July 20
Frantz Fanon Born
Born July 20, 1925, Frantz Fanon's books "Black Skin, White Masks" (1952) and "The Wretched of the Earth" (1961) analyzed the psychological effects of colonialism and became foundational texts for liberation movements worldwide.
Garrett Morgan Patents Traffic Signal
On July 20, 1923, Garrett Morgan received U.S. Patent 1,475,024 for his three-position traffic signal, which added a caution position between stop and go. Morgan, who also invented an early gas mask, sold the traffic signal patent to General Electric for $40,000. His inventions saved countless lives.
First African Baptist Church Founded
Founded on July 20, 1773, the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia, is one of the oldest Black congregations in North America. The church was established by enslaved and free Blacks and served as a center of community life, education, and later civil rights organizing throughout its history.