Brian O’Harold Hemphill (1969– )

“Image Ownership: Ashley Schumaker” In August 2021 Dr. Brian O’Harold Hemphill will become the first black president of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He has previously served as president of Radford University in Radford, Virginia from 2016 to 2021 and was the tenth president … Read MoreBrian O’Harold Hemphill (1969– )

Horatio Viscount “Berky” Nelson Jr. (1939-2015)

“Image Ownership: Christopher Nelson” Horatio Viscount “Berky” Nelson was a widely recognized scholar of 20th Century African American political history and particularly class dynamics in the modern black community. His first major work, The Rise and Fall of Modern Black Leadership, was a searing critique … Read MoreHoratio Viscount “Berky” Nelson Jr. (1939-2015)

Sumner Alexander Furniss (1874-1953)

Private Office of Dr. Sumner Furniss “Image Ownership: Public Domain” Prominent physician and surgeon Sumner Alexander Furniss was the first African American to become a member of the staff at Indianapolis City Hospital in Indiana. He was also a founding member and president of the … Read MoreSumner Alexander Furniss (1874-1953)

Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman (1953- )

Entrepreneur businessman Ulysses Bridgeman, better known by his nickname, “Junior,” was born on September 17, 1953, in East Chicago, Indiana. His father, Ulysses Sr., worked in a steel mill, and his mother was a homemaker. Bridgeman attended East Washington High School where he maintained a … Read MoreUlysses “Junior” Bridgeman (1953- )

Elson S. Floyd (1956–2015)

“Image Ownership: WSU Athletic Communications” Elson S. Floyd was the first African American president of three universities, a visionary leader, and a skilled statesman. Elson Sylvester Floyd was born on February 29, 1956, in Henderson, North Carolina. He was raised in this racially segregated town … Read MoreElson S. Floyd (1956–2015)

Cornell William Brooks (1961- )

Image Ownership: Public Domain” Cornell William Brooks, currently the President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1961. His family moved to Georgetown, South Carolina, just before he began junior high school. After graduating … Read MoreCornell William Brooks (1961- )

Randolph Warren Carter (1913-1970)

“Image Courtesy of the Randolph Carter Family” Civil rights leader and political activist Randolph Warren “Randy” Carter of Seattle, Washington, was born November 15, 1913 in Riverside, California to Charles and Hettie Carter, the youngest son of four boys. Carter was a track star in … Read MoreRandolph Warren Carter (1913-1970)