Wesley Parish Hunt, a Republican member of Congress from Texas, was born on November 13, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Willie L. Hunt, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, and Dianne Johnson Hunt. Wesley’s siblings are D’Hania Hunt and Wrendon Hunt, both graduates of the United … Read MoreWesley Parish Hunt (1981-)
On December 17, 2022, Dr. Claudine Gay was appointed president of Harvard University. She became the first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400 years of existence, attaining her new position after a competitive search which included over 600 applicants. Dr. Gay had previously served as … Read MoreClaudine Gay (1970-)
Legendary rapper, composer, actor, and activist Kurtis Blow was born on August 9, 1959, in Harlem, New York, as Kurt Walker. His mother was a dancer in Harlem during the Renaissance at the Savoy and the Cotton Club. At the age of seven, Blow’s mother … Read MoreKurtis Blow/Kurt Walker (1959- )
Lieutenant Colonel Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell is the first African American female fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. Kimbrell was born in Lafayette, Indiana on April 20, 1976. Her parents, Eve Blackman Ng A Qui and Dr. Norman N A Qui, migrated from Guyana … Read MoreShawna Rochelle (Ng A Qui) Kimbrell (1976- )
Sankore Mosque and University is the oldest continuously-operating institution of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed that the mosque and university were erected in the 1100s C.E. (Twelfth Century) by Berbers who settled in the Timbuktu region of modern-day Mali. Mansa Musa I, … Read MoreSankore Mosque and University (c. 1100- )
Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi was a loyal Sahabah (companion) to the Prophet Muhammad and thus one of the earliest converts in the newly-emerging religion of Islam. He was also the first mu’azzin (prayer caller) in the Muslim faith. Rabah is the first person of known … Read MoreBilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi (580-640)
Sundiata (Sunjata) Keita was a West African political leader who would become the founder and first ruler of the Mali Empire in medieval West Africa. He founded the empire circa 1235 CE and ruled until his death in circa 1255 CE. The Mali empire was prosperous under his rule. Sundiata … Read MoreSundiata Keita (1210?-1255?)
Miles K. Davis is the first black educator to become president of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Davis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1960. He was raised in a mixed religious background where his father was Muslim and his mother was Christian. Being born into a poor family, Davis was motivated … Read MoreMiles K. Davis (1960- )
Lieutenant General Larry R. Jordan is a former Army officer, former Senior Vice President of Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd., and current Principal of LNJ Group, LLC. Jordan served for 35 years as a member of the U.S. Army, completing two active combat tours in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm (Iraq). Jordan … Read MoreLarry R. Jordan (1946- )
Retired Lt. General John D. Hopper was born in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1947. He attended Lyndon McKinley high school in Columbus, Ohio and entered the Air Force Academy in 1965. In high school, Hopper was an avid high school athlete, involved in basketball and track, but at the Air Force Academy in Colorado … Read MoreJohn D. Hopper (1947- )
