Michael Aguirre

Student Historian

Michael Aguirre is a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Washington, Seattle (UW). His research focuses on political economy, labor, race, gender, and migration on the US-Mexico borderlands in the later twentieth century. Michael received a Bachelor of Arts in history (highest distinction) and ethnic studies (magna cum laude) at the University of California, San Diego, later earning a Master of Arts in history at the UW. Michael has participated in the Smithsonian’s Latino Museum Studies Program, the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, and is a fellow in the Certificate in Public Scholarship at the UW’s Simpson Center for the Humanities. He has taught classes at the UW on histories of the US and Mexico and is dedicated to examining social, cultural, and institutional borders at the contiguous boundary and beyond.

Helvécio Martins (1930–2005)

Helvécio Martins, accountant, teacher, and the first black general authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 27, 1930. His father, Honório Martins, was a trader of animal hides and later an office … Read MoreHelvécio Martins (1930–2005)

Joseph W. Sitati (1952– )

Joseph Wafula Sitati, petroleum manager and the first man of black African descent to become a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Bungoma, Kenya, on May 16, 1952. His parents were … Read MoreJoseph W. Sitati (1952– )

Mary Lucille Perkins Bankhead (1902–1994)

Mary Lucille Perkins Bankhead, lifelong resident of Salt Lake City and member of the Genesis Group leadership, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 9, 1902. Her father, Sylvester Perkins, was a cowboy and farmer. Her mother, Martha Anne Jane Stevens Perkins Howell, … Read MoreMary Lucille Perkins Bankhead (1902–1994)

Ruffin Bridgeforth (1923–1997)

Ruffin Bridgeforth, president of the Genesis Group and priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), was born in Melville, Louisiana, on March 18, 1923. His father, Ruffin Sr., and mother, Mary Adams Fips, had four children together. Bridgeforth moved from Louisiana … Read MoreRuffin Bridgeforth (1923–1997)

Warner McCrary (c.1810–n.d.)

“Image Ownrship: Pubic Domain” Warner McCary, slave, musician, performer, self-identified prophet, and physician, was born in Natchez, Mississippi, circa 1810. His mother, Franky, was a slave, and his father, James McCary, was a slave owner and cabinetmaker who migrated to Natchez from Pennsylvania. Throughout his … Read MoreWarner McCrary (c.1810–n.d.)

David W. Eka (1945– )

Image Courtesy of LDS Church News David William Eka, engineer, elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), first president of the Aba Nigeria stake, was born in Etinan, Nigeria, on May 20, 1945. His father, William Udo, was a carpenter, and … Read MoreDavid W. Eka (1945– )

Q. Walker Lewis (1798-1856)

Quack Walker Lewis, black abolitionist, barber, AND elder (priest) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Barre, Worcester County, Massachusetts, on August 3, 1798. His father, Peter P. Lewis, was a free black yeoman farmer in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and … Read MoreQ. Walker Lewis (1798-1856)

Gustavo Pinedo Zabala (1988– )

Image Courtesy of El Dia Gustavo Pinedo Zabala, professional soccer player, was born in Coripata, Department of La Paz, Bolivia, on February 18, 1988. His mother, Ana, and father, Augusto, were agricultural workers that specialized in the fruit and coffee harvests around Coripata. Pinedo, and … Read MoreGustavo Pinedo Zabala (1988– )

María Isabel Urrutia Ocoró (1965- )

María Isabel Urrutia Ocoró, Olympic champion weightlifter and politician, was born in Calendaria, Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, on March 25, 1965. Her mother, Nelly, was a homemaker and her father, Pedro Juan, was an industrial mechanic. Sources differ, but Urrutia had at least … Read MoreMaría Isabel Urrutia Ocoró (1965- )