Congresswoman Lucia “Lucy” McBath, is a wife, mother, author, and activist for social justice. Lucia Kay Holman was born in Joliet, Illinois on June 1, 1960. Her mother Wilma worked as a nurse, and her father, Lucien Holman, was a dentist. Her father also owned … Read MoreLucia Kay (Holman) McBath (1960- )
Eugene Moszee was a civil rights activist in Seattle during the 1940s. Born in Floresville, Texas, in 1914, the first of ten children of illiterate farm laborers, Moszee moved to Seattle during the 1930s and by 1937 owned and operated his own Mobile gas station … Read MoreEugene Moszee (1914-1945)
Civil Rights activist, American educator, and community religious leader William B. Gibbs, Jr. was born July 26, 1905, in West Chester, Pennsylvania to Lena W. and William Gibbs, Sr. He grew up in West Chester, graduating from West Chester High School and continued his education … Read MoreWilliam B. Gibbs, Jr. (1905-1984)
Xernona Clayton, a civil rights activist and the first woman to host a television show in the South, was born to James and Lillie Brewster in Muskogee, Oklahoma on August 30, 1930. Her father was a respected Baptist minister and both her parents managed Indian … Read MoreXernona Clayton (1930- )
Dorothy Cotton was an American civil rights activist and leader, known for being the only woman in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s inner circle. She was also the highest-ranking woman in King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As the organization’s Educational Director, Cotton ran SCLC’s Citizenship … Read MoreDorothy Cotton (1930-2018)
Prominent New Jersey educator Nedd James Johnson, Sr. was born on March 1, 1960 to Neely and Queen Johnson in Dayton Beach, Florida. He is the second oldest of five children, all boys. Johnson is married Mary Lena (Carter) Johnson and they have two children: Nedd, Jr. and … Read MoreNedd James Johnson Sr. (1960- )
Linda Brown is best remembered as the subject of the lawsuit that led to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision which eventually impacted public schools across the United States. Brown was born on February 20, 1943, in Topeka, Kansas. She was the daughter of Oliver and … Read MoreLinda Brown (1943-2018)
As a lawyer, speechwriter, and close friend to Martin Luther King, Jr., Clarence Jones was a key figure in the background of the Civil Rights movement. While Jones’ own accomplishments were numerous, his touch on history has been relatively silent compared to the individuals with whom he was associated. Clarence … Read MoreClarence Benjamin Jones (1931- )
Charles Frederick McDew was a civil rights and community activist, teacher, labor organizer, and one of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) where he worked towards increasing Black voter registration and racial desegregation. McDew was born on June 23, 1938, in Massillon, Ohio to Eva McDew, a nurse, and James McDew, … Read MoreCharles Frederick McDew (1938-2018)
Scipio Africanus Jones was a prominent Arkansas African American defense attorney in the late 19th and early 20th century. He opposed Arkansas’s Jim Crow laws and successfully argued cases before the United States Supreme Court between 1913 and 1925. Known for his pro bono work for impoverished African American defendants, Jones … Read MoreScipio Africanus Jones (1863-1943)
