Hannah Diggs was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on November 1, 1923. Several of her relatives were teachers, and her parents instilled in her a love of reading and an appreciation for education. She became the valedictorian of her high school class before enrolling at … Read MoreHannah Diggs Atkins (1923-2010)
Born enslaved on January 6, 1828, on the Jordan Flake Plantation in Anson County, North Carolina, Green Flake was given to his owner’s son, James Madison Flake, when he married Agnes Love in 1838. Later, the couple moved to Mississippi with their three-year-old son, Green, … Read MoreGreen Flake (1828-1903)
George Washington was a prominent pioneer in the state named, like he was, for America’s first president. He founded Centralia in southwest Washington and was a leading citizen and benefactor of the town. Washington’s father was a slave, his mother of English descent. When his … Read MoreGeorge Washington (1817-1905)
George Morrison dreamed of playing violin with a major orchestra. As things stood for black musicians in the early twentieth century, that dream would remain unrealized. Born in Fayette, Missouri, on September 9, 1891, Morrison came from a musical family and at an early age … Read MoreGeorge Morrison (1891-1974)
George W. McLaurin provided the Oklahoma civil rights case that damaged the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson “separate but equal” legal position beyond repair. He held a master’s degree from the University of Kansas and taught at the all-black Langston University until 1948. NAACP attorney Thurgood … Read MoreGeorge W. McLaurin (1887-1968)
George Jordan, buffalo soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, hailed from rural Williamson County in central Tennessee. Enlisting in the 38th Infantry Regiment on 25 December 1866, the short and illiterate Jordan proved a good soldier. In January 1870, he transferred to the 9th Cavalry’s … Read MoreGeorge Jordan (ca. 1849-1904)
As one of the earliest permanent American settlers on Puget Sound in 1845, George Bush played a vital role in the beginnings of Washington Territory. Bush’s story is even more remarkable because he was a man of mixed race who overcame prejudice and discrimination to … Read MoreGeorge Bush (ca. 1789-1863)
George Beavers, Jr. was born in 1892, in the Mechanicsville section of Atlanta, Georgia. His parents decided to leave Atlanta with their children in 1902, after white mob violence erupted in their neighborhood. They settled in Los Angeles where they expected to find “full citizenship … Read MoreGeorge Beavers, Jr. (1892-1989)
Frederick Madison Roberts was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. He arrived in Los Angeles at age six and was the first black to graduate from Los Angeles High School. He attended the University of Southern California, majored in pre-law and graduated from Colorado College, and finished … Read MoreFrederick M. Roberts (1879-1952)
Franklin Raines was born in Seattle on January 14, 1949, and graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle. From here, he went to Harvard and graduated in 1971 with a B.A. in Government. He was awarded the prestigious Rhodes scholarship and attended Oxford University for … Read MoreFranklin Raines (1949- )
