Dorie Ann Ladner was a lifelong Civil Rights Activist, beginning with becoming a Freedom Fighter in her youth. Ladner was born on June 28, 1942, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Her mother, Annie Woullard, was a homemaker, and her father, Eunice Ladner, was a dry cleaner. Ladner’s … Read MoreDorie Ann Ladner (1942-2024)
In 2020, Ella Jones became the first Black and first female mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, the St. Louis suburb that became the focal point for national protests following the murder of teenager Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer. After completing high school in 1972, … Read MoreElla Jones (1954- )
Kenneth Cooper Alexander became Norfolk, Virginia’s first African American mayor, a historic milestone for the Commonwealth city founded in 1682. Born in Norfolk on October 17, 1966, to David Alexander, a funeral director and business owner, and Ruby Rebecca Cooper, a college graduate, professional clarinetist, … Read MoreKenneth Cooper-Alexander (1966-)
Damola Adamolekun is a Nigerian-American business executive and restauranteur. He was the first Black CEO of P. F. Chang’s, a major Asian-American fusion restaurant chain. Adamolekun was born in Nigeria to Yoruba parents. His father is a neurologist, and his mother is a pharmacist. He … Read MoreDamola Adamolekun (1989- )
Anthony “Spice” Adams is a former American football player for the National Football League (NFL), actor, comedian, and television host. He was born on June 18, 1980, to Anthony Adams Sr. and Constance Davis in Detroit, Michigan. Adams, who had two siblings, attended Martin Luther … Read MoreAnthony “Spice” Adams (1980- )
Leah Penniman is a farmer and food sovereignty activist who cofounded Soul Fire Farm near Grafton, New York, in 2010. Penniman was born in 1980 to Adele Smith, an African American woman and a White father in Central Massachusetts. Penniman’s parents divorced at an early … Read MoreLeah Penniman (1980- )
Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old African American resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was fatally shot by Officer Christopher Schurr of the Grand Rapids Police Department during a scuffle between the two in Grand Rapids. Born on February 6, 1996, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), … Read MorePatrick Lyoya (1996-2022)
Daunte Demetrious Wright, a 20-year-old African American man, tragically lost his life during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Wright was born on October 27, 2000, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to parents Katie Wright and Aubrey Wright. He had two siblings and attended Patrick Henry … Read MoreDaunte Demetrious Wright (2000-2021)
Esperanza Spalding, a composer, librettist, bassist, lyricist, violinist, and vocalist, quickly emerged as one of the most successful jazz artists of the 21st Century. She was born Esperanza Emily Spalding on October 18, 1984, in Portland, Oregon, to an African American father and a mother … Read MoreEsperanza Spalding (1984- )
Glanis Changachirere is a Zimbabwean feminist, human rights activist, and scholar. Changachirere is the founding Director of the Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD) and the founding Coordinator of the African Women’s Leader Forum (AWLF). She received a master’s degree in international relations (Gender) and … Read MoreGlanis Changachirere (1983- )
