1976

Alex Haley's "Roots" traced his family's lineage from Africa through American slavery and won the Pulitzer Prize Special Award in 1977. The book sparked an unprecedented national interest in genealogy and African American heritage, becoming one of the best-selling books in American publishing history.

Barbara Jordan becomes the first Black woman to deliver the keynote address at a major party's national convention, electrifying delegates at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.

Physicist Shirley Ann Jackson conducted theoretical research at Bell Laboratories in the 1970s on subatomic particles and condensed matter that laid the scientific groundwork for the portable fax machine, touch-tone telephone, solar cells, and fiber optic cables. Her career bridged fundamental physics and transformative technology.

Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha, composed in 1911, receives its first full professional production in 1975 followed by a Pulitzer Prize for Music awarded posthumously to Joplin in 1976, a historic reclamation of a lost Black artistic masterwork.

Richard Pryor releases Bicentennial Nigger, another Grammy-winning comedy album that skewers American racial history on the eve of the nation's bicentennial with devastating wit and honesty.

Richard Pryor releases Bicentennial Nigger, a Grammy-winning comedy album that skewers American racial history on the eve of the nation's bicentennial with devastating wit and honesty.

Edwin Moses wins the 400-meter hurdles gold medal at the Montreal Olympics, setting a world record. He goes on to an extraordinary unbeaten streak of 122 consecutive races spanning a decade.

Sugar Ray Leonard wins the light welterweight boxing gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, launching a professional career that would make him one of boxing's all-time greats.

Brothers Leon and Michael Spinks both win gold medals in boxing at the Montreal Olympics, the only sibling pair to accomplish this feat, signaling a new generation of Black boxing talent.

Brothers Leon and Michael Spinks both win gold medals in boxing at the Montreal Olympics, the only sibling pair to accomplish this feat, signaling a new generation of Black boxing talent.

Ntozake Shange's choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf opened on Broadway on September 15, 1976, becoming a landmark of Black feminist theater. The work, performed by seven Black women, used poetry and movement to explore the violence, joy, and resilience of Black womanhood, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. It remains a touchstone for generations of Black women writers and performers.

Ntozake Shange's choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf opens on Broadway, the first Broadway production written by a Black woman in decades, running for over 700 performances.

Ntozake Shange's choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf opens on Broadway, the first Broadway production written by a Black woman in decades, running for over 700 performances and receiving Tony nominations.

This double album is widely considered one of the greatest albums ever recorded, showcasing Wonder's mastery of composition, production, and social commentary. It debuted at number one and won the Grammy Album of the Year, capping a run of five consecutive masterpiece albums that remains unmatched in pop music history.

Stevie Wonder releases Songs in the Key of Life, a sprawling double album widely regarded as one of the greatest albums ever recorded, winning its third consecutive Grammy Album of the Year.

Stevie Wonder releases Songs in the Key of Life, a sprawling double album widely regarded as one of the greatest albums ever recorded, winning its third consecutive Grammy Album of the Year.

Reggie Jackson hits three home runs on three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, one of the most iconic individual performances in baseball history, earning the nickname Mr. October.

Alice Coltrane releases Eternity on Warner Bros., one of several remarkable albums of spiritual jazz incorporating Indian classical music and Vedantic philosophy that she created in this period, expanding the spiritual dimensions of jazz.

Teddy Pendergrass leaves Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes to launch a solo career, quickly becoming one of the top-selling soul artists of the late 1970s and a major sex symbol whose concerts were famous for women-only sections.

Alice Coltrane releases Eternity on Warner Bros., one of several remarkable albums of spiritual jazz incorporating Indian classical music and Vedantic philosophy, expanding the spiritual dimensions of jazz as a uniquely Black American art form.

Teddy Pendergrass leaves Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes to launch a solo career, quickly becoming one of the top-selling soul artists of the late 1970s.

Franco Harris rushes for 82 yards as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X, part of a dynasty that would win four Super Bowls in six years and featured multiple Hall of Fame Black players.

Lynn Swann wins the Super Bowl X MVP award with four catches for 161 yards including a leaping 53-yard touchdown reception, with catches so acrobatic they transformed the wide receiver position.

Marvin Gaye releases I Want You, produced by Leon Ware, a lush sophisticated soul album that further cemented his reputation as a studio auteur.

Alice Walker's novel "Meridian" explored the civil rights movement through the perspective of a young Black woman grappling with questions of activism, sacrifice, and identity. The novel established Walker as a major literary voice and prefigured the feminist and womanist themes she would develop in "The Color Purple."

Gordon Parks directs Leadbelly, a biographical film about the legendary blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, continuing his path as one of the few major Black film directors working in Hollywood with serious biographical and dramatic material.

At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Black American women dominate track and field events, with athletes including Evelyn Ashford beginning her rise to prominence, continuing a tradition of excellence that stretches from Wilma Rudolph.

What's Happening!! premieres on ABC, becoming a popular sitcom focused on Black teenage life in Los Angeles and adding another major Black-led show to the network prime-time lineup.

What's Happening!! premieres on ABC, becoming a popular sitcom focused on Black teenage life in Los Angeles and adding another major Black-led show to the network prime-time lineup.