Lovie Lee Smith is an American football coach for the National Football League (NFL). Smith was born on May 8, 1958, to Thurman Smith and Mae Smith in Gladewater, Texas. He attended Big Sandy High School in Big Sandy, Texas where he played defensive end … Read MoreLovie Lee Smith (1958- )
The first African American mayor of Buffalo, New York, Byron Brown, was born on September 24, 1958 in Hollis, Queens, New York. He attended PS 134 in Hollis and, later, junior high at PS 109. He attended August Martin High school and, after graduation, enrolled … Read MoreByron Brown (1958- )
Charles E. Bussey Jr., was the first African American mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was also the first African American elected to serve on the Little Rock City Board of Directors (City Council) since Reconstruction and the first African American deputy sheriff of Pulaski … Read MoreCharles E. Bussey Jr. (1918-1996)
Andre Hill, a 47-year-old unarmed African American man became another Black Lives Matter victim when he was shot and killed by a white police officer, Adam Coy, of the Columbus, Ohio Police Department on December 22, 2020. Coy responded to a non-emergency call from a … Read MoreAndre Hill (1973-2020)
Lewis Chitengwa was a Zimbabwean golfer who, in 1993, became the first Black person to win the South African Amateur Championship. Chitengwa was born on January 25, 1975, to Lewis Muridzo and an unnamed mother in Harare, Zimbabwe. Chitengwa’s father was an accomplished golf professional … Read MoreLewis Chitengwa (1975-2001)
Mance Lipscomb was a blues singer, guitarist, and songster, born Beau De Glen Lipscomb on April 9, 1895, to an African American father and an African American and Native-American mother in Navasota, Texas. Lipscomb’s father left the family when he was a young child, resulting in … Read MoreMance Lipscomb (1895-1976)
Steven Anthony Davis was a prominent business leader, a former chairman, and CEO of Bob Evans Farms Inc. from 2006 until 2014. Davis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Dolores and Henry Joseph Davis on June 8, 1958. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin- … Read MoreSteven Anthony Davis (1958-2022)
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)
