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.
Entrepreneur and tech aficionado Malcolm CasSelle made and continues to make pioneering contributions to cutting-edge internet technology. Born March 22, 1970 on a farm near Allentown, Pennsylvania, CasSelle went from building with Legos and TinkerToys as a child to discovering computers in his local high … Read MoreMalcolm CasSelle (1970- )
Civil rights attorney Julius W. (Robinson) Robertson was born on July 23, 1916, to parents Richard Robinson and Fannie Mae Robinson, who were subsistence farmers in Green County, Georgia. In 1922, the family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee for better opportunities. Robertson joined the Civilian Conservation … Read MoreJulius Winfield Robertson (1916-1961)
Stayce D. Harris is the first African American woman to hold a three-star General rank, first Air Force Reservist to be promoted to the three-star rank other than the chief of the Air Force Reserve Command, and the first African American woman to serve as … Read MoreStayce D. Harris (1959- )
In 2018, Joseph Neguse became the first Eritrean American to serve in Congress and is the first and only African American to be elected to serve in Congress from Colorado. Neguse represents the 2nd District in House of Representatives and serves as the Freshman Co-Representative … Read MoreJoseph (Joe) Neguse (1984- )
Jeff Fort is a co-founder and former leader of the Chicago, Illinois street gang known by various names over time as the Blackstone Rangers, the Blackstone Nation, and the El Rukns. Fort was born on February 20, 1947 in Aberdeen, Mississippi to Annie Fort and … Read MoreJeff Fort (1947- )
Angella Ferguson is best known as a medical researcher. Her pioneering research focused on the development of the sickle cell disease among African American infants. Eventually, she developed a blood test to detect sickle cell at birth and this test became standard for forty U.S. … Read MoreAngella Dorothea Ferguson (1925- )
Professor Isiah M. Warner is the Boyd Professor of Chemistry and Philip W. West Professor Analytical & Environmental Chemistry at Louisiana State University. He is an analytical/ materials chemist with more than 350 refereed publications and more than a dozen pending or acquired patents. Isiah … Read MoreIsiah Warner (1946- )
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi is a psychologist, consultant, and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Amaechi was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 20, 1970 to Wendy Amaechi, an English mother, and Jon Amaechi, a Nigerian father who descends from the Igbo people. Amaechi has … Read MoreJohn Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi (1970- )
James Wormley Jones is the first African American FBI agent in the United States. Jones was born on September 22, 1884 to John Bradford Jones and Sally Jones in Fort Monroe, Virginia. Jones had one sibling, a brother named Paul W. Jones. His family later … Read MoreJames Wormley Jones (1884-1958)
Frances B. North was a Seattle civic leader known for her role uniting the business sector, public schools, and city government to end segregation. Her life transformed racial and gender barriers. As a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church from 1943 to 2017, her faith … Read MoreFrances B. North (1919-2017)
