Black - African American History Facts

Jean Baptiste Lislet-Geoffroy, a scientist who became the first black person to be admitted as a member of the French Academy of Sciences, was born on this date in 1755.

Edward A. Jones received an A. B. degree from Amherst College on this date in 1826. Jones is believed to be the second black person to graduate from a U.S. college. Both he and John Russwurm graduated in 1826 and succeeded Alexander Lucius Twilight who received a B. A. degree from Middlebury College (Vermont) in 1823.

The National Negro Business League was founded on this date in 1900. Booker T. Washington was elected as the group's first president as he and 400 delegates from 34 states met in Boston, MA.

Franklin W. Morton was elected as the first black Chief Legal Advisor to the Veterans of Foreign Wars on this date in 1974.

Yusef Hawkins, a 16-year-old black youth, was murdered in Bensonhurst, NY, by nearly 30 whites on this date in 1989. Hawkins and three friends went to see a car that was for sale. Supposedly the whites thought Hawkins was visiting a white girl in the neighborhood and used this as their motive for murder.

Barack Obama selected Joseph Biden as his Presidential running mate on this date in 2008.