The following are short descriptions of the women and men who have contributed to the shaping of African American history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
Nicholas (“Nick”) Brown is the first African American to serve as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington. Born in San Francisco to a career military officer, Brown also lived in Augsburg, Germany as a child. He attended high school in Steilacoom, Washington, … Read MoreNicholas W. Brown (1977- )
Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French was hailed as the “hero of the Solomons” and the “Human Tugboat” after a heroic rescue in the Pacific during World War II. Along with Doris “Dorie” Miller, who received the Navy Cross for valor during the attack … Read MoreCharles Jackson French (1919-1956)
Born in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1800s Daniel McCree is best known for patenting of the portable fire escape ladder. Very little is known about his childhood or personal life or when and where he died. On May 2, 1890, McCree filed Patent No. … Read MoreDaniel McCree (1800?- ?)
Investment analyst Degas A. Wright was born in April 1963, in Lithonia, Georgia. Wright attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where he majored in mathematics and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. He graduated from West Point in 1985, and served as … Read MoreDegas Wright (1963- )
Leland Melvin is a former NFL player, chemist, and retired NASA astronaut. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on February 15, 1964, to Deems and Grace Melvin. At an early age, he developed an interest in chemistry after his mom bought him a chemistry set. … Read MoreLeland Devon Melvin (1964- )
Kenneth Olden, a cell biologist, biochemist, and cancer researcher, is the founding dean at the School of Public Health of City University New York (CUNY). Born in 1938 in Parrottsville, Tennessee, Olden grew up in a rural community with his parents Matt and Augusta Olden … Read MoreKenneth Olden (1938- )
Naya Marie Rivera was an actress, singer, and model. Rivera was born on January 12, 1987, to Yolanda Previtire and George Rivera in Valencia, California. Rivera is of African-American, German, and Puerto Rican descent and was the oldest of three siblings, including Mychal Rivera and … Read MoreNaya Marie Rivera (1987-2020)
Businesswoman Ernesta Gertrude Forster, more commonly known as Ernesta Procope, was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 1923. The year of her birth is contested, as public records have her date of birth as February 9, 1923. Similarly, her family name also is … Read MoreErnesta Procope (1923-2021)
Leon Henry Buck was the first-born child to Ulysses Simpson Grant Buck and Janie Buck in Clarksville, Tennessee on April 15, 1916. He had seven brothers and sisters and attended racially segregated schools in Clarksville. In each step of his educational experiences, he graduated with … Read MoreLeon Henry Buck (1916-1976)
On May 20, 2019, Reverend Lakeesha Walrond, Ph.D., made history when she was appointed President of the New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), founded in 1900 as the Bible Teacher’s College. Walrond is the first woman and first Black woman to serve as president of NYTS, … Read MoreLakeesha Walrond (1971- )
