Independent Historian

Neima Ali Ahmed is a freshman at the University of Washington who intends to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Law, Societies, and Justice. She plans to go to law school as her experience with witnessing wrong doings in the Criminal Justice System inspired her to study law and the history of African Americans, in hope to start her own Innocence Project in the future. She is dedicated to learning about African American history as she is an advocate for fighting against injustices that impact African Americans.

Joan Elizabeth Higginbotham (1964- )

Joan Elizabeth Higginbotham was the third African American woman to go into space. Higginbotham was born on August 3, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. As a youngster she loved cycling, music, and motivational speaking. She attended Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago and graduated in 1982. She … Read MoreJoan Elizabeth Higginbotham (1964- )

Livingston Wingate (1915-1995)

Livingston Leroy Wingate was a Harlem civic leader and a state supreme court judge in Manhattan, New York. Wingate was born on September 2, 1915 in Timmonsville, South Carolina, a small town of two thousand residents. Wingate lived with his father, a barber, and his mother, who did domestic work.  In … Read MoreLivingston Wingate (1915-1995)

Myrlie Louise (Beasley) Evers-Williams (1933- )

Myrlie (Beasley) Evers-Williams is a civil rights activist, a journalist, author, and a former chair of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on March 17, 1933. She was raised by her grandmother, Annie McCain Beasley, a schoolteacher, after her parents separated … Read MoreMyrlie Louise (Beasley) Evers-Williams (1933- )

Richard A. Harewood (1900-1985)

Richard A. Harewood was a prominent lawyer, state representative, and judge in Chicago, Illinois. He was born on June 25th, 1900 in Barbados, British West Indies and raised there until he was seven years old. His father who was a soldier in the British Colonial Army, died when Harewood was three years old, and his … Read MoreRichard A. Harewood (1900-1985)

War (Rhythm & Blues Group) (1969- )

War is an R&B multi-cultural group that was created in 1969 and rose up to fame during the 1970s. The band originated from a high school R&B group called The Creators founded by Harold Brown and Harold E. Scott in 1962 in Long Beach, California. Within a few years Charles … Read MoreWar (Rhythm & Blues Group) (1969- )

Robert Sylvester Kelly / “R. Kelly” (1967- )

Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly, is an R&B singer, songwriter, and producer who is best known for his hit song “I Believe I Can Fly.” Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois to Joanne Kelly. R. Kelly is the third of four children … Read MoreRobert Sylvester Kelly / “R. Kelly” (1967- )