Black history from the year you were born

U.S. Department of Justice // Wikimedia Commons Black History Month is dedicated to celebrating the achievements and reflecting on the experiences of African Americans. What began as a week in 1926 has blossomed into 28 days of remembrance and lessons on the contributions of Black Americans. Many Black Americans come from a lineage of captured and enslaved people who were forcibly brought to the U.S. to build the culture and infrastructure of a place in which they never asked to live. Forced immigration and centuries of cultural genocide have driven Black Americans to literally and figuratively rebuild a culture from the ground up. In the face of historical oppression and inequality–slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the police violence that ignited the #BlackLivesMatter movement–African Americans have continuously fought for their rights, reaching countless milestones, achievements, and freedoms in doing so. While being forced to exist largely on the fringes of society, Black Americans nevertheless have made many significant contributions to the arts, education, politics, technology, and numerous other fields. The 1930s saw historic strides made by Olympic track and field star Jesse Owens and author-activist Zora Neale Hurston; in the ’50s, the first Civil Rights Act since 1875 was signed into law; and five decades later, in 2008, Americans elected the first Black president. But in the theme of education–part of the function of this month for much of the country–you’ll learn of other, less-discussed moments and perhaps some unfamiliar faces in Black history: the desegregation of the armed forces in the ’40s, the first Black Miss America in the ’80s, and the 1995 Million Man March in Washington D.C. are a few remarkable moments. Peruse Stacker’s list to learn more about some of the significant achievements and moments in Black history, from 1919 to today. You might also like: Notable companies founded by Black entrepreneurs 1919: Oscar Micheaux produces ‘The Homesteader’ Micheaux Film Regarded as the first African American feature filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux produced the film version of his book “The Conquest” under the name “The Homesteader.” This silent film featured an all-Black cast and touched on the issues of race relations during that era. 1920: Zeta Phi Beta is established at Howard University Brian Stukes // Getty Images This historical, Greek-lettered sorority was created by five women Howard University students. Their vision was to effect positive change and raise cultural awareness within their community while promoting high educational standards. The sorority remains active today and operates out of the Washington D.C. headquarters the sorority purchased in 1959. 1921: ‘Shuffle Along’ becomes the first major African American musical on Broadway Walter McBride // Getty Images When “Shuffle Along” debuted on May 23, 1921, almost a decade had passed since an all-Black musical of any kind had graced a Broadway stage. The vaudeville-style play about a mayoral race launched the careers of Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson and is widely regarded as one of the first Black musicals to cross over to mainstream white audiences. As such, the musical’s success signaled a change and dismantling of sorts of racial segregation in the Broadway theater world. 1922: Abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ home becomes a national museum Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons In 1922, Cedar Hill, Frederick Douglass’ home until his 1895 death, became a certified historical site. Among the preserved sites visitors can see during a visit is his “growlery,” or man cave. Douglass would retreat to this private room with a stove, desk, and bed whenever he wanted privacy to work on his writing. 1923: Jean Toomer’s ‘Cane’ is published Bettmann // Getty Images This series of vignettes explore the African American experience in the United States. Alternating in structure between prose, poetry, and script-like writing, most passages in the book are freestanding, though some characters are reoccurring. “Cane” sold under 1,000 copies upon its release but would become an important piece of Harlem Renaissance literature. You may also like: 50 famous paintings and the stories behind them 1924: National Bar Association is founded Afro American Newspapers/Gado // Getty Images The National Bar Association was founded out of two movements–the Greenville Movement and the Convention of the Iowa Colored Bar Association–after numerous Black lawyers were denied membership in the American Bar Association. Today, the association has more than 84 chapters and represents more than 60,000 legal professionals. 1925: A. Philip Randolph and Milton P. Webster create the BSCP Bettmann // Getty Images Organized by African American employees of the Pullman Company, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was the first labor union by and for Black employees. A first of its kind, BSCP is largely considered significant in both the labor and civil rights movements. 1926: Negro History Week is formed Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis // Getty Images The precursor to Black History Month was the brainchild of historian Carter G. Woodson in collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Corresponding with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, the week was initially designated to give Black Americans a sense of pride in their own history and has since been expanded to a whole month. 