1875 – Mary McLeod Bethune Is Born
Mary McLeod Bethune, born on July 10th, 1875 to formerly enslaved parents, was a visionary educator and activist. In 1904, she founded a school for Black girls in Florida with just $1.50, which later became Bethune-Cookman College.
Beyond education, Bethune shaped national policy as advisor to President Roosevelt and founder of the National Council of Negro Women. Her lifelong fight for racial justice and youth empowerment made her a key architect of 20th-century civil rights.
1941 – Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton Passes Away
Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton, born in 1885 in Gulfport, Mississippi, was a trailblazing jazz pianist and composer. Raised in a Creole family, he began performing in nightclubs as a teen and gained fame for early compositions like “King Porter Stomp.”
Leading his band, the Red Hot Peppers, Morton recorded extensively in the 1920s. Despite personal struggles and a fatal stabbing in 1939, he never fully recovered, which led to his passing on July 10th, 1941. His music lives on through Library of Congress recordings.
1943 – Arthur Ashe Is Born
Arthur Ashe, born on July 10th, 1943, was the first Black man to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, breaking racial barriers in tennis while championing civil rights and youth education. He co-founded the USTA’s National Junior Tennis League and opposed apartheid globally.
After retiring, Ashe became a writer and AIDS activist following his HIV diagnosis. He died in 1993 and was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a stadium named in his memory.
