1937 – William Hastie Becomes First Black Federal Judge
On this day in 1937, William H. Hastie Jr. became the nation’s first Black Federal Judge after being appointed to the Federal District Court in the Virgin Islands. Born in 1904 in Knoxville, Tennessee but raised in Washington, D.C., Hastie’s education included Amherst College and Harvard University Law School, with faculty positions at both Harvard and Howard University. He served as a judge for two years before resigning and later becoming Governor of the Virgin Islands, the first African American to hold such a title in U.S. territory. In 1949, Hastie was confirmed as Judge of the Third United States Circle Court of Appeals, the highest judicial position held by a Black person of the time.
1962 – Augusta Savage Passes Away
Sculptor, arts educator, and activist Augusta Savage passed away on March 26, 1962. As a sculptor during the Harlem Renaissance, Savage exhibited in many galleries and had numerous commissions, including busts of African American leaders, W.E.B DuBois and Marcus Garvey. In addition to her talents, she founded the Savage School of Arts, became the first African American woman to be apart of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors, served as president of the Harlem Artist Guild, and opened the Salon of Contemporary Negro Art, the first gallery for the exhibition of Black art works.
