This Week in History, July 25-31: Contributions of African-Americans

Note: Here, learn about some of the African-Americans who have influenced history and contributed to the culture we now enjoy. To learn more about each individual, click on that person's name. Information for "This Week in History" is taken from the African American Registry. July 25 On this day in 1903, African-American newspaper mogul Cecil Newman was born. The editor and publisher of the Minneapolis Spokesman and the St. Paul Recorder, he was also the first Black president of the Minneapolis Urban League. For more than fifty years, his influence shaped opportunities for Blacks throughout the entire state of Minnesota. July 26 On this day we celebrate the lives of Ellen and William Craft, whose escape from slavery was one of the most remarkable escapes ever recorded. The couple is known for William's autobiographical slave narrative, which describes the dramatic escape. July 27 On this day in 1884, newspaper publisher P.B. Young, Sr., was born. During his 50-year tenure as owner of the Norfolk Journal and Guide, the newspaper became the largest-selling Black newspaper in the South and one of the most influential Black newspapers in the United States. He served on the President's Commission on Fair Employment Practices and was on the board of several prominent Black universities. July 28 On this day in 1855, the USS Constellation was commissioned. Now housed in the Baltimore Harbor, it is the last surviving battleship of the Civil War and was instrumental in fighting the African-American slave trade. July 29 On this day in 1805, French journalist and abolitionist writer Alexis de Tocqueville was born. Frequently quoted by today's journalists and politicians, he wrote about American slavery at the height of America's slave trade movement. July 30 On this day in 1883, Elizabeth Ross Haynes was born. A persuasive advocate of job training and improved social conditions and services for urban Black workers, she was the first Black person to serve on the YWCA national board. July 31 On this day in 1844, African-American soldier Henry V. Plummer was born. Following his honorable discharge from service in the Civil War and his seminary graduation, he became the first Black chaplain in the United States Army.