From Civil Rights to Culture: July 23–29 in Black History

This Week in Black History: July 23–29: July 23 marks the start of the first Pan-African Conference in 1900, held in London. Visionaries like W.E.B. DuBois and H. Sylvester Williams gathered to promote civil rights, Black unity, and liberation from colonialism. In 1948, the Progressive Party nominated Henry Wallace for president at its convention in Philadelphia. The event drew more than 150 Black delegates demanding an end to segregation and access to universal healthcare—ideas that later shaped Democratic platforms. Also on this date, in 1984, Vanessa Williams resigned as Miss America after a photo scandal, yet overcame controversy to become a Grammy-nominated singer and actress.July 24 in 1651 saw Anthony Johnson, a formerly enslaved man, receive 250 acres in Virginia, becoming one of the first wealthy Black landowners in the U.S. French literary icon Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, was born in 1802. In 1904, acclaimed African-born actor Ira Aldridge passed away after a celebrated Shakespearean career.July 25 highlights inventor Garrett T. Morgan, who captured national attention for creating the first gas mask—paving the way for future safety innovations in America.