Cassandra Waggoner, Author at

Independent Historian

Cassandra Waggoner graduated from the University of Washington in the Spring of 2008 with a B.A. in history and a B.S. in economics. She plans to go to graduate school in the Fall of 2010 to get an MBA with a concentration in finance.

Alcee L. Hastings (1936-2021)

Alcee Lamar Hastings, the son of Julius C. and Mildred L. Hastings, was born on September 5, 1936 in Altamonte Springs, Florida. His parents were domestic servants who eventually left Florida to take jobs to pay for his education. Hastings remained in the state, living … Read MoreAlcee L. Hastings (1936-2021)

B.B. King/Riley B. King (1925 -2015)

Legendary blues singer B.B. King was born Riley B. King on September 16, 1925, in Itta Bena, Mississippi. King spent his childhood in the Mississippi Delta but left to pursue a music career in Memphis, Tennessee in 1946. While in Memphis, King was employed as … Read MoreB.B. King/Riley B. King (1925 -2015)

Muddy Waters [aka McKinley Morganfield] (1913-1983)

Blues singer, songwriter and musician Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield on April 4, 1913 in Issaquena County, Mississippi. Waters acquired his nickname (and later stage name) because as a young child he liked to play in the mud. When he began his musical career … Read MoreMuddy Waters [aka McKinley Morganfield] (1913-1983)

Ward Connerly (1939- )

Anti-affirmative action activist, businessman and former University of California regent Wardell (Ward) Anthony Connerly is popularly known as the key figure responsible for passage of California Proposition 209 which outlawed race and gender based preferences in state college and university admission and hiring. Connerly was … Read MoreWard Connerly (1939- )

Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)

Award-winning actor, director, and author, Sidney Poitier broke racial barriers and stereotyping in the film industry to become one of the leading African American actors of the 20th Century. In a career that spanned 57 years, Poitier was a featured performer or starred in 48 … Read MoreSidney Poitier (1927-2022)

Pearl Mae Bailey (1918-1990)

Legendary entertainer Pearl Mae Bailey was born on March 29, 1918 in Southamption County, Virginia to Rev. Joseph and Ella Mae Bailey. She grew up in Newport News, Virginia. Bailey began her acting and singing career early at the age of 15 with her debut … Read MorePearl Mae Bailey (1918-1990)

Diahann Carroll (1935-2019)

Actress Diahann Carroll was born July 17, 1935 in the Bronx, New York but grew up in Harlem. She received her education and her theater training at Manhattan’s School of Performing Arts. At the age of 19, Carroll received her first film role when she … Read MoreDiahann Carroll (1935-2019)

Bobby “Blue” Bland (1930-2013)

Blues singer Robert Calvin “Bobby” Bland also known as Bobby “Blue” Bland, was born on January 27, 1930 in Rosemark, Tennessee. He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his mother where he started getting involved with local gospel groups. In addition to joining the gospel groups … Read MoreBobby “Blue” Bland (1930-2013)

Barbara J. Lee (1946- )

California Congresswoman Barbara Jean Lee, a self-described “Army brat,” has consistently been one of the most outspoken critics of the Iraq War. She has also called for the creation of a Department of Peace as a cabinet level agency in the federal government. Barbara Jean … Read MoreBarbara J. Lee (1946- )

Sheila Jackson Lee (1950-2024)

Longtime Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was born on January 12, 1950 in Queens, New York. She graduated from Jamaica High School in Queens, New York in 1968. She then graduated from Yale University in Connecticut with a B.A. in political science in 1972 followed … Read MoreSheila Jackson Lee (1950-2024)