1927: Floyd Joseph Calvin hosts first Black radio show J Walters // Shutterstock “Courier Hour” was the first radio talk show that highlighted African American issues for its Black audience. Calvin’s work inspired countless podcasts today that exist with the same mission of highlighting Black voices and issues. 1928: First African American elected to Congress U.S. Congress // Wikimedia Commons Oscar Stanton De Priest began his political career in 1915 with a stint on the Chicago City Council. More than a decade later, he made history when he was tapped as the Republican candidate for a seat in the House of Representatives representing the state of Illinois. You may also like: 25 Black businesspeople who helped shape America 1929: Negro Experimental Theatre is established Smith Collection/Gado // Getty Images The Negro Experimental Theatre (aka the Harlem Experimental Theatre) was the project of librarian and playwright Regina M. Anderson. The early theater company produced one-act plays and was one of the early companies to influence and encourage the arts in Black communities. 1930: Howard University Gallery of Art is established U.S. National Archives Artist James V. Herring organized Howard University’s student gallery, a first of its kind. The Howard University Gallery of Art was the first gallery on a Black campus and the only gallery controlled entirely by African Americans. 1931: Scottsboro boys are falsely convicted Bettmann // Getty Images In March 1931, nine African American teenagers were falsely accused of rape while aboard a train in Alabama. Eight of the nine were convicted and sentenced to death. The cases were eventually appealed in the Supreme Court, raising questions about unfair court proceedings for Black defendants, like being judged by an all-white jury. Over the course of subsequent retrials (and reconvictions), the boys in total served in excess of 100 years in prison. Ultimately, it was revealed the boys had been illegally hopping trains in search of work, and while detained for a minor charge, deputies convinced two white women to accuse the boys of rape. One of the women, Ruby Bates, recanted her story and became an advocate for freeing the Scottsboro boys. 1932: ‘Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male’ begins U.S. National Archives // Wikimedia Commons The Public Health Service, in conjunction with the Tuskegee Institute, began studying the natural occurrences of syphilis in the human body on unassuming and ill-informed Black male participants. The experiment involved more than 600 men, many of whom were unaware of their infection. They were also not given adequate or correct treatment for the disease. The study ended at the hands of a whistleblower in 1972; President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology in 1997. 1933: Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s ‘The Mis-Education of the Negro’ is published U.S. National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions,” Dr. Carter G. Woodson writes in his groundbreaking book, “The Mis-Education of the Negro.” Woodson asserted that Blacks were essentially being mentally controlled by the public school system. In 1998, singer-rapper Lauryn Hill would reference the book with her debut album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” In addition to launching Negro History Week and penning “The Mis-Education of the Negro,” Woodson was an accomplished author, journalist, American historian, and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. You may also like: What having a baby was like the year you were born 1934: Maggie Lena Walker dies U.S. National Park Service // Flickr Maggie Lena Walker grew up helping her mother, a former slave, with her laundry business. This early exposure to entrepreneurship made an impression; in 1903, Walker became the first African American woman to be president of a bank when she founded St. Luke Penny Savings Bank. In 1930, the bank became the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, with Walker staying on as chairman. The bank continued on as a Black-owned institution following Walker’s death and was sold in 2005. 1935: National Council of Negro Women is created Photo Quest // Getty Images The National Council of Negro Women, founded by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, continues to be influential in advocating on the behalf of African American women in the United States. Bethune was a champion of higher education: The school she founded, Bethune-Cookman University, became a four-year college in 1941. 1936: Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the Berlin Games Library of Congress At the 1936 Berlin Games, track and field star Jesse Owens broke and equaled nine Olympic records, setting three world records. In so doing, Owens additionally thwarted Adolf Hitler’s theory of white superiority. 1937: ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ is published Photo Quest // Getty Images Zora Neale Hurston’s Black feminist classic, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” tells the story of Janie Crawford and her personal changes over the course of her three marriages. Dismissed by many upon its release (and out of print for nearly 30 years), Hurston’s novel has become a crowning achievement about Black womanhood and the discovery of love. 1938: Artist Jacob Lawrence shows his first exhibition Bettmann // Getty Images Painter Jacob Lawrence’s brand of modernism depicted the various aspects of life in Harlem. His first solo exhibit was shown in February 1938 at the Harlem YMCA on 135th Street. A few years later, when he was just 24, Lawrence became one of the first Black artists to be presented by Downtown Gallery. You may also like: History of African Americans in the US military 1939: Marian Anderson sings at Lincoln Memorial Harris & Ewing // Library of Congress Opera singer Marian Anderson was scheduled to sing at Washington’s Constitution Hall on Easter Sunday in 1939. But at the last minute, she was refused the opportunity because of her race by the Daughters of the American Revolution (a move that caused first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to leave the group). Instead, Anderson gave a free open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The moment brought even greater awareness to the issues of racial injustice during that time period. 