-ously awarded Fannie Lou Hammer the Presidential Medal of Freedom. #blackhistoryguardiansbirthdays #fannielouhamer

African-Americans in Mississippi to become registered voters, and aided hundreds of disenfranchised people in her area through her work in programs such as the Freedom Farm Cooperative. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. On January 4, 2025, President Joe Biden posthum-

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She was called “The Black Garbo.” Nina Mae McKinney dazzled Hollywood, Broadway, and beyond—yet her story was nearly erased. Watch as African American History Is AMERICAN History restores the legacy of this forgotten Black star.

and the psychological effects of integration; she was an advocate of African-American students being segregated and educated by African-American teachers.

she was the first African-American woman to guest host “The Tonight Show starring Jonny Carson”. Her career spanned for 70 years in music, television and film!

In the late 1970s, she and her husband launched hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records, named after an affluent African-American neighborhood in Harlem. This label produced “Rappers Delight” thus jumpstarting and influencing hip-hop and rap as we know it today. #blackhistoryguardians

California during the Gold Rush Era. There, she also won several civil rights cases in court. She often used passing as white to gain financial tips, which ultimately made her wealthy. Although her life didn’t end as uphill as it was lived, this mysterious woman made an impact in black history!