Today in Black History: September 19th
1865 – Atlanta University Founded
Atlanta University, established on September 19, 1865, was the oldest predominantly African American graduate school and had notable faculty including W.E.B. Du Bois. Clark College, founded in 1869 by the Freedman’s Aid Society, joined the Atlanta University System in the 1930s. Clark Atlanta University (CAU), founded in 1988 through the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University, is a private historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is the largest UNCF college. CAU presently offers undergraduate through doctoral programs and has a diverse student body, with strong programs in Business, Media, and Social Work. It is a Research University/High Research Activity institution, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
1945 – Donna Marie Christensen Is Born
Donna Marie Christian-Christensen, born September 19, 1945, in Teaneck, New Jersey, is the non-voting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Congress. She earned a B.S. from St. Mary’s College and an M.D. from George Washington University. She began her medical career in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1975, serving as an emergency room physician, medical director, and Commissioner of Health, while also maintaining a private practice and working as a TV journalist. In politics, she has been a Democratic National Committeewoman, served on the Virgin Islands Board of Education, and was on the Virgin Islands Status Commission. Elected as a non-voting delegate in 1996, she serves on several congressional committees and caucuses. Christensen is married with four children.
1964 – Rev. Joseph Jackson Gives “The Vote is the Only Effective Weapon in the Civil Rights Struggle” Address
Rev. Joseph Jackson, long-time pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, and President of the National Baptist Convention from 1953 to 1982 became the leading spokesperson for the black conservative opposition to the direct action civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King and other leaders. In this address at the National Baptist Convention’s 84th annual meeting held in Detroit, on September 19, 1964, he outlines why he feels that obtaining and using the vote are the only necessary actions to bring about racial equality in the United States.
