Alexander Klein, Author at

Student Historian

Alexander Klein spent just under two years at the University of Michigan but is currently finishing his studies at the University of Washington pursuing a double major in Economics and Communications with a minor in History. Alex plays on the University of Washington soccer team and is a huge fan of all sports.

Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981)

Mary Lou Williams was an African American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded over one hundred records. Williams was born as Mary Elfireda Scruggs on May 8, 1910 in Atlanta, Georgia, but grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. … Read MoreMary Lou Williams (1910-1981)

Nathan Francis Mossell (1856-1946)

Nathan Francis Mossell was an African American doctor who helped establish the first black hospital in Philadelphia. Mossell, the son of Aaron and Eliza Bowers Mossell, was born on July 27, 1856 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada but grew up in Lockport, New York where he … Read MoreNathan Francis Mossell (1856-1946)

Truman Gibson (1912-2005)

Truman Gibson was an African American businessman, attorney, government advisor, and boxing promoter. Gibson, the son of an insurance executive, was born on January 22, 1912 in Atlanta, Georgia. A few years after he was born, Gibson’s family moved to Columbus, Ohio. Gibson graduated high … Read MoreTruman Gibson (1912-2005)

Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828-1901)

Artist Edward Bannister was a painter who concentrated on pastoral landscape scenes depicting the beauty and serenity of nature. He was the first African American artist to receive a national award. Bannister was born in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada in November of 1828. Little … Read MoreEdward Mitchell Bannister (1828-1901)

William “Bill” Pinkney (1935-2023)

William “Bill” Deltoris Pinkney III was known as the second African American to solo-circumnavigate the globe by boat and the first African American to make the voyage via the Great Capes. Pinkney was born on September 15, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, to Marion Henderson Pinkney … Read MoreWilliam “Bill” Pinkney (1935-2023)

Perry Young Jr. (1919-1998)

Perry Young Jr, an airplane and helicopter pilot, was the first African American person to be hired by a commercial airline with regularly scheduled passenger flights. Young was born to his parents, Henry Young Sr. and Edith Lucille Young, on March 12, 1919, in Orangeburg, … Read MorePerry Young Jr. (1919-1998)

Beverly Johnson (1952- )

Beverly Johnson is a model, actress, singer, and businesswoman who in 1971 became the first African American woman to appear on the cover of a major magazine. Johnson was born on October 13, 1952, in Buffalo, New York to middle class parents. Her father was … Read MoreBeverly Johnson (1952- )

Wendell Oliver Scott (1921-1990)

Wendell Oliver Scott was the first African American race car driver to win a race in what would now be considered part of the Sprint Cup Series. Scott was born August 29, 1921 in Danville, Virginia. His father worked for wealthy white families as a … Read MoreWendell Oliver Scott (1921-1990)

Oliver Lewis (1856-1924)

In 1875, Oliver Lewis became the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, America’s longest continuous sporting event. Lewis was born in 1856 in Fayette Country, Kentucky, to his parents Goodson and Eleanor Lewis. Lewis was born free, but there is little known about his … Read MoreOliver Lewis (1856-1924)

Debi Thomas (1967- )

Debi Thomas is a figure skater and physician who is the first African American woman to win a medal in the Winter Olympics. Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1967 and first started skating around the age of five. However, she did not … Read MoreDebi Thomas (1967- )