7 Little-Known Black History Facts

7 Little-Known Black History Facts

7 Little-Known Black History Facts 1.

Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, survived multiple assassination attempts when she ran for President of the United States.

2.

John Baxter Taylor was the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal.

3.

Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" was originally published as a poem by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish school teacher.

4.

Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Oscar, wasn't allowed to attend the premiere of 'Gone with the Wind.'

5.

Phillis Wheatley was 12 years old when she became the first published African American female author.

6.

Famed entertainer Josephine Baker worked as a French Resistance spy during World War II.

7.

Black History Month was decreed a national observance in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.