01of 06
Feb. 24, 1864: Rebecca Lee Crumpler Becomes First Black Woman to Receive M.D.
Born Rebecca Davis on Feb. 8, 1831, the pioneer first worked as a nurse in Charlestown, Massachusetts, before getting accepted into the New England Female Medical College, during a time when male physicians claimed that women did not have the physical strength to practice medicine, according toPBS.
02of 06
Feb. 25, 1870: Hiram Rhodes Revels Becomes First Black Congressman
Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Sept. 27, 1827, the moderate-leaning politician joined the U.S. Senate in 1870 — but not without a fight.
03of 06
Feb. 26, 1869: 15th Amendment Passes, Granting Black Men the Right to Vote
MPI/Getty
04of 06Feb. 27, 1872: Charlotte E. Ray Becomes First Black Female LawyerBorn in N.Y.C. in 1850, Ray became the first Black lawyer in the U.S. and the first practicing female lawyer in Washington, D.C., according toThe Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights.The trailblazer began teaching at Howard University in 1869 when she first got accepted into the Howard School of Law. Ray applied under the name of “C.E. Ray” because the university was reluctant to admit women at the time, according to the organization, but was able to graduate in 1872 and opened her own law practice before leaving law to teach, due to race and gender discrimination that plagued the profession.
04of 06
Feb. 27, 1872: Charlotte E. Ray Becomes First Black Female Lawyer
Born in N.Y.C. in 1850, Ray became the first Black lawyer in the U.S. and the first practicing female lawyer in Washington, D.C., according toThe Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights.
The trailblazer began teaching at Howard University in 1869 when she first got accepted into the Howard School of Law. Ray applied under the name of “C.E. Ray” because the university was reluctant to admit women at the time, according to the organization, but was able to graduate in 1872 and opened her own law practice before leaving law to teach, due to race and gender discrimination that plagued the profession.
05of 06Feb. 28, 1964: Thelonious Monk Covers TIME MagazineTIMEThe famed pianist graced the cover of TIME;the issue featured a deep dive into the jazz icon’s impact on music. The issue came out around the time the civil rights movement had started to take off and tensions between Black and White musicians were heading to a boiling point within the jazz community.“Racial woes are at the heart of much bad behavior in jazz, and the racial question is largely a confusion between life and art,” journalist Barry Farrell wrote in his essay,The Loneliest Monk. “Negroes say whites cannot play, when they mean that whites have always taken more money out of jazz than their music warranted. Whites complain of ‘Crow Jim’ when what they mean is that work is scarcer than ever - even for them. The fact is that most of the best jazz musicians are Negroes and there is very little work to go around on either side.”
05of 06
Feb. 28, 1964: Thelonious Monk Covers TIME Magazine
TIME
The famed pianist graced the cover of TIME;the issue featured a deep dive into the jazz icon’s impact on music. The issue came out around the time the civil rights movement had started to take off and tensions between Black and White musicians were heading to a boiling point within the jazz community.
“Racial woes are at the heart of much bad behavior in jazz, and the racial question is largely a confusion between life and art,” journalist Barry Farrell wrote in his essay,The Loneliest Monk. “Negroes say whites cannot play, when they mean that whites have always taken more money out of jazz than their music warranted. Whites complain of ‘Crow Jim’ when what they mean is that work is scarcer than ever - even for them. The fact is that most of the best jazz musicians are Negroes and there is very little work to go around on either side.”
06of 06Feb. 29, 1940: Hattie McDaniel Becomes First Black Actor to Win OscarHattie McDaniel.GettyThe history-making actress earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Mammy inGone with the Wind, according to theCalifornia African American Museum. After her acting career, McDaniel pivoted to radio and became the first, highest-paid Black actress to lead a national radio show.The next Black woman to win the coveted award for Best Supporting Actress would beWhoopi Goldberg for her role inGhost—almost 40 years later.
06of 06
Feb. 29, 1940: Hattie McDaniel Becomes First Black Actor to Win Oscar
Hattie McDaniel.Getty
The history-making actress earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Mammy inGone with the Wind, according to theCalifornia African American Museum. After her acting career, McDaniel pivoted to radio and became the first, highest-paid Black actress to lead a national radio show.
The next Black woman to win the coveted award for Best Supporting Actress would beWhoopi Goldberg for her role inGhost—almost 40 years later.
source: people.com
