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46 Black Facts for 1956

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Patrick, Deval L. (1956 - )

Deval L. Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts was elected in 2006. He became at that time only the second African American elected as a state Governor in the history of the United States. Patrick was born on July 31, 1956 in Chicago to Laurdine Pat Patrick and Emily Mae Wintersmith, and raised in

Source: Black Past

Jul

31

1956

Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is a retired professional boxer who has a boxing record of 36 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Leonard was the first ever boxer to win more than a hundred million dollars in purses, owing to his world titles in five separate weight divisions and high profile fights with Wilfred

Source: Black History Resources

May

17

1956

Birmingham Blacks / Jim Crow Bus Laws

Birmingham Blacks began mass defiance of Jim Crow bus laws.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Dec

26

1956

Home of Martin Luther King Jr

Home of Martin Luther King Jr. Montgomery bus boycott leader bombed.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jan

30

1956

Warren Moon is a retired football player, who played for the Canadian and American football leagues. He was born in Los Angeles, California on November 18, 1956 and was the only brother of 6 sisters. His father was a laborer who died of liver disease when Warren was a young child and his mother was

Source: Black History Resources

Nov

18

1956

Mae Jemison: Astronaut, Physician

Born: October 17, 1956

Source: Blackfacts.com

Oct

17

1956

Gatson, Dewey (AKA Rajo Jack DeSoto) (1905-1956) - Death

Rajo Jack died in California on February 27, 1956 from heart failure suffered while on Highway 395 near Inyokern.

Source: Black Past

Feb

27

1956

Clifford Brown dies

Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown dies in an auto accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Founder of the Brown-Roach Quintet with Max Roach two years earlier, Brown had built a reputation as one of the finest jazz trumpeters of his day as a major proponent of hard bop.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jun

26

1956

A Brief History of Sudan - Part One

Early History of the Region

Source: ThoughtCo

Jan

1

1956

White mob prevented enrollment of students

White mob prevented enrollment of students at Mansfield High School, Mansfield, Texas.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Aug

30

1956

Clay, William Lacy, Jr. (1956- )

William Lacy Clay, Jr. is the son of former Missouri Congressman William L. Clay Sr., and now holds his father’s former seat in the House of Representatives. Clay was born on July 27, 1956 in St. Louis, Missouri, and was educated in the Silver Springs public schools of Maryland and at the

Source: Black Past

Jul

27

1956

Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard born

Sugar Ray Leonard

Source: Blackfacts.com

May

17

1956

Montgomery Buses segregated

Federal court ruled that racial segregation on Montgomery city buses violated Constitution.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jun

5

1956

Civil Rights Movement

On this day the African American community of Montgomery, Alabama voted unanimously to end its 385 day bus-boycott.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Dec

20

1956

Black Students Barred From School

Black students entered Clay, Ky., elementary school under National Guard protection. They were barred from the school on September 17.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Sep

12

1956

Demonstrations Against School Integration

Tennessee National Guard sent to Clinton, Tenn., to quell mobs demonstrating against school integration.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Sep

2

1956

Anita Hill - Birthday

She was born on July 30, 1956 in Oklahoma and was the youngest of 13 children born to Albert and Erma Hill.

Source: Black History Resources

Jul

30

1956

Mae Jemison is an American Physician and a former NASA Astronaut. Jemison is the first African American woman to travel in

Source: Black History Resources

Oct

17

1956

Segreagation Denounced in public schools

Through 12th Manifesto denouncing Supreme Cout ruling on segregation in public schools issued by one hundred Southern senators and representatives.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Mar

11

1956

Sam Langford: History’s Forgotten Boxer

Sports historian Clay Moyle describes Canadian-born Sam Langford as one of the most successful and yet little known boxers of the 20th Century. In the excerpt below, drawn from his recently publisher book titled Sam Langford: Boxing’s Greatest Uncrowned Champion, Moyle makes his case for that

Source: Black Past

Jan

12

1956

Washington, Maurice E. (1956- )

Maurice E. Washington is a Reno, Nevada businessman and pastor who is best known as a former Republican member of the Nevada State

Source: Black Past

Jul

25

1956

Barclay, Paris K.C. (1956- )

