☮️ M. Stephens

Sadie Tanner Alexander was the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. in economics (1921), the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, the first Black woman admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar, and the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

On September 23, 1955, the men accused of killing Emmett Till were acquitted by an all-white jury in Mississippi, despite overwhelming evidence. Emmett Till was just 14 years old. His death, and the outcome of the trial, became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, exposing the realities of racial injustice in the United States to a global audience. Decades later, on September 23, 2020, the case connected to the death of Breonna Taylor reached a different kind of outcome. No one was directly charged for her death, leading to widespread protests and renewed conversations about accountability, policing, and justice. These two moments, separated by 65 years, are often discussed together because they raise similar questions about how justice is applied, who it protects, and how accountability is determined. Both cases became part of larger national conversations. They led to protests, public pressure, and demands for change, showing how individual events can shape broader movements. Looking at these moments side by side highlights how history is not just about the past, but also about patterns, progress, and the work that still remains.