1940: Hattie McDaniel wins an Academy Award Bettmann // Getty Images Hattie McDaniel made history as the first African American person to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in “Gone With the Wind.” She came under fire at the time for her portrayal of a maid, but the defiant McDaniel famously retorted, saying she’d rather play a maid than serve as one in real life. 1941: National Negro Opera Company is created Afro American Newspapers/Gado // Getty Images The National Negro Opera Company was the first of its kind when musician Mary Cardwell Dawson founded it in 1941. The Black music association was created with the vision of affording Black Americans opportunities for cultural development through classical music. 1942: Hugh Mulzac becomes the first African American captain to command an integrated crew U.S. National Archives // Wikimedia Commons Hugh Mulzac, a Black member of the Merchant Marine, was offered the chance at the onset of World War II to operate his own vessel. That ship was the SS Booker T. Washington, the first Liberty ship named after an African American. Mulzac said no at first, citing Commission policies stipulating he would be commanding an all-Black crew. What followed were protests from Black organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which pressured officials to change course. Mulzac then became the first African American ship commander, doing so over an integrated crew. The milestone did little to change things long-term, however, as he found himself out of a job by the early 1950s. 1943: Detroit Race Riots Three Lions // Getty Images The great migration from South to North drove Blacks to Detroit in search for work and a better life. Despite the city having 200,000 African American residents, Black people were still treated as second-class citizens–especially where housing was concerned. When Detroit started constructing Black housing projects and factories began promoting Black workers, disgruntled whites decided to fight back against the changing times. What followed were racially motivated attacks involving more than 200 Blacks and whites, leaving 25 African Americans dead and hundreds more injured. You may also like: Cities doing the most for a clean energy future 1944: United Negro College Fund is created Bettmann // Getty Images Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, president of the Tuskegee Institute, put out a call to other leaders of historically Black colleges urging them to pool sums of money together in a fund for inbound Black college students in financial need. In the last 70 years, the fund has supported more than 400,000 students in earning college degrees. 1945: Ebony magazine debuts Bettmann // Getty Images John H. Johnson published the first issue of Ebony magazine in November 1945, heralding a new era of putting forth a positive image of Black Americans in mainstream media. A smaller news magazine called Jet was founded a few years later, in 1951. 1946: Morgan v. Virginia invalidates separate but equal on interstate bus transport Jack Delano/Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons In a case predating the Rosa Parks bus boycott, Irene Morgan was riding on a Greyhound bus and refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. Morgan was arrested but refused to plead guilty to violating Virginia’s segregation law. That move presented an opportunity for Morgan’s lawyer to argue that the law unfairly got in the way of interstate commerce. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in her favor. 1947: 16 men embark on the ‘Journey of Reconciliation’ Bettmann // Getty Images Sometimes called “the first freedom ride,” 16 Black and white men embarked on a direct-action bus trip that flipped racial structures on their heads: Black protesters sat at the front of the bus, while white protestors sat at the back. Protests like these served as a tangible representation of the power of hands-on activism. 1948: Desegregation of the US Armed Forces Toni Frissell/Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons In a step to dissolve segregated racial lines, President Harry Truman signed an executive order to integrate the U.S. Armed Forces, effectively ending segregation across the military. There was significant pushback to the order, but by the end of the Korean War, most of the military was integrated. You may also like: Space discoveries from the year you were born 1949: First Black-owned radio station doug_n // Shutterstock An accountant and professor by trade, Jesse B. Blayton Sr. made history when he founded WERD-AM in Atlanta, becoming the first Black man to own his own radio station. Blayton pioneered what he referred to as “Negro appeal” music, playing early R&B and soul cuts that didn’t get much airtime elsewhere. The radio station later became a supporter of the civil rights movement. 