On this day in Black history: The Mayflower of Liberia, the South’s jail-in movement and more

On this day in Black history, February 6:

— In 1820, a group of 80+ freed Black slaves set sail on the Mayflower of Liberia, a ship that traveled from the New York Harbor to West Africa’s Sierra Leone. It was the first organized Black emigration to return to Africa.

— In 1961, the “jail-in” movement began in the South when students refused to pay bail and requested jail time in an effort to eradicate bail costs accumulated by the number of Black men jailed for attempting racial integration. The movement was inspired by The Friendship Nine, a group of Black men in Rock Hill, North Carolina, who served 30 days of jail time after being refused service at an all-white lunch counter.

— In 2003, 50 Cent released his seminal debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, that spawned #1 hits “In da Club” and “21 Questions.”

— Happy Birthday to Bob Marley, Natalie Cole, Tinashe Kachingwe, Robin “The Lady of Rage” Allen, Brandon Hammond and Rickey Thompson.