Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an actress and talk show host. Pinkett was born on September 18, 1971, to Adrienne Banfield-Jones and Robsol Pinkett, Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland. Pinkett’s mother named her after her favorite soap opera actress, Jada Rowland. Her parents divorced at a … Read MoreJada Koren Pinkett Smith (1971- )
Arizona Fleming was a small business owner who became part of the Civil Rights Movement in Fort Bend County, Texas. Fleming was born in Richmond, Texas on March 23, 1884, to Laura and Beauregard Fleming. Not much is known about her life. After attending segregated … Read MoreArizona Fleming (1884-1976)
Dr. Elise Lewis, is an author and a study director who specializes in Reproductive and Neurobehavioral Toxicology at Charles River’s Laboratories. Details of her birth, childhood, and education are currently unknown. The main Charles River Laboratory is a facility that overlooks the Charles River in … Read MoreElise Madison Lewis (?- )
William Henry West was a Civil War-era African American soldier and later a police officer in Washington, D.C. West was best known for arresting U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. This is the only known record of a sitting United States President being arrested. … Read MoreWilliam Henry West (1842-1915)
Clarice Evone Salone Phelps, a nuclear chemist was part of the research team responsible for the discovery of a new element, 117 also known as tennessine, was born in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and reared in the Edgehill Housing Projects in Nashville, Tennessee, by a … Read MoreClarice Evone Salone Phelps (1981- )
Dr. Dolores Irene Silas was a person of many Tacoma, Washington “firsts”–the first woman of color to become a school principal at DeLong Elementary School (1970), the first to become a member of the City Council (1991), the first to be Deputy Mayor (1995) and … Read MoreDolores Irene Silas (1926-2021)
Woodrow Wilson “Buddy” Johnson was a popular bandleader and recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s whose compositions and arrangements made him an important figure in the transition from the big band sound to Rhythm & Blues. His many hit records earned his band a … Read MoreBuddy Johnson (1915-1977)
James Pickens Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber in the medical drama television series Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) and for his supporting role as Assistant Director Alvin Kersh in later seasons of the Fox Network … Read MoreJames Pickens Jr. (1954- )
Opal (Flake) Lee is a retired teacher and activist who is considered the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” Flake was born on October 7, 1926, in Marshall, Texas to Otis Flake and Mattie Broadus. When Lee was a child, her family home burned down in a fire, … Read MoreOpal Lee (1926- )
James F. Williams serves as the managing partner of the Perkins Coie office in Seattle, Washington, the largest law office in Washington State. Born and raised on a small farm in South Carolina, Williams obtained his undergraduate degree in political science with honors from The … Read MoreJames F. Williams (1963- )
