Bishop Lawton, Author at

Student Historian

Bishop Lawton is a Senior in Howard University’s History department from Jacksonville, Florida. As an undergraduate, Bishop has engaged in many research projects and academic programs. He served as an intern at the Ritz Theater and African-American History museum in Jacksonville, Florida, worked on the Ballitore archive digitization project at UC-Santa Barbara, and has been a member of the Mellon Mays program since his sophomore year. His research interests include Pan-African Intellectual History, the history of pre-colonial African civilizations, and 20th-century Black ideology. He aspires to get his Ph.D. in African History and eventually become a professor.

Johnny Kemp (1959-2015)

Johnny Kemp was an R&B singer best known for his 1988 song “Just Got Paid.” He was born in Nassau, Bahamas, on August 2, 1959. His earliest musical experiences came in 1972 when Kemp began performing in local Nassau nightclubs. In 1979, Kemp moved to … Read MoreJohnny Kemp (1959-2015)

Nestor Alexander Haddaway (1965- )

Nestor Alexander Haddaway is a Eurodance artist, best known for his 1993 smash hit “What Is Love?” Haddaway was born in Trinidad and Tobago on January 9, 1965. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a marine biologist. Following the separation of his … Read MoreNestor Alexander Haddaway (1965- )

Macy Gray (1967- )

Macy Gray is a pop and jazz singer known for her unique voice and colorful persona. She was born Natalie McIntyre on September 6, 1967, in Canton, Ohio. Her mother, Laura McIntyre, was a math teacher and her father, Otis Jones, was absent throughout her … Read MoreMacy Gray (1967- )

John Brooks Slaughter (1934- )

John Brooks Slaughter is an electrical engineer, retired university president, college professor, and the first African American to serve as the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Slaughter was born on March 16, 1934 in Topeka, Kansas to Reuben Brooks Slaughter, a laborer, and … Read MoreJohn Brooks Slaughter (1934- )

Sankore Mosque and University (c. 1100- )

Sankore Mosque and University is the oldest continuously-operating institution of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed that the mosque and university were erected in the 1100s C.E. (Twelfth Century) by Berbers who settled in the Timbuktu region of modern-day Mali. Mansa Musa I, … Read MoreSankore Mosque and University (c. 1100- )

Laura Adorkor Kofi (c. 1895-1928)

Laura Adorkor Kofi was a religious leader and Pan-Africanist who created the African Universal Church. Kofi was born circa 1895 in a Ga village outside of the city of Accra in Ghana. In the early 1920s, Kofi served as a church pastor in the Asofa … Read MoreLaura Adorkor Kofi (c. 1895-1928)