November in African American History

November 29 ~ Granville T. Woods patented his most famous invention, the Railway Induction Telegraph System, on this day in 1887. The Induction Telegraph helped reduce train collisions.

Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court judge, was born on this day in 1908.

By Tiffani Addison

November in African American History

November 5 ~ In 1836 Theo Wright became the first black person in the U.S. to obtain a theology degree.

In 1926 Carter G. Woodson initiated Negro History Week.

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. A Democrat, she represented the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. In 1972 she became the first African American woman to run for president with a major political party. Aware that she would not win the nomination, Chisholm explained her motivation for entering the race. "The next time a woman of whatever color, or a dark-skinned person of whatever sex aspires to be president, the way should be a little smoother because I helped pave it."

In 1974 George Brown of Colorado became the first African American lieutenant govenor in the U.S.

By Tiffani Addison