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.
Opal (Blake) Lee is a retired teacher and activist who is considered the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” Blake was born on October 7, 1926, in Marshall, Texas to Otis Blake and Mattie Broadus. When Lee was a child, her family home burned down in a fire, … Read MoreOpal Lee (1926- )
James F. Williams serves as the managing partner of the Perkins Coie office in Seattle, Washington, the largest law office in Washington State. Born and raised on a small farm in South Carolina, Williams obtained his undergraduate degree in political science with honors from The … Read MoreJames F. Williams (1963- )
Isaac Lane was born March 4, 1834, in Madison County, five miles from the city of Jackson, Tennessee. His mother, Rachel, was an enslaved person belonging to his master and white father, Cullen Lane. Virtually abandoned by his parents, Lane suffered many of the harsh … Read MoreIsaac Lane (1834-1937)
Victoria Renee Woodards was elected Tacoma, Washington’s 39th mayor on November 7th, 2017 and thus became the second woman of color to hold the position. Woodards followed Marilyn Strickland who served as mayor from 2010-2017. Woodards was born on July 19, 1965 in Riverside, California … Read MoreVictoria Renee Woodards (1965- )
Civil rights attorney Louis L. Redding was the first Black man admitted to practice law in Delaware. He argued one of the cases that formed part of the United States Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision. Redding was born on October 25, 1901, … Read MoreLouis L. Redding (1901-1998)
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Douglas was born on October 13, 1980, to Tina Douglas, a former dance teacher, and Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, a former singer, in Glen Gove, New York. She also has a younger sister named Kenashia “Shia” … Read MoreAshanti Shequoiya Douglas (1980- )
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was a singer, actress, dancer, and model. Aaliyah was born on January 16, 2001, to Diane and Micheal “Miguel” Haughton in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, her mother got her involved in vocal lessons. She performed at weddings, churches, and charity events. … Read MoreAaliyah Dana Haughton (1979-2001)
Law professor and legal activist Henry W. “Hank” McGee, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 31, 1932, to Henry W. McGee, Sr., from Hillsboro, Texas, the first African American Postmaster appointed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Attye Belle Truesdale McGee, from … Read MoreHenry W. “Hank” McGee, Jr. (1932- )
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)
