January 1973

Shirley Ann Jackson becomes the first Black woman to earn a doctorate from MIT, in theoretical elementary particle physics, launching a distinguished scientific career that would later include chairmanship of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Shirley Ann Jackson becomes the first Black woman to earn a doctorate from MIT, in theoretical elementary particle physics, launching a distinguished scientific career that would later include chairmanship of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Barbara Jordan of Texas is sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Black congresswoman elected from the former Confederacy, and goes on to deliver landmark speeches during the Watergate hearings.

Barbara Jordan of Texas is sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Black congresswoman elected from the former Confederacy.

George Foreman knocks down Joe Frazier six times in two rounds in Kingston, Jamaica, to win the heavyweight championship in a shocking upset, establishing himself as the most feared heavyweight since Sonny Liston.

George Foreman knocks down Joe Frazier six times in two rounds in Kingston, Jamaica, to win the heavyweight championship in a shocking upset, establishing himself as the most feared heavyweight since Sonny Liston.

Barry White releases his debut solo album I've Got So Much to Give, establishing his distinctive orchestral soul sound and launching one of the decade's most commercially successful careers.

Shirley Chisholm publishes The Good Fight, her memoir of her 1972 presidential campaign, becoming an important document of Black feminist political activism and inspiring future generations of candidates.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund under Jack Greenberg and later Julius Chambers wins a series of major school desegregation and employment discrimination cases throughout the 1970s, building the legal infrastructure for affirmative action.

Barry White releases his debut solo album I've Got So Much to Give, establishing his distinctive orchestral soul sound and launching one of the decade's most commercially successful careers.

Pam Grier stars in Coffy, directed by Jack Hill, which becomes a major hit and establishes Grier as the first Black female action star in Hollywood, inspiring a string of subsequent films.

Pam Grier stars in Coffy, directed by Jack Hill, which becomes a major hit and establishes Grier as the first Black female action star in Hollywood, inspiring a string of subsequent films.

Black Enterprise magazine's annual ranking of the top Black-owned businesses in America, established in 1973, becomes in the 1980s the definitive measure of Black corporate achievement. During this decade the list grows dramatically as Black businesses expand in media, construction, and financial services.