Dr. John Morton-Finney was an accomplished lawyer, civil rights activist, and academic who accumulated eleven degrees over the course of his life. Born in Kentucky on June 25, 1889, Morton-Finney was one of seven children. His father, a former slave, and his mother, a free … Read MoreJohn Morton-Finney (1889-1998)
Benin City, which is also known as Edo, is located in the southern region of Nigeria. It is the capital of Edo state and in 2016 boasted a population of 1,500,000 people making it the largest city in the state as well as the fourth-largest … Read MoreBenin City, Nigeria (10th Century- )
The Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley, South Africa, named for pioneer black journalist, author, and founding member of the African National Congress, Sol Plaatje, is a 21st century public university. Created under Section 20 of the Higher Education Act of 1997, it opened its doors … Read MoreSol Plaatje University (2014- )
On the evening of Sunday, September 30, 1962, Southern segregationists rioted and fought state and federal forces on the campus of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in Oxford, Mississippi to prevent the enrollment of the first African American student to attend the university, James Meredith, a U.S. military veteran. President … Read MoreOle Miss Riot (1962)
On January 9, 1961 two Black students, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter, entered the University of Georgia campus to register for classes. Their registration was the end of a long court battle to integrate the university that began a decade earlier when another student, Horace Ward, tried to gain admission … Read MoreUniversity of Georgia Desegregation Riot (1961)
Physician and educator Miles Vandarhurst Lynk was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, on June 3, 1871 to parents who were former slaves. When Lynk was six years old, his father was killed in an accident which left Lynk to help his mother run the farm where … Read MoreMiles Vandarhurst Lynk (1871-1956)
Camille J. Billops, artist, filmmaker, archivist, and professor, was born on August 12, 1933, in Los Angeles. Her parents were Alma Gilmore and Lucius Billops, and she has one sister, Billie. She married James V. Hatch, a professor of theater at the University of California, … Read MoreCamille Billops (1933-2019)
Harriet Elam-Thomas is a diplomat and professor who served as United States Ambassador to Senegal from 1999 to 2002. She retired in 2005 from the U.S. State Department as a Senior Foreign Service Officer with the rank of Career Minister. Born on September 15, 1941 … Read MoreHarriet Elam-Thomas (1941- )
Legendary dancer, choreographer, and actor Carmen de Lavallade came to prominence in the early 1950s when black artists came into their own in the world of American dance on Broadway, in film, and on television. De Lavallade was born on March 6, 1931, in Los … Read MoreCarmen Paula de Lavallade (1931- )
Rosemarie Florence Freeney Harding was a tireless teacher, social worker, civil rights leader, and healer. She was especially known for her deep spirituality and commitment to nonviolence. The youngest of nine siblings, Harding was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 24, 1930 to Dock Freeney, … Read MoreRosemarie Florence Freeney Harding (1930-2004)
