Ashley Jones, Author at

Student Historian

Ashley N. Jones is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington majoring in Public Health with a minor in Diversity. She is also on the Women’s Varsity Crew Team where she serves as the Team Commodore. After graduation Ashley is off to graduate school to pursue a Master’s degree in Social Work which will allow her to be employed in the field of family and child welfare.

Lucy Craft Laney (1854-1933)

Lucy Craft Laney, educator, school founder, and civil rights activist, was born in Georgia on April 13, 1854, in Macon, Georgia to free parents Louisa and David Laney. David Laney, a Presbyterian minister and skilled carpenter, had purchased his freedom approximately twenty years before Lucy Laney’s birth. He purchased … Read MoreLucy Craft Laney (1854-1933)

Milton P. Webster (1887-1965)

Milton Price Webster is best known as one of the founders and long-time Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids (BSCP) Union. He helped organize the BSCP’s local in Chicago, one of the largest in the nation with over 15,000 … Read MoreMilton P. Webster (1887-1965)

Edmonia Lewis (1845-1907)

Edmonia Lewis, the first woman of African American and Native American ancestry to gain notoriety as a sculptor, was born near Albany, New York on July 4, 1845 to a Chippewa Indian woman and an African American man. Her parents died when she was very … Read MoreEdmonia Lewis (1845-1907)

Octavia E. “Junie” Butler (1947-2006)

Octavia was born in Pasadena California to Laurice and Octavia Butler. Her father passed away when she was a baby, so she was raised by her grandmother and her mother. As a girl, she was known as Junie, derived from “Junior” since her mother was … Read MoreOctavia E. “Junie” Butler (1947-2006)

James Reese Europe (1881-1919)

James Reese Europe, one of the first African Americans to record music in the United States, was born on February 22, 1881 in Mobile, Alabama to Henry and Lorraine Europe. When he was ten, his family moved to Washington D.C. where he began to study … Read MoreJames Reese Europe (1881-1919)

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878-1949)

Entertainer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson’s original name was Luther Robinson. He was born on May 25, 1878, to Maxwell, a machinist, and Maria Robinson, a church choir director, in Richmond Virginia. Both parents died tragically in 1885. Robinson did not like his birth name, Luther, and … Read MoreBill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878-1949)

Million Woman March, 1997

On October 25, 1997, an estimated 750,000 African American women gathered together to march on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia to focus on their trials, circumstances, and successes. The day-long march and program of prayer, music, and inspirational speeches, which began at the Liberty … Read MoreMillion Woman March, 1997

Million Man March, 1995

On October 16, 1995, an estimated 850,000 African American men from across the United States gathered together at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to rally in one of largest demonstrations in Washington history. This march surpassed the 250,000 who gathered in 1963 for the … Read MoreMillion Man March, 1995

Lena Horne (1917-2010)

Lena Horne was a major 20th Century entertainer. Born in Brooklyn, New York into an upper middle class black family on June 30, 1917, Horne battled racial injustice throughout her career. Despite her obstacles she became one of the most well known African American performers … Read MoreLena Horne (1917-2010)

Marvin Gaye, Jr. (1939-1984)

Born on April 2, 1939 in Washington, D.C. Marvin Pentz Gaye, Jr. was named after his father, a minister of the apostolic church. From a young age, the church played a large role in Gaye’s music career. He began his musical profession in his father’s … Read MoreMarvin Gaye, Jr. (1939-1984)