The Black Star Line (BSL) was a steamship corporation established in 1919 by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey, the leader of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The name, inspired by a British luxury steamship line called the White Star Line, was applied to a highly ambitious … Read MoreBlack Star Line (1919-1923)
Corey Flournoy is an educator, diversity advocate, and entrepreneur. Flournoy went from an early life in Chicago’s crime-ridden projects to a career in agricultural sciences, becoming the first African American to be named president of the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization. He was … Read MoreCorey D. Flournoy (1974- )
WGPR-TV (Where God’s Presence Radiates) was the first television station in the United States owned and operated by African Americans. The station, located in Detroit, Michigan, was founded by William Venoid Banks. WGPR-TV marketed toward the urban audience in Detroit, Michigan, which in that market … Read MoreWGPR-TV (1975-1995)
The Friends of Negro Freedom (FNF) was created by A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen, the owners of The Messenger magazine. They formed the organization with goals of garnering support for black-owned businesses and helping provide African American workers with training in labor union organizing … Read MoreFriends of Negro Freedom (1920-1930)
Operation Crossroads Africa (OCA), founded in 1958 by Dr. James H. Robinson, is a non-profit organization which provides individuals with a seven-week experience in Africa. Founded on the principle that cultural immersion is possible through working and living inside Africa, their core values are to … Read MoreOperation Crossroads Africa (1958- )
The National Negro Business League (NNBL) was founded by Booker T. Washington in Boston, Massachusetts in 1900. The league, which predated the United States Chamber of Commerce by 12 years, strives to enhance the commercial and economic prosperity of the African American community. The NNBL … Read MoreNational Negro Business League (1900 – )
100 Black Men of American Inc. is a civic organization dedicated to the improvement of quality of life in the African American community through fostering the development of young African American men. In 1963, a group of African American men met in New York to … Read More100 Black Men of America, Inc.
Operation PUSH was founded by Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1971 to improve the economic status of African Americans in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to founding PUSH, Jackson was head of the Southern Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket in Chicago. Through Breadbasket, Jackson succeeded in persuading many corporations … Read MoreOperation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity)
Prominent social and civic leader in African American Seattle, Washington, Meredith Mathews was born in Thomaston, Georgia on September 14, 1919. He attended public schools in Georgia and then moved to Ohio for college. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Wilberforce University in … Read MoreMeredith Mathews (1919-1992)
Born November 9, 1933 in Clinton, Louisiana to a farming family, Henry Beauchamp, Jr., was the youngest of Henry Clay, Sr., and Cornellia Beauchamp’s seven children. Shortly after Henry’s thirteenth birthday, his family moved to Yakima, Washington, where he received his secondary education. Henry married … Read MoreHenry Beauchamp (1933-2013)
