Today in Black History: April 24th
1919 – David Harold Blackwell Is Born
David Harold Blackwell, born on April 24, 1919, was a groundbreaking mathematician and the first African American elected to the National Academy of Sciences. A math prodigy from a young age, he earned his Ph.D. at 22 and overcame racial barriers, including a rejected Princeton appointment later reversed.
Blackwell taught at Howard and UC Berkeley, led departments, and co-authored Theory of Games and Statistical Decisions. He died in 2010 at age 91.
1944 – The United Negro College Fund Is Founded
Founded on April 24, 1944 by Frederick Patterson and Mary McLeod Bethune, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) aimed to support financially struggling HBCUs and increase access to higher education for Black students. Early backers included FDR and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the slogan “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” became iconic.
Under Vernon Jordan’s leadership, UNCF expanded outreach and launched fundraising efforts like Lou Rawls’s telethon. Now rebranded as UNCF, it supports diverse underrepresented students and funds 39 institutions and thousands of scholars annually.
1993 – Oliver Tambo Passes Away
Oliver Tambo, born in 1917 in South Africa, was a founding member of the ANC Youth League and a lifelong anti-apartheid activist. A teacher and lawyer, he partnered with Nelson Mandela to fight injustice. Forced into exile in 1960, Tambo led the ANC abroad, lobbying globally against apartheid.
His efforts influenced U.S. sanctions and helped pave the way for Mandela’s 1994 election. Tambo died on April 24, 1993; Johannesburg’s main airport honors his legacy.
