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History doesn’t just live in textbooks—it breathes through the days we live and the anniversaries we remember. Every week, milestones in Black history echo with the stories of resistance, brilliance, and community that continue to shape our world today. From landmark legal victories to bold acts of protest, the second week of July has no shortage of powerful moments. Here’s your recap.
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📅 July 9, 1868 – The 14th Amendment Is Ratified
On this day, the United States formally adopted the 14th Amendment, a transformative (though hard-fought) step toward racial justice. Designed in the ashes of the Civil War, the amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the U.S.—which included formerly enslaved individuals—and promised "equal protection under the law."
While implementation was (and still is) riddled with inequality, this legal backbone laid the groundwork for every civil rights case that followed, including Brown v. Board of Education and beyond.
👩🏽🏫 July 10, 1875 – Mary McLeod Bethune Is Born
Educator. Organizer. Presidential advisor. On July 10, we celebrate the birth of Mary McLeod Bethune, a towering figure in American education and civil rights. Born to formerly enslaved parents in South Carolina, Bethune would go on to found the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls—later known as Bethune-Cookman University.
She was also the only Black woman present at the founding of the United Nations and advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his “Black Cabinet.” Her legacy lives on in every student who dares to dream beyond their station.
🗣 July 11, 1905 – The Niagara Movement Is Formed
At a time when racial inequality was largely tolerated—even codified—by American society, a group of Black intellectuals, led by W.E.B. Du Bois, met in Ontario to challenge the status quo. What emerged was the Niagara Movement, a precursor to the NAACP and one of the first organized calls for full civil liberties and an end to racial segregation.
The movement’s boldness set it apart. In a time dominated by Booker T. Washington’s accommodationist approach, the Niagara group demanded justice—not someday, but now.
🔥 July 13, 1967 – The Newark Rebellion Begins
Sparked by reports of police brutality against Black cab driver John Smith, the Newark Rebellion erupted into five days of protest and unrest. Twenty-six people were killed, hundreds were injured, and the event exposed the deep fractures in America’s urban centers—poverty, police violence, and systemic neglect.
The Newark uprising was part of a larger wave of resistance in the late 1960s, signaling that civil rights legislation wasn’t enough—economic and social justice had to follow.
🎯 Closing Thoughts
These moments aren’t just history—they’re reminders. That change is fought for. That progress is hard-won. That every generation has its own civil rights frontier. Whether it’s through constitutional amendments, classrooms, protest marches, or international diplomacy, Black Americans have continually pushed this country closer to its ideals.
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✊🏾 Stay cool. Stay curious.
— Gio