“If I had nine lives, I’d want to be a lawyer every day of every one, I enjoy it so.” With this sensibility and love for the legal system, Juanita Kidd Stout made the correct decision in choosing her life’s work. Juanita Kidd Stout established … Read MoreJuanita Kidd Stout (1919-1998)
Josh Gibson was born in Buena Vista, Georgia, on December 21, 1911. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1924 when his father found work in a steel mill. He played baseball for company teams in the area but began his career with the Negro League when … Read MoreJoshua [“Josh”] Gibson (1911-1947)
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher was a leading activist, attorney, and educator who opened higher education to African American students in Oklahoma, and laid the foundation for the Brown v. Board of Education decision. After graduating from the segregated Langston University in 1945, Fisher volunteered to … Read MoreAda Lois Sipuel Fisher (1924-1995)
John Henry “Pop” Lloyd was born April 25, 1884, in Palatka, Florida. Reportedly discovered by baseball legend Rube Foster, Lloyd would begin his professional career with the Cuban X-Giants, where fans would give him the nickname “El Cuchara” (“The Shovel”) due to his steady hands … Read MoreJohn Henry “Pop” Lloyd (1884-1965)
John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil was born November 13, 1911, in Carrabelle, Florida. Working with his father on a Florida celery farm when he was 13, the young O’Neil said to himself, “Damn. There’s got to be something better than this.” After traveling to West Palm … Read MoreJohn Jordan “Buck” O’Neil (1911-2006)
Legendary self-taught, left-handed guitarist Jimi Hendrix was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, the son of Lucille Jeter Hendrix and Al Hendrix. Jimi grew up in poverty but he loved science fiction, art, nearby Lake Washington and music, especially the R&B masters, Chuck Berry and … Read MoreJimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
Athlete, actor, and political activist James Nathaniel Brown was born February 17, 1936, in St. Simon Island, Georgia. A talented athlete from an early age, Brown earned 13 letters playing a variety of sports at Manhasset High School in New York. Over the course of … Read MoreJames Nathaniel [“Jim”] Brown (1936-2023)
James Baskett, the first male African American to win an Academy Award, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 16, 1904. After high school Baskett planned to study pharmacy, but after he was offered a small part in a show in Chicago, Illinois his career … Read MoreJames Baskett (1904-1948)
James Thomas Bell was born May 17, 1903, in Starkville, Mississippi. Playing baseball as a 19 year-old rookie Bell earned the nickname “Cool Papa” after proving to his older teammates that he was not intimidated by playing professionally in front of large crowds. Signing with … Read MoreJames [“Cool Papa”] Bell (1903-1991)
The first African American artist to gain international renown, Henry Ossawa Tanner was the son of a prominent cleric born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 21, 1859. At age 13, inspired by an artist painting a landscape in a local park, he committed himself to … Read MoreHenry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937)
