Bil Moss, in 1975, was the first woman of color to win a Tacoma councilmanic primary election. Although she lost in the November general election, she ran again 24 years later for the same third district council seat and prevailed. Thus, she became the second … Read MoreBil Moss (1932- )
Victorine Quille Adams was a Baltimore Public School teacher, business manager of the Charm Center, founder of the Colored Women’s Democratic Campaign Committee, co-founder of Woman Power, Incorporated, and the first African American Baltimore City Councilwoman. She was a native Baltimorean whose contributions sought to … Read MoreVictorine Quille Adams (1912-2006)
Allegra “Happy” Haynes was born on March 4th, 1953. Her nickname, Happy, comes from the Spanish translation of her first name. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Haynes’ student activism during her years at East High School gave rise to a lifelong career of civic … Read MoreAllegra “Happy” Haynes (1953- )
Martha Reeves, one of Ruby and Elijah Reeves’s eleven children, was born in Eufaula, Alabama on July 18, 1941. Before her first birthday, they moved to Detroit, Michigan. She grew up performing at her father’s Methodist church, and was vocally trained by Abraham Silver while … Read MoreMartha and the Vandellas (1960-1974)
Lyman S. Parks was the first African American mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving in the role from 1971 to 1976. Lyman S. Parks was born in 1917, although the details of his birth and childhood are unknown. He grew up in southern Indiana and … Read MoreLyman S. Parks (1917-2009)
Marielle Franco was a Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) city councilmember, and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberty. She was also a member of the LGBT community and a human rights activist, especially against police brutality in the favelas, or slums of the city. On March 14, 2018, she was shot … Read MoreMarielle Franco (1979-2018)
The first mayor of African descent of a major European city, Severiano de Heredia, was born in Havana, Cuba, on November 8, 1836. He was the son of prosperous mulatto parents, Henri de Heredia and Beatriz de Cárdenas. Registered as a “mulatto born free” in the parish of Jesus del Monte, some … Read MoreSeveriano de Heredia (1836-1901)
Thirty-eight-year old politician Melvin Carter III was born in 1979 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the first African American to serve as Mayor of the second-largest city in Minnesota. Carter was elected in November 2017 and sworn in on January 2, 2018. During his campaign, he received … Read MoreMelvin Carter (1979- )
Born on January 5th, 1926 in Attapulgus, Georgia, Hosea Williams became a prominent civil rights activist and war hero. Unfortunately, his mother died in childbirth and his father was never in the picture, so Williams was raised by his grandfather, Turner Williams. Williams encountered racism early in his life. At … Read MoreHosea Williams (1926-2000)
Civil rights supporter, city official, and social activist Gilbert William Lindsay was born on a cotton plantation in Mississippi on November 29, 1900. As a teenager, he left the state and enrolled in a school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lindsay later moved to Arizona where he served in the 10th Calvary and 25th Infantry of the United States Army. … Read MoreGilbert William Lindsay (1900-1990)
