Cathay Williams was the first and only known female Buffalo Soldier during the Civil War. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization, was founded in 1909; Black History Month began as “Negro History Week,” Alexa Canady became the first female African-American neurosurgeon in the United States. The month originated as a week of commemoration in 1926 founded by Carter G Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Jazz, an African–American musical form born out of the blues, ragtime and marching bands, originated in Louisiana during the turn of the 19th century. 15 Facts You Didn’t Know About Black History Month Kelly Bryant Updated: Feb. 26, 2020 In honor of Black History Month, here are some facts about black history in America that even history … Quincy Jones is the most Grammy-nominated artist in the history of the awards with 76 nominations and 26 awards. Josiah Henson fled slavery in Maryland in 1830 and later founded a settlement in Ontario, Canada, for other black citizens who had escaped, Hall-of-Famer Jackie Robinson helped establish the African American-owned and -controlled Freedom Bank, John Baxter Taylor was the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal. At a time when universities did not typically offer financial assistance to black athletes, African-American football star Ernie Davis was offered more than 50 scholarships. Scientist and mathematician Benjamin Banneker is credited with helping to design the blueprints for Washington, D.C. George Monroe and William Robinson are thought to be two of the first African Americans to work as Pony Express riders, Inventor of the three-way traffic signal, Garrett Morgan, became the first African American to own a car in Cleveland, Ohio, Satchel Paige was the first African-American pitcher to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jack Johnson was the first African-American man to hold the World Heavyweight Champion boxing title in 1908.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization, was founded in 1909, Black History Month began as “Negro History Week,”, Created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator, and publisher, February was chosen to coincide with Frederick Douglass’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, Woodson built Negro History Week around traditional days of commemorating the black past to extend public’s study of black history, The 1920s was the decade of the New Negro, the Post-War I generation with rising racial pride and consciousness, In the 1940s, efforts increased within black community to expand the study of black history in the schools, During the Civil Rights Movement in the South, some schools incorporated Black history into the curriculum with the hopes of advancing social change, As early as 1940s, blacks in West Virginia began to celebrate February as Negro History Month, Became a national  month-long celebration in 1976, Canada celebrates Black History Month in February, The  U.K. celebrates Black History Month in October, In 1739, the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina became the largest slave revolt in colonial America, The first black U.S. senator was Hiram Revels in 1870, 1 in 4 cowboys was Black, despite the stories told in popular books and movies, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space aboard the space shuttle Endeavor in 1992, Thurgood Marshall was the first African American appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Exclusive: Labour leader marks Black History Month with call for diverse school curriculum Heather Stewart Political editor Wed 30 Sep 2020 17.30 EDT Last modified on Thu 1 Oct 2020 06.14 EDT