Don Palabraz

Subversive Historian – 10/27/09

The National Negro Labor Council Back in the day on October 27th, 1951, the National Negro Labor Council was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio. Delegates from across the country approved a program for the newly formed organization that set out to promote civil rights within the labor movement. Labor leader William Hood delivered a speech at the [...]

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Subversive Historian – 07/30/09

The New Orleans Race Riot of 1866 Back in the day on July 30th, 1866, a race riot broke outside of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention held in New Orleans. Radical Republicans convened to amend the previous constitution of the Southern state that had failed to enfranchise blacks. They also sought to prohibit former Confederate soldiers from [...]

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Subversive Historian – 07/08/09

The Hamburg Massacre Back in the day on July 8th, 1876 an incident occurred in South Carolina that would be known to history as the ‘Hamburg Massacre.’ Days before, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of “Independence Day,” an African-American company of the state’s militia had been marching on a public street when two whites [...]

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Subversive Historian – 07/02/09

The East St. Louis Riots Back in the day on July 2nd, 1917 racist violence against African-Americans erupted in East St. Louis. Tensions had been growing in the months leading up to the one of the bloodiest race riots in U.S. history. On July 2nd, racist violence reached its cruelest crescendo as wanton rioting broke out [...]

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Subversive Historian – 06/22/09

Joe Louis Defeats Max Schmeling Back in the day on June 22nd, 1938, African-American boxer Joe Louis defeated the German pugilist Max Schmeling in a highly touted rematch. Unlike any other fight before it, the contest was imbued with racial and ideological undertones. Louis, the pride of African-Americans living in oppressive conditions in the U.S., was [...]

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