Democratic representative of New York City, New York, Charles Bernard Rangel, first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970 and retiring in 2017, served 46 years in Congress. Rangel was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1930 to Blanche Mary Wharton and Ralph … Read MoreCharles Bernard Rangel (1930- )
Image Courtesy of Dr. Robert Shepard Robert Louis Shepard, PhD. is an author and chemist. He is best known for opening doors of opportunity for faculty and students in science-related fields at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Beginning in 1983 he became an advocate for inclusion of … Read MoreRobert Louis Shepard (1947- )
Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham, Jr., who eventually served on the United States Court of Appeals, was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1928. His mother, Emma Lee Higginbotham, was a maid and his father, Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham Sr., was a factory worker. Higginbotham attended racially segregated schools in Trenton, … Read MoreA. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. (1928-1998)
Image Ownership: Public domain Roland Sebastian Martin is a journalist, columnist, and author. Martin was on born November 18, 1968 to Emelda and Reginald Lynn Martin Sr. in Houston, Texas. His maternal great grandparents emigrated from Haiti to the United States where they settled in … Read MoreRoland Sebastian Martin (1968- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Harold E. Pierce Jr. was an internationally renowned American dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon known as “The Father of Black Cosmetic Surgery.” He pioneered surgical techniques for the treatment of keloids, laminar dermal reticulotomy, hair transplants, cosmetic facial surgery, chemical facial peeling, … Read MoreHarold E. Pierce (1922–2006)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Former president and president emeritus of Howard University, Dr. James Edward Cheek is credited with major changes and improvements to one of the oldest historically African American institutions of higher education during his twenty-year tenure. James Edward Cheek was born on … Read MoreJames Edward Cheek (1932–2010)
Norris Bumstead Herndon was the second president of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, founded by his father, Alonzo Herndon, in 1905. Herndon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 15, 1897, the only child of Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a graduate and teacher at Atlanta University, … Read MoreNorris Bumstead Herndon (1897–1977)
Lieutenant Colonel Eldridge F. Williams was one of the first trainers of Tuskegee Airmen. Williams was born in Harris, Washington County, Texas on November 2, 1917, the son of cotton sharecroppers Ora and E.D. Williams who eventually moved to Kansas. Williams finished high school and … Read MoreEldridge F. Williams (1917-2015)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Ambassador Barry L. Wells has had an extensive career in international affairs with the United States Foreign Service after an earlier period as a university professor and administrator. Wells was born in 1942 in Columbus, Ohio and graduated from East High … Read MoreBarry L. Wells (1942- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Walter Fitzgerald Jerrick, prominent Philadelphia, Pennsylvania physician and founder of The Pyramid Club was born in Georgetown, British Guiana, on March 21, 1894. He attended the public schools there until October 12, 1908, when he came to the United States and … Read MoreWalter Fitzgerald Jerrick (1894-1953)