“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Steve LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who played for the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen years with two teams, the Houston/Tennessee Oilers which were renamed the Tennessee Titans, and the Baltimore Ravens. McNair was born on February 14, … Read MoreSteve LaTreal McNair (1973–2009)
Chaplain (Major General) Matthew Augustus Zimmerman Jr. is a retired American Army officer who served as the 18th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1990 to 1994. He was the first African American to hold this position. Zimmerman was born on December … Read MoreMatthew Augustus Zimmerman Jr. (1941– )
J. Gary Cooper, military, government, and business leader, was appointed United States Ambassador to Jamaica by President Bill Clinton in 1994. He was the first African American to occupy the position. Prior to his appointment, he had a distinguished military career. Jerome Gary Cooper was … Read MoreJ. Gary Cooper (1936- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Samuel Eugene Kelly, soldier and educator, was born in Greenwich, Connecticut on January 26, 1926 to James Handy Kelly, a minister, and Essie Matilda Allen-Kelly, a homemaker. Educated at Greenwich public schools, Kelly dropped out of high school in 1943 and … Read MoreSamuel Eugene Kelly (1926-2009)
Steve Harvey is a media conglomerate personified in a man whose career began doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a stand-up comedian led to multiple TV shows and movies, acting, hosting, writing and producing. He became a top-rated radio host, fashion entrepreneur, … Read MoreSteve Harvey (1957- )
Image Courtesy of the Huffington Post, www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/ 20090121/citygroup-chairman/image Richard Dean Parsons, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Time Warner Inc., is the current Chairman of Citigroup. Despite his working class origins, Parsons’ achievements have been recognized by the African American community and he has become … Read MoreRichard D. Parsons (1948- )
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, one of the five fraternities for African American men, was founded on November 17, 1911 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. It is the first African American fraternity established at a historically black college. The three founders—Edgar … Read MoreOmega Psi Phi Fraternity (1911- )
Image Ownership: Public Domain The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC), also referred to as the Divine Nine, is the umbrella organization housing nine black Greek-letter organizations. The NPHC was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on May 10, 1930, and incorporated under laws in … Read MoreNational Pan-Hellenic Council (1930 – )
Raymond (Ray) Merriwether, prominent Seattle, Washington African American architect, real estate developer, and newspaper owner, was born in Taylor, Texas on June 19, 1924 to Colie and Annie Merriwether. After graduating from high school Merriwether attended barber school and served a short time in the … Read MoreRaymond Merriwether (1924-2011)
Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, attorney Oliver White Hill spent more than 60 years in a practice devoted to civil rights causes. He was in the forefront of the legal effort to desegregate public schools, participating in the … Read MoreOliver W. Hill (1907-2007)