Paris K.C. Barclay is an award-winning American television director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. In 2013, he broke new ground when he was named President of the Directors Guild of America, making him the first out gay male and the first African American to hold the

Source: Black Past

Jun

30

1956

Supreme Court upheld lower court decision which

Supreme Court upheld lower court decision which banned segregation on city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Federal injunctions prohibiting segregation on the buses were served on city, state and bus company officials, December 20. At two mass meetings Montgomery Blacks called off year-long bus

Source: Blackfacts.com

Nov

13

1956

Spingarn Medal: Jackie Robinson

Spingarn Medal awarded Jack Roosevelt (Jackie) Robinson, first Black in the major leagues, for his conduct on and off the baseball field.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Dec

27

1956

Morocco Independence

Morocco becomes Independent. Morocco as an independent state has been in existence since 788 AD, when Idris I was proclaimed King at Volubilis. Today, Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. King Hassan II came to the throne in 1961. A descendant of the Prophet, he is also the commander of the

Source: Blackfacts.com

Mar

2

1956

Bus boycott began in Tallahassee, Florida

Bus boycott began in Tallahassee, Florida.

Source: Blackfacts.com

May

30

1956

U of Alabama First Black Student

Autherine J. Lucy becomes the first black student to attend the University of

Source: Blackfacts.com

Feb

3

1956

School Integration

Louisville, Ky., public schools integrated.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Sep

10

1956

Home of Rev. F.L. Shuttlesworth

Home of Rev. F.L. Shuttlesworth, Birmingham protest leader, destroyed by dynamite bomb.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Dec

25

1956

Fattah, Chaka (1956 - ) - Birthday

Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah was born Arthur Davenport on November 21, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Source: Black Past

Nov

21

1956

Jarrett, Valerie (1956- ) - Birthday

Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama, was born on November 14, 1956.

Source: Black Past

Nov

14

1956

Christopher Darden was born April 8, 1956. He was a prosecuting attorney in O.J. Simpsons murder trial. Christopher left the District Attorneys office to continue teaching law and later began an acting career.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Apr

8

1956

Bus Boycott Ended

When the bus boycott ended on this say, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. were national heros, and the Supreme Court had ruled that segregation on city buses was unconstitutional.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Dec

21

1956

Death of pianist Art Tatum

Death of pianist Art Tatum (46), Los Angeles.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Nov

5

1956

First black late-night talk show host in history.

In 1956, the first black late-night talk show host in history, Arsenio hall was born.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Feb

12

1956

First International Conference

First international conference of Black writes and artists met at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Sep

19

1956

Nat Cole Attacked

Singer Nat King Cole attacked on stage of Birmingham theater by whites who were very intelligent.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Apr

11

1956

Physician Bernard A. Harris, Jr is born

Physician Bernard A. Harris, Jr was born in

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jun

26

1956

David Adkins Sinbad was born on November 18, 1956. As a child, he was the consummate jovial jokester, performing constantly for his three brothers and two sisters.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Nov

18

1956

Shirley, George Irving (1934- )

George Shirley is an educator, lecturer, and internationally acclaimed tenor whose leading roles in 28 operas with the Metropolitan Opera (“Met”) for 11 seasons helped push open doors on operatic stages for many African American tenors. In 1956 Shirley became the first African American

Source: Black Past

Jun

24

1956

Federal Judge Dozier Devane granted temporary

Federal Judge Dozier Devane granted temporary injunction restraining city officials from interfering with integration of Tallahassee, Fla., city buses and said every segregation act of every state or city is as dead as a doornail.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Dec

27

1956

First Black to Sing a Romantic Lead

The first Black to sing a romantic lead at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City was Mattiwilda Dobbs as Gilda in Rigoletto.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Nov

9

1956

Nat King Cole was the first black performer to host his own tv show.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Oct

3

1956

Luter, Fred Jr. (1956- ) - Birthday

African American First Vice President and President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), was born on November 11, 1956.

Source: Black Past

Nov

11

1956

Montel Williams

TV talk show host Montel Williams is born.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jul

3

1956

Sudan proclaimed independent

Sudan proclaimed independent.

Source: Blackfacts.com

Jan

1

1956

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