1831 – Lucy Stanton Day Sessions Is Born
Lucy Stanton Day Sessions, born free in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 16, 1831, was the first African American woman to complete a college-level course, graduating from Oberlin College in 1850. Her stepfather, abolitionist John Brown, helped establish Cleveland’s first school for Black children.
An educator, writer, and activist, Stanton became the first African American to publish a short story in 1854. She later taught freed people in the South and continued her advocacy until her death in 1910.
1833 – Ebenezer Bassett Is Born
Ebenezer D. Bassett, born in Connecticut on October 16, 1833, became the first African American diplomat when President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him U.S. Minister to Haiti in 1869. An educator and abolitionist, he had previously served as principal of Philadelphia’s Institute for Colored Youth and worked to recruit Black soldiers during the Civil War.
During his eight-year post, Bassett upheld justice amid Haiti’s civil unrest. His bravery in protecting political refugee General Pierre Canal cemented his legacy as a principled and pioneering diplomat.
1995 – The Million Man March Took Place
On October 16, 1995, nearly 850,000 African American men gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the Million Man March—one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history. Organized by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, the march called for unity, responsibility, and the rebuilding of Black communities.
Speakers including Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, and Maya Angelou inspired men to uplift families, reject violence, and register to vote. Following the march, over 1.5 million Black men registered to vote nationwide.