Orchestra conductor Thomas Alphonso Wilkins was born on September 10, 1956, in Norfolk, Virginia, the son of Wallace Y. Wilkins Sr. In 1962 he began school at the city’s segregated Young Park Elementary School. When he was in the third grade, he was introduced to … Read MoreThomas Alphonso Wilkins (1956 – )
Major Lance was a popular R&B and soul singer and a prominent figure of Chicago’s soul scene in the 1960’s. Born in Winterville, Mississippi, on April 4th, 1939, Lance moved to Chicago, Illinois as a child. Before turning to music, the multitalented Lance showed interests … Read MoreMajor Lance (1939- 1994)
Composer, lyricist, choreographer and Countertenor Solomon Popoli Linda, a Zulu, was born in 1909 in Pomeroy, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. While he was musically oriented, Linda was also was inspired to perform after hearing a recording of the Hampton Institute graduate, Orpheus McAdoo, who was then … Read MoreSolomon Popoli Linda (1909 -1962)
Alberta Christine (Williams) King, a retired organist at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a choir director, wore many hats in her family and community, as she also was the wife of Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., mother of Alfred Daniel Williams King I (1930), Willie Christine … Read MoreAlberta Christine Williams King (1904-1974)
Meredith C. Gourdine was an American engineer, athlete, and inventor. He primarily focused on electrogasdynamics systems which refer to generating energy from the motion of gas molecules that have been electrically charged under pressure. He is considered a pioneer in the field and specialized in … Read MoreMeredith C. Gourdine (1929-1998)
William Augustus Hinton was an American bacteriologist and the first Black Professor at Harvard University. Hinton was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 15, 1883, to former slaves Maria Clark and Augustus Hinton. He spent his formative years in Kansas City, Missouri, and attended the … Read MoreWilliam Augustus Hinton (1883-1959)
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is an influential award-winning and record-breaking rapper and songwriter who has sold over a 100 million records. Music critics and members of the public alike have named Minaj the Queen of Rap due to her punchy flow … Read MoreNicki Minaj/Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (1982- )
Brandon Paak Anderson, better known as Anderson .Paak, is an American rapper, songwriter, producer, and drummer. Born on February 8, 1986, in Oxnard, California, Paak has become widely respected in the music industry as a multi-talented, up and coming artist. He is bi-racial, his father … Read MoreAnderson .Paak (1986 – )
Joseph L. Graves Jr. is a renowned geneticist and the first African American evolutionary biologist. Currently an Associate Dean for research and a professor of biological sciences at North Carolina A&T University, Graves’ professional work is rooted in the evolutionary genetics of aging and untangling genetic … Read MoreJoseph L. Graves, Jr. (1955- )
Motivational speaker Dennis Paul Kimbro was born December 29, 1950, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Donald Kimbro, a World War II Veteran from Bellaire, Ohio, and Mary Elizabeth Anderson Kimbro, a housekeeper from Baltimore, Maryland. He was reared in East Orange and Teaneck, New … Read MoreDennis Paul Kimbro (1950- )
