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.
Lieutenant Colonel Charity Edna Adams Earley was the first African American woman officer of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps. She served as the commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, making her the highest-ranking Black female officer in the Army, during World War II. … Read MoreCharity Earley (1918-2002)
James Alexander Hood was the first African-American male student to register and attend classes at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a previously all-white institution. Hood was born on November 10, 1942 in Gadsden, Alabama, to Octavie Hood and Margaret Hughes Hood. James had two … Read MoreJames Alexander Hood (1942-2013)
Richard Gordon Hatcher was an American attorney, politician and the first African American mayor of Gary, Indiana. He served in that post for 20 years from 1968 to 1988. Hatcher was born on July 10, 1933, in Michigan City, Indiana. Hatcher and Carl Stokes, who … Read MoreRichard G. Hatcher (1933-2019)
R&B/ funk singer Jean Caliste was born on January 26, 1943, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and adopted the professional name of “Jean Knight.” Her parents were Louis Joseph Caliste and Florence Edwards. She began singing as a teenager in her cousin’s Crescent City bar called … Read MoreJean Knight (1943- )
R&B singer Deon Jackson was born on January 26, 1946, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He played the Clarinet and performed in the band, with local vocal groups, and as a soloist while attending Ann Arbor High School. As a young composer, Jackson was signed by … Read MoreDeon Jackson (1946-2014)
Composer, lyricist, blues singer Clarence George Carter was born blind on January 14, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama. He attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, Alabama, and began guitar lessons when he was 9. Carter graduated from high school in 1954. Afterward, he … Read MoreClarence Carter (1936- )
Composer, pianist/ singer Ivory Joe Hunter was born on October 10, 1914, in Kirbyville, Texas to Dave Hunter, a blues guitarist, and Anna Smith Hunter, a pianist/ gospel singer. Ivory began piano lessons at age 5 with his mother. After his mother died when he … Read MoreIvory Joe Hunter (1914-1974)
New Jack-Swing R&B singer Montell Du’Sean Barnett Jordan was born on December 3, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, and reared in the South Central section of the city. His parents were Elijah Jordan and Deloris Jordan. Montell had two sisters, Jennifer Jordan and Tracy Singley. … Read MoreMontell Jordan (1968- )
Pianist/ R&B singer Betty Everett was born on November 23, 1939, in Greenwood, Mississippi. Her early education began in 1945 at the Rosenwald Day School in Leflore County, Mississippi. At the age of 9, Everett was already playing the piano and singing gospel music in … Read MoreBetty Everett (1939-2001)
Billy Paul, a major artist of the Philadelphia Soul Sound, was born Paul Williams in North Philadelphia on December 1, 1934. In 1945, the 11-year-old Paul made his first radio broadcast appearance, and by 16, he had appeared at Club Harlem in Philadelphia on the … Read MoreBilly Paul (1934-2016)
