becoming the first African American person to graduate from an Arkansas public school.

On this date May 7th in the year 1943 the SS George Washington Carver Liberty Ship was launched,this Magnificent Ship was named in honor of George Washington Carver and was the second Liberty Ship named after an African American.

On this date May 6th in the year 2002 Legendary Rock and Roll songwriter Otis Blackwell passed away, but his songwriting legacy will live on for decades to come.His immortal compositions include Little Willie John's (Fever) Elvis Presley's (Don't be Cruel) and (All Shook Up)

On this date May 5th in the year 1969 Moneta J. Sleet became the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for feature photography,for his poignant photograph of Mrs.Coretta Scott King comforting her daughter Bernice at Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral. #corettascottking

On this date May 4th in the year 1897 Joseph H. Smith recieved a patent for the lawn sprinkler system. African-American Inventor Joseph H. Smith improved upon the lawn sprinkler by patenting the first rotary-head lawn sprinkler in 1897 that sprayed water in two directions.

On this date May 3rd in the year 1933 James Brown was born in Barnwell,South Carolina and moved to Augusta,Georgia with family when he was 4 years old.James Brown is one of the founding fathers of funk music and a major figure of popular music and dance. #jamesbrown

On this date May 2nd in the year 1844 Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario,Canada to George and Emillia.George and Emillia were former slaves who escaped to Canada through the Underground Railroad.Elijah would come to the United States only after the Civil War.

On this date May first in the year 1950 Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American writer to win a Pulitzer Prize.Brooks won the award for her book "Annie Allen" #gwendolynbrooks #pulitzerprize #annieallen #blackfirsts #blackauthors #jamescbgray #dailyblackhistoryfacts

On this date,April 30th in the year 1881 Julian Abele was born.Abele was an African American architect from South Philadelphia. Julian Francis Able was the first African-American to graduate from the Pennsylvania School of Fine Arts and Architecture in 1902.

On this date April 29th in the year 1899 Edward Kennedy Ellington AKA Duke Ellington was born in Washington D.C...Ellington was recognized as one of the greatest Jazz composers and performers.Nicknamed (the Duke) by his childhood friend who admired his regal air,the name stuck.

On this date April 28th in the year 1971 Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. became the first Black Admiral in the U.S NAVY.Gravely was also the first Black in the U.S NAVY to serve aboard a flight ship as an officer,the first to command a NAVY ship,and the first Black Fleet Commander.

On this date April 27th in the year 1927 Coretta Scott King was born in Heiberger,Alabama.King was an American author, activist,and civil rights leader and the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.from 1953 until his death.

On this date April 26th in the year 1969 James Foreman issued (The Black Manifesto) demanding that white churches pay $500,000,000 dollars to African Americans as reparations for past exploitation,at the National Black Economic Development Conference held in Detroit,Michigan.

On this date April 25th in the year 1917 Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News,Virginia.Dubbed (the first lady of song) Ella fitzgerald was the most popular female Jazz singer in the U.S for More than half a century.Ella won 13 Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million albums.

On this date April 24th in the year 1959 Mack charles Parker was accused of raping a pregnant white woman in Pearl River,MS.3 days before he was to stand trial he was taken from his cell by the KKK and was beat and shot to death.His body was found 20 miles away,ten days later.