Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee, producer, actor, director, was born on March 20, 1957 in Atlanta Georgia. His parents are William Lee, a jazz musician and composer, and Jacqueline Shelton Lee, a teacher of art and literature. Lee, the oldest of five children in a relatively … Read MoreSpike Lee (1957- )
Robert Townsend, a writer, producer, director, and actor, was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 6, 1957, the second of four children to Shirley and Robert Townsend. He was raised by his mother on the west side of Chicago. As a child, he entertained his … Read MoreRobert Townsend (1957- )
Operation Crossroads Africa (OCA), founded in 1958 by Dr. James H. Robinson, is a non-profit organization which provides individuals with a seven-week experience in Africa. Founded on the principle that cultural immersion is possible through working and living inside Africa, their core values are to … Read MoreOperation Crossroads Africa (1958- )
Bruce Allen Harrell, was elected Mayor of Seattle, Washington on November 2, 2021 and was sworn in as the 57th mayor of the city on January 1, 2022. His campaign focused on increased public safety and solving the homelessness crisis in the city. Harrell who … Read MoreBruce Harrell (1958- )
Yvette M. Jarvis has the distinction of being the first African American woman elected to serve on the Athens, Greece City Council from 2002 to 2006. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1957, Jarvis traveled to Greece in 1982 after graduating from Boston University (Massachusetts). … Read MoreYvette M. Jarvis (1957- )
Deval L. Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts, was elected in 2006. He became at that time the second African American elected as a state Governor in the history of the United States. Patrick was born on July 31, 1956 in Chicago to Laurdine “Pat” Patrick and … Read MoreDeval L. Patrick (1956- )
On November 4, 2008, Illinois Senator Barack Obama defeated Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. On the night of his historic victory, Senator Obama addressed an audience of 250,000 at Grant Park in Chicago. The text of his speech appears below. Hello … Read More(2008) President-Elect Barack Obama’s Election Night Victory Speech, Nov. 4th, 2008
Fredua Koranteng Adu, known to much of the world as Freddy Adu was born June 2, 1989 in the port city of Tema, Ghana. Growing up in Ghana, Freddy often received attention for his tremendous soccer skills as a youngster. Even at a young age … Read MoreFreddy Adu (1989- )
On February 9, 2001, actress and vocalist Diahann Carroll addressed the World Summit Against Cancer meeting in Paris, France. Carroll addressed the audience of scholars and activists as a breast cancer survivor. Her speech appears below. Bonjour. Good afternoon. Thank you for your gracious invitation … Read More(2001) Diahann Carroll, “Keeping Up the Good Fight, Winning the Crusade Against Cancer”
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- )
