Black History 365 | # 56 Timbuktu

Did you know Africa in the 14th century was an educational hub for the world? When the European Renaissance was starting, Timbuktu was already booming as a cultural, religious haven with high literacy. There were as many as 80 large private libraries. During the beginning of Europe’s medieval times, Africa had manuscripts that included poetry by women, legal reflections, and scientific treatises — reshaping civilizations throughout the world.

Black History 365 | # 55 Harriet Tubman

Did you know Harriet Tubman carried a small pistol with her on her rescue missions, mostly for protection from slave catchers, but also to encourage weak-hearted runaways from turning back and risking the safety of the rest of the group.

Black History 365 | #52 Frantz Fanon

Frantz Fanon was a psychiatrist and anti-colonial cultural theorist. He enrolled in the University of Lyon where he studied psychiatry. With this degree, Fanon applied psychiatric theories to his personal experiences as a Europeanized West Indian. This application is seen in his published book, Peau noire, masques blancs (Black Skin, White Masks). His subsequent books, Studies in a Dying Colonialism and The Wretched of the Earth, would give a voice to the Third World liberation struggles of that time. With as varied disciplines as psychology, sociology, economics and politics, all of Fanon’s works grapple with social justice and racism on an internal level as well as in the interaction between the colonizers and colonized.

Black History 365 | # 51 - The Dap

Black service members in Vietnam developed the dap, a combination of hand and body gestures as a nonverbal form of communication. The dap could be as simple as tapping fists and shaking hands or as complex as dozens of gestures with the hands punctuated by slapping chests. Whatever the elements, the dap—an acronym for “dignity and pride”—was a symbol of solidarity and survival, an expression of black consciousness and a commitment to look after each other on the battlefield and in camp.

Black History 365 | #50 - The Coloured Hockey League

Did you know the first organized hockey league was for and by black people? Yes Canada’s first organized hockey league was The Coloured Hockey League formed by original teams like Africville Sea-Slides, The Halifax Eurekas, The Dartmouth Jubilees, and The Halifax Stanley. It was formed in 1895-1930, pre-dating the formation of the NHL by more than 20 years. It has been kept a secret for century and some change. CRAZY!