George F. Bowles, born enslaved in 1844 in Charleston, South Carolina, was one of the most prominent figures in Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction era Mississippi. He was a lawyer, newspaper editor, politician, and businessman. His early life remains somewhat unclear, with conflicting accounts of his parent’s … Read MoreGeorge F. Bowles (1844-1899)
Edgar Amos Love was an American bishop with the Methodist Episcopal Church and cofounder of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Love was born on September 10, 1891, to Julies C. Love, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Susie Love, a licensed minister and the … Read MoreEdgar Amos Love (1891-1974)
Louis Allen, an American farmer and logger, was murdered on January 31, 1964, because of his efforts to vote in Amite County, Mississippi. Allen was born on April 25, 1919, to unnamed parents in Amite County, Mississippi. He served in the United States Army during … Read MoreLouis Allen (1919-1964)
Benjamin Franklin Kelly made history on September 19, 1953, when he became the first African American to play at an all-white college in Texas, San Angelo College (later Angelo State University, ASU). His San Angelo College debut came eight months before the U.S. Supreme Court’s … Read MoreBen Kelly (1931-2014)
Tuskegee Airman and later College President Roscoe Conkling Brown, Jr., was born March 9, 1922, in Washington, DC, to Roscoe Conkling Brown Sr., a dentist, and Vivian Kemp Brown, a teacher. He had an older sister, Portia Brown. Roscoe Brown graduated with honors from racially … Read MoreRoscoe C. Brown, Jr. (1922-2016)
Beny Jene Primm, a pioneer in HIV/AIDS research and treatment and an anesthesiologist, was born on May 21, 1928, in Williamson, West Virginia, to a funeral director father, George Oliver Primm, and a mother, Willie Henrietta Martin Primm, who taught school. He had one brother, … Read MoreBeny Jene Primm (1928-2015)
Thomas Fountain Blue, the first African American to head a public library in the United States, was also a civic, educational, and religious leader. Blue was born in Farmville, Virginia, on March 6, 1866, to Noah Blue, a carpenter, and Henry Ann Crawley Blue. They … Read MoreThomas Fountain Blue (1866-1935)
Willie C. Stewart Sr. became Tacoma, Washington’s first Black school principal at Lincoln High School on June 25, 1970. Stewart’s appointment by School Superintendent Angelo Giaudrone, considered truly historic at the time, was but one of many achievements of this notable educator. Stewart was born … Read MoreWillie C. Stewart Sr (1935- )
Raymond Lawrence Finch, a Federal District Court and contributor to the development of the Virgin Islands Legal System was born on October 4, 1940, in Christiansted, St. Croix, to Wilfred Christopher Finch and Beryl Esther Bough Finch. His siblings were Gordon A. Finch, a former … Read MoreRaymond Lawrence Finch (1940-2023)
Freddie Stowers, recognized posthumously for his heroism and bravery during the decisive Hundred Days Offensive in France in 1918, was the first Black soldier awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S military decoration, for serving during World War I. Born on January 12, 1896, … Read MoreFreddie Stowers (1896-1918)
