(Photo By Flickr User Walt Jabsco)

Black History Today for February 8th:

1894- Congress repeals the Enforcement Act which makes it easier for some states to disenfranchise African American voters.

1925- Marcus Garvey entered federal prison in Atlanta, GA. Students staged strike at Fisk University (Nashville, TN) to protest policies of white administration.

1944- Harry S. McAlphin – First African-American to accredited to attend White House press conference.

1968- Officers killed three students during demonstration on the campus of South Carolina State in Orangeburg, SC. Students were protesting segregation at an Orangeburg bowling alley. Also, actor Gary Coleman  (Diff’rent Strokes, Good Times) was born in Zion, IL on this day.

1978- Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali for heavyweight boxing championship. Ali regained the title on September 15th and became the person to win the title three times.

1986- Oprah Winfrey becomes the first African-American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show. Also, Figure skater Debi Thomas became the first African-American to win the Women’s Singles of the U.S. National Figure Skating Championship competition, was a pre-med student at Stanford University.

(Courtesy Of blackfacts.com)