UPDATED: 3:15 p.m. Aug. 27, 2021 —

The importance of the calendar date August 28 in the context of Black history in the United States gets underscored on an annual basis, and this year is no different.

Notably, the 2021 installment of August 28 will see multiple rallies popping up in multiple cities around the country where people are expected to renew calls for voter protections that are being systematically stripped away from legally registered voters trying to cast ballots in local and national elections.

The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network is helping to coordinate the main rallies in Washington, Atlanta, Miami, Houston and Phoenix along with other cities. The rallies are being held in the spirit of the March on Washington, which was held 58 years ago in 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech.

58 years ago, Dr.King marched on Washington & shared his dream. On August 28, @NationalAction @TheRevAl will join @DrumMajorInst @WeAreMarchOn, @SEIU & @FutureCoalition to help realize his dream as we march for voting rights for all. Join us! #VotingRightsMarch pic.twitter.com/HbobnBLqOL

— NationalActionNet (@NationalAction) June 23, 2021

That is just one reason why August 28 is a date that will forever be important for Black Americans.

The day marks some extreme highs and lows in Black history: a major political win; the death of a young boy whose name has been etched into the hearts of African Americans; and one of the most iconic moments in the civil rights movement. Ava DuVernay produced a film, “August 28th,” that was shown at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016. Here’s are some snapshots of the seminal stories that give significance to this date.

Slavery Abolished In The U.K. – 1833

The Slavery Abolition Act was approved by Parliament on this day in 1833. The act abolished slavery in most British colonies, and freed more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa, as well as a small number in Canada.

Aug 28, 1833: Slavery is abolished in the U.K. This is said to contribute to the abolition of slavery in the United States #August28 pic.twitter.com/yvoQ2ATWg8

— Dr. Tameka Bradley Hobbs (@tamekahobbs) August 28, 2017

The Murder Of Emmett Till – 1955

Till, a 14-year-old boy from Chicago, was abducted by two white men and brutally murdered while visiting family in Mississippi in 1955. The young man’s life was taken by the husband of Carolyn Bryant, a white woman who said the teen made advances toward her in a grocery store. Years later, in 2017, Bryant admitted to lying in her testimony about Till.

63 years ago on this date, 14-year-old Emmett Till was abducted by two white men in Mississippi and brutally murdered. pic.twitter.com/MKPw1ZGPqn

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 28, 2018

Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have A Dream” Speech – 1963

Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at the March on Washington for jobs and freedom to a crowd of thousands in 1963. “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt,” King told the people in his address. “We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

#OTD Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his iconic I Have a Dream speech Aug 28, 1963 at the March on Washington, in which NAACP teamed with civil rights partners to gather 250k participants. See entire text of King’s speech, more: https://t.co/nviUdC9sbH | #Turnout18 pic.twitter.com/JFvwFdfM4E

— NAACP (@NAACP) August 28, 2018

Barack Obama Wins Democratic Nomination For President – 2008

Obama gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado on this date in 2008. “This moment, this moment, this election is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive,” Obama said.

Why is #GivingBlackDay on 8/28? #DYK on 8/28/2008: Then-Sen. @BarackObama accepted the Democratic nomination for president, becoming the 1st Black man to win the nomination & bid for the presidency. Support @NBCDI on 8/28/2018 at https://t.co/opjECUqNFV. pic.twitter.com/0Jgt1yCo35

— NBCDI (@NBCDI) August 21, 2018

Andrew Gillum Won The Democratic Primary For Governor of Florida

Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, became the first African American to win the Democratic primary for governor of Florida. Gillum would have became the first African American to be governor in that state but would lose to Ron DeSantis (and voter suppression). Hear him below on CNN the night he won.

Are there any other relevant August 28 milestones we missed? Let us know.

SEE ALSO:

The House Passed A Voting Rights Bill Honoring John Lewis. The Senate Needs To Take Action

Could Restoring Voting Rights to Formerly Incarcerated People Expand Number Of Black Senators?

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