Otha Edward Thornton, Jr., the first African American President of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), was born in October of 1967 and reared in Elberton, Georgia, to Otha Edward Thornton, Sr., a Vietnam Veteran, and Estelle J Thornton. He was the oldest of seven. … Read MoreOtha Edward Thornton, Jr. (1967- )
Two-star Major General Ernest George Talbert Jr. was born April 23, 1950 to Dorothy Georgie Burkett Talbert (1926-2020), Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services for the State of Delaware, and Ernest Talbert, Sr. (1916-2009), business professor at Delaware State University. Talbert became the … Read MoreErnest Talbert (1950- )
Gregory Dimitri Gadson is a retired United States Army colonel, motivational speaker, actor, and business owner. Gadson was born on February 19, 1966, in Chesapeake, Virginia. He attended Indian River High School, where he was a standout football player. Gadson graduated in 1985 then attended … Read MoreGregory D. Gadson (1966- )
On July 2, 2018, Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams became the first African American to be sworn in to lead the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of former Army officer Lonnie Buford Williams, Darryl A. … Read MoreDarryl Atwell Cecil Williams (1961- )
Lieutenant General Ronald S. Coleman is the second black person in the United States Marine Corps to reach a three-star rank, which he earned in 2006. Coleman also earned the French Legion of Honor, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Defense … Read MoreRonald S. Coleman (1948- )
Very little is known about Major General Michael Calhoun’s childhood beyond the fact that he was born in 1954. After Graduating from Florida A&M University with a degree in Pharmacy in May, 1977, Calhoun enlisted in the Florida Army National Guard in August of that … Read MoreMichael Calhoun (1954- )
Brigadier General Rufus Smith was the first African American to be appointed a General in the Ohio National Guard. He was also the first black Commander of the 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. In 1985, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Personnel Management and Industrial … Read MoreRufus Smith (19?- )
On November 3, 1970, in Syracuse, New York, Jeanette J. Epps was born to parents Henry and Luberta Epps. She was born, with her twin sister, Janet, as the youngest of seven with two other sisters and three brothers. Epps graduated from Thomas J. Corcoran High … Read MoreJeanette J. Epps (1970- )
Vincent K. Brooks is a distinguished general in the US Army and is currently the commander of the UN Command, Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea. He was born on October 24, 1958, in Anchorage, Alaska, to Leo Brooks Sr., an army general, and … Read MoreVincent K. Brooks (1958- )
Ali Al’amin Mazrui was a Kenyan intellectual in the fields of political science, African studies, and Islamic studies. The father of the African Liberalism ideology (an economic perspective on Africa critical of western powers and Marxism/Socialism) was an often controversial figure due largely to his … Read MoreAli Al’amin Mazrui (1933-2014)
