Today in Black History: August 22nd
1791 – Haitian Revolution Began
The Haitian Revolution, starting on August 22nd 1791, was the largest and most successful slave revolt in the Western Hemisphere, leading to Haiti’s independence from France by 1803. Sparked by the French Revolution’s ideals, the revolt was driven by enslaved people in Saint Domingue, then France’s wealthiest colony.
Toussaint L’Overture led the rebellion, eventually defeating French and British forces. Despite his capture and death in France in 1803, his successor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, declared Haiti’s independence on January 1, 1804. Haiti thus became the first Black republic and the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere.
1917 – John Lee Hooker Is Born
John Lee Hooker, born August 22, 1917, near Clarksdale, Mississippi, was a Delta Blues pioneer known for his distinctive “talking blues” style. He began performing gospel at church and learned guitar from his stepfather, William Moore. Hooker moved to Memphis and Cincinnati before settling in Detroit, where he gained fame with his 1948 hit “Boogie Chillen’,” followed by hits like “Crawling King Snake.”
Though his popularity declined in the 1970s, Hooker revived his career with the 1989 album The Healer, featuring notable collaborations. This led to Grammy Awards and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1991. John Lee Hooker passed away on June 21, 2001, in Los Altos, California, survived by eight children.
1989 – Huey P. Newton Is Murdered
Born on February 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana, Huey P. Newton moved to Oakland during World War II. At Merritt College, he joined Phi Beta Sigma and met Bobby Seale, leading him to advocate for Black representation and co-found the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in 1966. As Minister of Defense, he promoted Black self-determination and led armed patrols against police.
Newton was arrested in 1967 after a police shootout, convicted of voluntary manslaughter, but later acquitted. His leadership, marked by internal purges, contributed to the Party’s decline. He fled to Cuba in 1974 to avoid charges but returned in 1976. Newton was murdered in Oakland on August 22, 1989.
