Today in Black History: December 26th
1849 – David Ruggles Passes Away
David Ruggles, born in 1810 in Norwich, Connecticut, was an abolitionist, businessman, journalist, and hydrotherapist. After moving to New York City, he opened a bookstore in 1834, becoming the first African American bookseller. He promoted abolitionist literature and fought against the American Colonization Society’s efforts to settle Black people in Liberia. Ruggles also supported the Underground Railroad, helped with legal defense for fugitive slaves, and assisted in over 300 cases in 1836.
In the 1840s, after nearly dying from poor health, Ruggles was cured by hydrotherapy. He became a successful hydropathist, with his most famous patient being abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Ruggles died on December 26, 1849, in Northampton, Massachusetts.
1908 – Jack Johnson Becomes Heavyweight Champion, Defeating Tommy Burns
Jack Johnson, born in Galveston, Texas, on March 31, 1878, was the first African American to win the heavyweight boxing championship. After leaving school to support his family, he began boxing in the 1890s. Johnson turned professional in 1897 but faced legal challenges due to Texas’s criminalization of boxing. On December 26th, 1908, he became the first African American heavyweight champion by defeating Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.
Johnson’s victory sparked a search for a “great white hope,” culminating in his 1910 defeat of Jim Jeffries in the “Battle of the Century.” Johnson faced racial backlash and legal trouble, fleeing the U.S. in 1913. He returned in 1920, was imprisoned, and later fought in exhibitions until retiring. Johnson died in 1946 after a car crash at age 68. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.
1927 – Lonnie Elder is Born
Lonnie Elder, born on December 26, 1927, in Americus, Georgia, was a playwright, screenwriter, and actor. After losing both parents at age 10, he moved to Jersey City to live with relatives. Elder pursued various jobs, including gambling and waitering, before studying acting in New York. In 1959, he debuted on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun and later wrote his own play, Ceremonies of Dark Old Men, which debuted in 1969.
Elder later transitioned to screenwriting, writing films such as Melinda (1972) and Sounder (1972). Despite facing resistance from Hollywood over his efforts to challenge racial stereotypes, he continued to write, including the 1990 play King. Elder passed away on June 1, 1996, in Los Angeles at age 69.
