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.
Trevor George “Busta Rhymes” Smith is an American rapper and record producer. Smith was born May 20, 1972 to Jamaican immigrants parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith Sr. in New York City, New York. Smith attended George Washington Career and Technical Education High School with … Read MoreBusta Rhymes/Trevor George Smith Jr, (1972- )
It took nearly a century for Philip Jordan to receive proper recognition as a first-hand observer and informal reporter on the Russian Revolution of 1917. Believed to be the son of a slave, Jordan was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1868. He spent his … Read MorePhilip Jordan (1868-1941)
Singer-songwriter Eddie Lee Floyd, known by his stage name, Eddie Floyd, was a popular R&B singer in the 1960s. Floyd was born on June 25, 1937, in Montgomery, Alabama, to Prince Edward, a steelworker, and Florence Floyd, a nurse. He had three brothers, Joe, Benny, … Read MoreEddie Lee Floyd (1937- )
Multi-talented musician Morris Eugene Day was born on December 13, 1956, in Springfield, Illinois, to LaVonne Daugherty. When he was eight years old, however, his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. There he privately studied the piano and percussion, but his passion was always the drums. … Read MoreMorris Eugene Day (1956- )
Dr. Herbert Charles Smitherman Sr. was a chemist and the first African American to be employed at Proctor & Gamble as a doctorate-level employee. He helped improve formulas for products such as Crest toothpaste, Bounce fabric softeners, Folgers’ coffee, and Safeguard soap. Smitherman was born … Read MoreHerbert Charles Smitherman Sr. (1937-2010)
George Leon Netterville, the controversial President of Southern University, was born in the Ascencion Parish section of Donaldsonville, Louisiana on July 16, 1906. In his youth, he attended the local segregated schools, and received his BA in education from Southern University in 1932, and his … Read MoreGeorge Leon Netterville Jr. (1906-2000)
Dorceta E. Taylor is an environmental sociologist who specializes in environmental justice and racism in the environmental movement. In 1991 she became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Taylor is now a professor of environmental … Read MoreDorceta E. Taylor (1957- )
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 22, 1933, Ernest Kador Jr., whose stage name was Ernie K-Doe, was a R&B singer and drummer who was best known for his 1961 hit, “Mother-in-Law,” which went to no. 1 on both the Billboard pop chart and … Read MoreErnest Kador, Jr.\Ernie K-Doe (1933-2001)
Barbara “Lady Love” Mason is a popular singer/songwriter and one of the true pioneers of Philly Soul, as she entered the music scene as a teenager. Mason was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 9, 1947, to a homemaker mother and a father who worked … Read MoreBarbara Mason (1947- )
Composer, balladeer, lyricist, trumpeter, percussionist, advocate Jeffrey Linton Osborne was born on March 9, 1948, in Providence, Rhode Island to Clarence J. Osborne, Sr. a trumpeter, and Wanita M. Lindsey Osborne, of Pequot Indian ancestry. He is the youngest of twelve children, which consisted of … Read MoreJeffrey Linton Osborne (1948- )
