March 05

Crispus Attucks was born circa 1723 in Framingham, Massachusetts, to a Native American mother and African father. He gained freedom as a sailor and stevedore in colonial Boston. On March 5, 1770, he became the first person killed in the Boston Massacre, shot by British troops. His death galvanized colonial protests and made him a symbolic martyr in the struggle for American independence. Attucks is remembered as a hero of the American Revolution and a symbol of Black American contribution to the nation's founding.

Lena Baker was born in 1900 and worked as a domestic servant in rural Georgia during the early 20th century. In 1944, she was accused of killing her employer in an incident she claimed was self-defense after purported mistreatment. Baker was convicted of capital murder by an all-white, all-male jury and executed in 1945, the only woman ever electrocuted by the state of Georgia. Her case remained largely forgotten until family members campaigned for her exoneration. In 2005, she received a posthumous pardon, acknowledging the racial and gender biases that influenced her conviction. Baker’s story highlights issues of justice and civil rights in America’s segregated South.

Charles B. Pierce (1938–2010) was an American director, producer, and screenwriter known for his low-budget regional films. His 1972 documentary-style horror movie, The Legend of Boggy Creek, became a surprise box-office success. Pierce wrote and directed over a dozen features blending horror, adventure, and folklore themes. He often worked with minimal budgets, shooting on location in rural America and casting local talent. His work influenced the independent film movement and remains celebrated by cult audiences.