1950: Gregory Swanson is admitted to the University of Virginia Law School Mmw3v // Wikimedia Commons With the help of a lawsuit, Gregory Swanson became the first Black student to attend the University of Virginia Law School. This historic victory allowed Black applicants to be permitted into the other University of Virginia professional programs as well. 1951: ‘We Charge Genocide’ petition is presented to the United Nations Drop of Light // Shutterstock Created by William Patterson and the Civil Rights Congress, the “We Charge Genocide” petition suggested the United States committed genocide against African Americans based on the outlines put forth by the U.N. Genocide Convention. More than 150 hate crimes that took place over the previous six years against Black people were documented, along with nearly 350 other violent crimes against Black Americans. The document, signed by 94 individuals and prominent civil rights leaders, was presented at the United Nations Convention in Paris. 1952: Cora Brown becomes Michigan’s first Black woman elected to state senator Action Sports Photography // Shutterstock Cora Brown’s successful 1952 campaign made her the first Black woman in the U.S. elected to a state Senate seat. She served as Michigan state senator through 1956, advocating health issues, public utilities, and welfare. She became the special associate general counsel of the Post Office in 1957. 1953: Ralph Ellison wins the National Book Award for ‘Invisible Man’ United States Information Agency/PhotoQuest // Getty Images The narrator of Ralph Ellison’s timeless classic is an unnamed Black man who reflects on all the ways he is not seen by society at large. “Invisible Man” delves into many of the everyday issues facing Black men in the first half of the 20th century, from identity politics and Black nationalism to race policies and ideas about individuality. It has been reported that Hulu has plans to turn the novel into a scripted series, in large part because of the continued relevance of the work. You may also like: What marriage was like the year you were born 1954: Davis et al. v. the St. Louis Housing Authority ends racial discrimination in St. Louis Housing Authority National Archive // Newsmakers Frankie Muse Freeman served as lead attorney in the landmark Davis et al. v. the St. Louis Housing Authority case that effectively stopped segregation in St. Louis public housing. Years later, Freeman led a task force to end segregation in St. Louis public schools. 1955: Read’s Drug Store sit-ins begin Johnny Melton/Oklahoma Historical Society // Getty Images Local African American students of Morgan State College teamed up with the Committee on Racial Equality to stage a series of sit-in protests to desegregate the local lunch counter at Read’s Drug Store in Baltimore, Maryland. The peaceful, five-day protest was a success–after losing significant business, the drug store vowed to serve all customers. 1956: ‘The Nat King Cole Show’ challenges racial lines on TV William Gottlieb/LOC // Wikimedia Commons Jazz legend Nat King Cole was the first Black man to host a nationally televised show with “The Nat King Cole Show” in 1956. For a little more than a year, Cole serenaded viewers and featured top entertainers. The show ended after 13 months because advertisers were hard to come by. Cole’s programming, however, paved the way for successful nighttime series like “The Arsenio Hall Show.” 1957: Civil Rights Act of 1957 U.S. National Archives // Wikimedia Commons President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1957 to protect civil rights, specifically Black voting rights. The act also established the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department, giving federal officers the green light to prosecute those who deny or impede voter rights. 1958: Willie O’Ree is the first Black player in the National Hockey League Bettmann // Getty Images Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League, is sometimes called the “Jackie Robinson of Hockey.” O’Ree was influential in opening the doors of professional hockey to Black players, including Dustin Byfuglien, who led his team to a Stanley Cup championship in 2010. You may also like: 50 Black writers whose work went beyond the page 1959: Motown Records is founded Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images With the opening of his Detroit-based label, Berry Gordy began churning out soul hits that left lasting imprints in the hearts of Americans everywhere. Over the decades, the label would go on to produce chart-topping musicians and groups like Diana Ross, the Supremes, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. 1960: Ruby Bridges integrates Louisiana schools U.S. Department of Justice // Wikimedia Commons Six-year-old Ruby Bridges was selected by the NAACP to integrate an all-white New Orleans school. Desegregating the school was an uphill battle, as many white parents pulled their children from classes, forcing Bridges to do most of her learning alone. Over the years, many more Black students were enrolled in William Frantz Elementary School, and Bridges later graduated from an integrated high school. 1961: Whitney Young Jr. is appointed executive director of the National Urban League Yoichi Robert Okamoto // Wikimedia Commons The National Urban League experienced significant growth under the leadership of activist and educator Whitney Young Jr. Those milestones included a nearly twentyfold increase in the organization’s annual budget, becoming a full partner in the civil rights movement, and an increase in staffing from a few dozen to more than 1,000. In 1963, the NUL also hosted planning meetings for A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King Jr., and fellow civil rights leaders ahead of the March on Washington, securing the organization’s significance in the growing civil rights movement. 