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.
Teenage scientist and inventor Dasia Taylor was born on April 6, 2004, in Chicago, Illinois, to LaDonna Phillips. When she was eight, they moved to Madison, Indiana, and on to Iowa City, Iowa. She attended Creek Southeast Junior High School and graduated from Iowa City … Read MoreDasia Taylor (2004- )
George Washington Lee was an African American civil rights leader, minister, and entrepreneur. On May 7, 1955, Lee was murdered by white supremacists in Belzoni, Mississippi. The murder remains unsolved. Lee’s murdered was one of two key events that occurred in Mississippi in 1955 along … Read MoreGeorge Washington Lee (1903-1955)
Global marketer Frank Cooper, III was born on May 8, 1964, in San Francisco, California. He received the Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986 and the Juris Doctorate in Constitutional Law from Harvard Law School in … Read MoreFrank Cooper III (1964- )
Tireless adoption advocate and civil rights activist Mabel T. Grammer was born on December 23, 1913, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the granddaughter of slaves and one of the seven children of Pearl and Edward Treadwell. Her father, who worked as a bellhop, died when she … Read MoreMabel Treadwell Grammer (1913-2002)
Dee Sharp, is a popular American R&B singer, known for “Mashed Potatoes Time,” a number one hit in 1962. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 9, 1945, as Dione LaRue. LaRue has a musical background as a lead singer of group of gospel-singing … Read MoreDee Dee Sharp (1945- )
Marcel Theo Hall was born on April 8, 1964, in Harlem, New York. The Hall family then lived in Rome, New York, before settling in Patchogue, Long Island. Hall combined his mother’s nickname for him, “Busy B,” his childhood nickname, “Markie,” along with his favorite … Read MoreBiz Markie (1964-2021)
William B. Hartgrove, Jr. one of the founders of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) was born sometime in November 1877 in Washington, D.C. to William B. Hartgrove, Sr. and Rebecca Perry Hartgrove, former slaves. He studied at Howard … Read MoreWilliam B. Hartgrove, Jr. (1877-1918)
Historian and Political Scientist Russell L. Adams, Sr. was born on August 13, 1930, in Baltimore, Maryland, to James Russell, a farmer and Isabella Ponder Adams, a school teacher. Both were originally from Quitman, Georgia. Isabella Adams graduated from Edward Waters College, an HBCU in … Read MoreRussell L. Adams, Sr. (1930- )
Theodore Kenneth “T.K.” Lawless, MD was an internationally-known dermatologist who helped pioneer techniques to treat syphilis and was one of the first doctors to treat cancer with radium. A millionaire, Dr. Lawless built his wealth over decades and was recognized for his significant contributions as … Read MoreTheodore Kenneth Lawless (1892-1971)
