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.
William F. Powell, a late 19th Century politician, was born in Troy, New York on June 26, 1848. When he was young, his family moved to New York City where he attended public schools. Powell had a diverse education as a young man. He attended … Read MoreWilliam F. Powell (1848-1920)
Irene Amos Morgan Kirkaldy was a civil rights activist who won her 1946 U.S. Supreme Court case in Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia, which declared interstate transport racial segregation to be unconstitutional, nearly a decade before the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Irene Amos was born … Read MoreIrene Morgan Kirkaldy (1917-2007)
Andrew Demese Gillum served as the 126th Mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Florida the 2018 election. Gillum was born on July 26, 1979 in Miami, Florida. His father Charles was a construction worker, and his mother Frances was … Read MoreAndrew D. Gillum (1979- )
Victorine Quille Adams was a Baltimore Public School teacher, business manager of the Charm Center, Founder of the Colored Women’s Democratic Campaign Committee, Co-Founder of Woman Power, Incorporated, and first African American Baltimore City Councilwoman. She was a native Baltimorean whose contributions sought to improve … Read MoreVictorine Quille Adams (1912-2006)
Tuskegee Airman Jack Daniels Holsclaw was born in Spokane, Washington, on March 21, 1918. His father, Charles, was a clerk in a downtown store, and his mother, Nell, was a manager at Pacific Telephone and Telegraph. Holsclaw attended North Central High School in Spokane, where … Read MoreJack Daniels Holsclaw (1918-1998)
Reby Cary, educator, community activist, politician, entrepreneur and World War II veteran, was born on September 9, 1920, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Reverend Smith and Maggie B. Cary. A graduate of I. M. Terrell High School in 1937, he received his Bachelor of Arts … Read MoreReby Cary (1920-2018)
Joyce Beatty, who represents Ohio’s 3rd congressional district, is a former consultant and business owner. She holds honorary doctorates from the Ohio Dominican University and Central State University, and is the first woman Democratic House Leader in Ohio history. Representative Beatty was born Joyce Birdsong … Read MoreJoyce Beatty (1950- )
Professional basketball player James Edward Harden Jr. was born on August 24, 1989 to James Harden Sr. and Monja Willis in Los Angeles, California. Harden also have a half-brother named Akili Roberson and a sister named Arnique Jenkins. James Harden Sr. was mostly absent during … Read MoreJames Harden (1989- )
Alberta Jones was born in November 1930 to Sarah (Sadie) Frances Crawford and Odell Jones, in Louisville, Kentucky. Jones attended Louisville Central High School and the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes, which in 1951 merged with the University of Louisville. She graduated third in her … Read MoreAlberta Odell Jones (1930-1965)
Dwight Evans is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born on May 16, 1954 in the Germantown section but grew up in the West Oak Lane section of the city. He attended Germantown High School, graduating in 1971, the Community College of Philadelphia, … Read MoreDwight E. Evans (1954- )