1962: James Meredith integrates Ole Miss campus Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons When James Meredith applied to the University of Mississippi, he was accepted. That acceptance, however, was rescinded when his race was discovered. Following 1954’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling, all schools were supposed to desegregate. As such, Meredith sued for discrimination. The Supreme Court ruled in his favor, and in October 1962, he became the first Black person to enroll at the school. 1963: ‘Letters from a Birmingham Jail’ is published Birmingham Police Department // Wikimedia Commons In April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for leading a march urging the boycotting of white stores during the Easter holiday. A statement published by The Birmingham News prompted King to write a 7,000-word response forever remembered as “Letters from a Birmingham Jail.” You may also like: 25 American folk heroes and the stories behind them 1964: Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party is established Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons The formation of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was in direct response to the all-white Mississippi Democratic Party and its control of the state’s political process. The Party advocated for Black Mississippians and their right to be included in the political process and rallied against an all-white political party in a state with a large Black population. 1965: Malcolm X assassinated Marion S. Trikosko/LOC // Wikimedia Commons Human rights activist Malcolm X committed his life to the advancement of Black people with his “by any means necessary” philosophy. After pivoting away from the Nation of Islam, he was gunned down in February 1965 by members of the same organization. The men convicted of Malcolm X’s murder, Muhammad Abdul Aziz and Khalil Islam, were exonerated from their murder convictions in 2021 after a review found the FBI and the New York Police Department withheld key evidence during the trial. 1966: Stokely Carmichael promotes ‘Black power’ Bettmann // Getty Images Civil rights activist James Meredith–the first Black student to attend the University of Mississippi–set out on a solo “Walk Against Fear” from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi, in June 1966. He was shot in Mississippi just a day into the walk and was hospitalized. Fellow activist Stokely Carmichael–along with Martin Luther King Jr., Cleveland Sellers, Allen Johnson, and several civil rights organizations–continued the march in Meredith’s name. Along the way, in Greenwood, Mississippi, Carmichael gave a speech that etched his name into Black history forever and became a slogan of resistance: “We’ve been saying ‘freedom’ for six years. What we are going to start saying now is ‘Black Power.'” 1967: Loving v. Virginia strikes down interracial marriage ban in Virginia Bettmann // Getty Images After being wed in Washington D.C., Richard and Mildred Loving were banned from Virginia as their marriage violated the state’s Racial Integrity Act. The two avoided jail time by moving to the nation’s capital. After five years of living in D.C., the interracial couple longed to return to their hometown. The American Civil Liberty Union got involved with the case, moving it all the way up to the Supreme Court. 1968: ‘Julia,’ starring Diahann Carroll, hits TV screens Bettmann // Getty Images In the groundbreaking sitcom, “Julia,” Diahann Carroll pioneers the role of Julia, a widow and nurse raising a son in the early 1970s. Carroll’s role in this series was notable in that it was one of the first television shows featuring a Black lead who wasn’t a domestic worker. You may also like: 50 famous firsts from TV history 1969: UNC food workers go on strike Laqueshia Harris // Wikimedia Commons The dining hall workers of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill went on strike, citing poor working conditions and inadequate pay for their labor. The strike, led by Mary Smith and Elizabeth Brooks, began in February and lasted until December and served as a representation of the effectiveness of peaceful protests against larger institutions. 1970: Gail Fisher wins a Primetime Emmy Bettmann // Getty Images Gail Fisher is the first African American woman to win a Primetime Emmy. The award was for her role in “Mannix,” a detective series starring Mike Connors on CBS. Later nominees to follow in her footsteps include Debbie Allen and Nell Carter. 1971: Congressional Black Caucus is formed U.S. Congress // Wikimedia Commons Made up of mostly African American members of Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus has for the last 50 years been committed to ensuring Black Americans and other marginalized members of society have equal rights and opportunities. The Caucus uses constitutional power, authority, and finances to address pressing issues like reforming the criminal justice system, voter suppression, and racial health disparities. 1972: Shirley Chisholm runs for president Thomas J. O’Halloran LOC // Wikimedia Commons Laying the groundwork for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to run for leader of the free world, Shirley Chisholm made history by being the first Black candidate of a major party in a presidential race. As a Barbadian American daughter of immigrants, Chisholm was a fiercely independent and strong thinker. Her campaign slogan, “Unbought and Unbossed,” suggested as much. 1973: Combahee River Collective is created Shalor (Wiki Ed) // Wikimedia Commons The Combahee River Collective, a political group of Black feminists and lesbians, developed in opposition to mainstream feminism that heavily favored the needs and issues of white women. The group was named after the Harriet Tubman uprising that freed more than 700 enslaved individuals. This brand of feminism championed the idea that Black women were inherently valuable and the best in terms of advocating their own liberation. You may also like: ‘I Have a Dream’ and the rest of the greatest speeches of the 20th century 1974: Henry ‘Hank’ Aaron hits his 715th home run Sporting News via Getty Images // Getty Images Hank Aaron kicked things up a notch when he hit a home run in the fourth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With that one swing, Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth’s home run record, cementing his position as one of the best in baseball. 