Sarann Knight-Preddy (1920-2014)

Sarann Knight was born in Eufaula, Oklahoma  on July 22, 1920, to parents of mixed African American and Native American ancestry.  She migrated to Las Vegas in 1942, settling with her husband, Luther Walker, in the Westside African American community.  Preddy first sought employment on … Read MoreSarann Knight-Preddy (1920-2014)

Melvin Jay “Mel” Reynolds (1952- )

Politician, scholar and professor, Mel Reynolds was born on January 8, 1952, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, to parents J.J. and Essie May Reynolds. Reynolds attended John Marshall High School on the Westside of Chicago where he developed impressive academic credentials. He then enrolled in Chicago … Read MoreMelvin Jay “Mel” Reynolds (1952- )

Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)

Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent educator, political leader, and social visionary whose early twentieth century activism for black women and civil rights laid the foundation for the modern civil rights era. Inspired by leaders such as Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Josephine St. Pierre-Ruffin, Bethune … Read MoreMary Jane McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)

Elizabeth Ross Haynes (1883-1953)

In the early twentieth century Progressive era reformers largely ignored the needs of African American women.  Lacking settlement houses and other resources African American reformers such as Elizabeth Ross Haynes turned to one of the few institutions available to them, the YWCA.  Ross Haynes was … Read MoreElizabeth Ross Haynes (1883-1953)