The self-trained historian and journalist Drusilla Dunjee Houston was born in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in 1876. Her parents were Rev. John William and Lydia Taylor Dunjee. Drusilla’s younger brother Roscoe was a journalist and Civil Rights activist in Oklahoma City. In 1915 he founded … Read MoreDrusilla Dunjee Houston (1876-1941)
Roscoe Dunjee was a prolific journalist and civil rights activist. He was the son of Rev. John William Dunjee, a Baptist minister, and Lydia Ann Dunjee. Although his father was born in Jefferson County, West Virginia, Roscoe worked for various African American newspapers in Oklahoma … Read MoreRoscoe Dunjee (1883-1965)
Beulah “Sippie” Thomas Wallace sang and recorded her best work for Okeh Records between 1923 and 1927 when she was the most frequently recorded female blues singer in the country. Not only did she have a unique style and sound, Wallace wrote many of her … Read MoreSippie Wallace (1898-1986)
Victoria Spivey grew up in a musical family where her father, Grant, played in a string band while sisters, Addie and Elton, sang the blues. But it was Victoria who became the star with a beginning that took her moaning style of singing into honky … Read MoreVictoria Spivey (1906-1976)
(William) Allison Davis graduated from Williams College with a B.A. degree in 1924, an M.A. from Harvard University in 1925 and a second degree in 1932. In 1942, he attained a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago where he became the first John Dewey Distinguished … Read MoreAllison Davis (1902-1983)
Horace Mann Bond served as the first president of Fort Valley State College from 1939 to 1945 and president of Lincoln University from 1945 to 1957. He was a notable educator and scholar holding degrees from Lincoln University (B.A. in 1923 and a LL.D. in … Read MoreHorace Mann Bond (1904-1972)
Lerone Bennett Jr., historian of African America, has authored articles, poems, short stories, and over nine books on African American history. Bennett was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi the son of Lerone Bennett Sr. and Alma Reed. He and his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where … Read MoreLerone Bennett (1928-2018)
Matthew Henson was an American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary, most famously on an expedition intended to reach the Geographic North Pole in 1909. Subsequent research and exploration has revealed that Peary and Henson did not reach the North Pole but their failed attempt is … Read MoreMatthew Henson (1866-1955)
Colonel Charles Young enjoyed a decorated military career after his graduation from West Point Military Academy in 1889. A Buffalo Soldier serving with the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 25th Infantry, Young eventually became the first African American to achieve the rank of colonel … Read MoreCharles Young (1864-1922)
Frank Garvin Yerby was born in Augusta, Georgia on September 5, 1916. His parents were Wilhelmina and Rufus Yerby, both of whom were of mixed race. Although his parent’s exact ancestries are unknown, DNA testing would later reveal that Frank Yerby was Black, White, and … Read MoreFrank G. Yerby (1916-1991)
