January 17

On January 17, 1920, the National Prohibition Act, commonly known as the Volstead Act, enforced the Eighteenth Amendment, banning the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages in the United States. What began as a moral and social reform quickly gave rise to a thriving underground economy of bootleggers and speakeasies. Federal agents struggled to curb illegal production and distribution amid widespread public resistance. Organized crime syndicates capitalized on the black market for liquor. The era saw dramatic shifts in American nightlife, entertainment, and law enforcement priorities. Prohibition remained in effect until its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.

On January 17, 1969, prominent Black Panther Party members Bunchy Carter and John Huggins were fatally shot during a campus meeting in Campbell Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles. The assassinations occurred amid internal divisions and conflicts between rival activist groups. Carter and Huggins had been working to expand the party’s community programs and youth outreach in Los Angeles. Their deaths sent shockwaves through the civil rights movement, leading to increased scrutiny of law enforcement infiltration and informant tactics. The murders underscored the volatile political climate of the era and the risks faced by Black activists. Carter and Huggins are remembered as martyrs in the struggle for racial justice and empowerment.