1970

Earl G. Graves Sr. founds Black Enterprise magazine, which becomes the premier publication covering Black business, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation, including the influential annual Black Enterprise 100 list of top Black-owned companies.

James Cone publishes A Black Theology of Liberation, the foundational text of Black liberation theology arguing that the gospel demands liberation of the oppressed, profoundly influencing Black church thought and seminary curricula worldwide.

James Cone publishes A Black Theology of Liberation, the foundational text of Black liberation theology arguing that the gospel demands liberation of the oppressed, profoundly influencing Black church thought and seminary curricula worldwide.

Essence magazine launches its first issue in May 1970, founded by Edward Lewis, Clarence Smith, Jonathan Blount, and Cecil Hollingsworth. It becomes the dominant lifestyle and culture magazine for Black American women.

Toni Morrison's debut novel "The Bluest Eye" introduced one of the most powerful voices in American literature, exploring the internalized racism faced by a young Black girl in Depression-era Ohio. The novel established Morrison's unflinching examination of race, beauty, and trauma that would define her career.

George Jackson's prison letters, published as Soledad Brother, become a bestseller and galvanize the prison reform movement, bringing national attention to conditions in California's prisons and the criminalization of Black political dissent.

The Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast for Children program operates at its peak in 1970, feeding tens of thousands of children daily across major cities and influencing the federal school breakfast program.

The Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast for Children program operates at its peak in 1970, feeding tens of thousands of children daily across major cities and influencing the federal school breakfast program.

Nikki Giovanni releases a combined edition of her first two poetry collections, which had already sold over 100,000 copies without major publisher support, establishing her as a leading voice of the Black Arts Movement.

Following the 1968-69 student activism, Black Studies departments are established at over one hundred American universities by 1970, institutionalizing the academic study of African American history, culture, and politics.

George Jackson's prison letters, published as Soledad Brother, become a bestseller and galvanize the prison reform movement, bringing national attention to conditions in California's prisons and the criminalization of Black political dissent.

Nikki Giovanni releases a combined edition of her first two poetry collections, which had already sold over 100,000 copies without major publisher support, establishing her as a leading voice of the Black Arts Movement.

Following 1968-69 student activism, Black Studies departments are established at over one hundred American universities by 1970, institutionalizing the academic study of African American history, culture, and politics.

Gordone's play about a Harlem bar run by a Black man dreaming of criminal power, developed at the New York Shakespeare Festival, won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Drama — making Gordone the first Black playwright to win the award.

The Jackson 5, led by teenage prodigy Michael Jackson, released four consecutive number-one singles beginning with "I Want You Back" in 1969 and continuing with "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" through 1970. The feat was unprecedented in pop music history and announced a generation-defining Black musical family to the world.

Miles Davis releases the double album Bitches Brew, a landmark fusion of jazz and rock that redefined both genres and became one of the best-selling jazz albums ever made.

Earl G. Graves Sr. launched Black Enterprise magazine in August 1970, creating the first publication dedicated to Black business ownership, wealth building, and professional achievement. The magazine became the definitive chronicle of Black economic power in America, publishing the annual BE 100s list of the largest Black-owned businesses and serving as a roadmap for Black entrepreneurship for over five decades.

Amiri Baraka publishes It's Nation Time, a poetry collection advocating Black nationalism that epitomizes his period of Black cultural nationalism and was widely circulated at political gatherings.

Amiri Baraka publishes It's Nation Time, a poetry collection advocating Black nationalism that epitomizes his period of Black cultural nationalism and was widely circulated at political gatherings.

Sonia Sanchez publishes We a BaddDDD People, a collection of poetry using Black vernacular speech and innovative typography to celebrate Black identity and challenge white supremacy, a landmark of the Black Arts Movement.

Sonia Sanchez publishes We a BaddDDD People, a collection of poetry that uses Black vernacular speech and innovative typography to celebrate Black identity and challenge white supremacy, a landmark of the Black Arts Movement.

Diana Ross performs her final concert with the Supremes and embarks on a solo career that produces major hits and movie roles, launching one of the decade's most prominent entertainment careers.

Diana Ross performs her final concert with the Supremes and embarks on a solo career that produces major hits and movie roles, while Jean Terrell takes over lead vocal duties in a restructured group.

Kenneth Gibson became the first Black mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and the first Black mayor of a major Northeastern US city. His election was a landmark in urban Black political power and came just three years after the Newark riots.

Charles Rangel wins the Democratic primary in Harlem against the legendary but embattled Adam Clayton Powell Jr., beginning a congressional career that would span over four decades.

Becomes the first Black playwright to win the drama Pulitzer.