The International Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1966, to coincide with the date in 1960 when police killed 69 people in Sharpeville, South Africa at a peaceful protest against apartheid laws.
Goodman's legacy was unique: it was founded by a woman in 1966 — a time when very few women were owning and running businesses — and had provided a platform for black artists to exhibit their work despite apartheidlawsagainst this.