1975: John Hope Franklin is selected as president of the Organization of American Historians Zachary Freyman // Condé Nast via Getty Images Historian and educator John Hope Franklin was the first African American to preside in the role of president of the Organization of American Historians. He held many distinctions in life and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. 1976: Barbara Jordan delivers keynote address at Democratic National Convention Brownie Harris/Corbis // Getty Images Barbara Jordan, a member of the House of Representatives, became the first Black woman to deliver a keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. Jordan’s speech is regarded as one of the best of the 20th century and is still relevant today: “We are a people in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future. We are people in search of a national community. We are a people trying not only to solve the problems of the present, unemployment, inflation, but we are attempting on a larger scale to fulfill the promise of America. We are attempting to fulfill our national purpose, to create and sustain a society in which all of us are equal.” 1977: Andrew Jackson Young Jr. becomes ambassador to the United Nations U.S. National Archives // Wikimedia Commons A former senior aide to Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young’s commitment to the civil rights movement made him a perfect candidate for ambassador to the United Nations. Young became the first African American to take on this position and served as the official representative for the Carter administration’s foreign policy program. 1978: Muhammad Ali wins heavyweight boxing title for the third time Hulton Archive // Getty Images With his defeat of Leon Spinks, Muhammad Ali became the first boxer to win the world heavyweight boxing title three times in his career. He retired just three years later, returning only briefly for select fights. His accomplishments include 56 wins and 37 knockouts–as well as years working alongside fellow civil rights activists and celebrities in their own right such as Sam Cooke, Malcolm X, and NFL star Jim Brown. You may also like: 50 Black athletes who transformed American sports 1979: Assata Shakur goes on the run Bettmann // Getty Images The revolutionary icon and former member of the Black Liberation Army Assata Shakur escaped from prison in 1979 and went off the grid before being found alive in Cuba five years later. Her initial charges (all steeped in controversy) were attempted murder, murder, bank robbery, kidnapping, and armed robbery. She was convicted of the murder of a police officer because of a loophole in New Jersey law saying it did not need to be proven that Shakur had fired a mortal shot. She was sentenced to life before her escape. She remains in Cuba, although then-President Donald Trump in 2017 said the U.S. would consider lifting new, stricter rules against visitors to Cuba if fugitives such as Shakur were returned. 1980: Robert L. Johnson launches BET Mike Theiler // Getty Images After years of working behind the scenes in cable TV, Robert L. Johnson created Black Entertainment Television, the first cable television station geared toward an African American audience. The channel was a hit, and Johnson became the first Black billionaire when he sold his company to Viacom in 2001. The BET division of Viacom today is the most widely received network for African American audiences, with the paid channel reaching over 88 million American households. 1981: Mumia Abu-Jamal is arrested Lisa Terry // Getty Images A routine traffic stop ended with the death of a police officer. Activist Mumia Abu-Jamal was arrested for the crime and put on trial for a murder he says he did not commit. This event catapulted Abu-Jamal to the forefront of a social justice movement against racial bias in the judicial system. 1982: Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is released Michael Ochs Archive // Getty Images “Thriller,” the sixth studio album by Michael Jackson, sold more than 33 million copies worldwide. “Thriller” is largely considered the best-selling record of all time. The following year, Jackson released a 13-minute music video for the title song, changing the landscape of music videos forever. 1983: Vanessa Williams is crowned Miss America Bettmann // Getty Images Then 20-year-old Vanessa Williams made history by becoming the first Black Miss America. She would go on to reign for nearly 10 months before being forced to resign the title amid a nude photo scandal. Nevertheless, her star continued to rise as she transitioned to singer and actress. You may also like: Looking back at 60 years of Barbie 1984: Jesse Jackson runs for president David Hume Kennerly // Getty Images Civil rights activist and politician Jesse Jackson became the second African American to pursue a major presidential campaign (after Shirley Chisholm), running as a Democrat. He ultimately took third place in the primaries and launched another unsuccessful bid in 1988. Despite never securing the presidential nomination, Jackson laid the foundation for the election of America’s first Black president 24 years later. 1985: MOVE Black Liberation House is bombed