Richard Allen Tucker, born on February 13, 1850, was an ordained minister, educator, and poet. He was the son of Reverend Lewis Tucker, the first African-American ordained Baptist minister in the City and Elizabeth “Betsey” Hunter, a seamstress. Richard’s parents were free Blacks before the … Read MoreRichard Allen Tucker (1850-1924)
Twelve-time GRAMMY-winning composer, conductor, librettist, and jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter was born on August 25, 1933, in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were Joseph Wayne Shorter, a a welder for the Singer sewing machine company, and Louise Shorter, a seamstress with furriers. They also had … Read MoreWayne Shorter (1933-2023)
Freddie Stowers, recognized posthumously for his heroism and bravery during the decisive Hundred Days Offensive in France in 1918, was the first Black soldier awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S military decoration, for serving during World War I. Born on January 12, 1896, … Read MoreFreddie Stowers (1896-1918)
Black advertising pioneer Thomas J. Burrell was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 18, 1939. His parents had both migrated from the South. His father owned buildings and a blues tavern; his mother ran a beauty shop out of their home. Burrell grew up on … Read MoreThomas J. Burrell (1939- )
Peter Crosby was born in 1844 and lived twenty years in Clark County, Mississippi. He moved to Vicksburg in 1864 and enlisted at the age of 20 where he became a member of the US Colored Troops in Company C, 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery. … Read MorePeter Crosby (1844-1884)
Sheriff Eric Fagan, a 30-year Fort Bend County resident, was elected on November 3, 2020, as the Sheriff of the County. On January 1, 2021, Fagan became the 45th Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas and the first African American to serve in the position … Read MoreEric Fagan
John Haywood Baker Jr. was elected Sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina in 1978. A former professional football player, with his election he would become the first African American sheriff elected in the in the state since the Reconstruction Era, Baker held the office for … Read MoreJohn H. Baker Jr. (1935-2007)
Robert Earl “DJ Screw” Davis was an American hip hop Disk Jockey (DJ) who was best known as the creator of the chopped and screw technique, a music technique that slowed down the tempo of songs and became central to the rise of the musical … Read MoreDj Screw/Robert Earl Davis (1971-2000)
Isadore Banks was a 59-year-old African American landowner who disappeared on June 4, 1954. Banks was born on July 15, 1895, in Arkansas. Much of Banks’ early life is unknown, but he joined the United States Army when he was 22 years old during World … Read MoreIsadore Banks (1895 – 1954)
Kelly Miller Smith Sr, named after the prominent educator and civil rights leader Kelly Miller, was a Baptist preacher, author, and civil rights activist best known for participating in the Civil Rights Movement in Nashville, Tennessee. Smith was born on October 28, 1920, in the … Read MoreKelly Miller Smith Sr. (1920-1984)
