On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama, became the 44th President of the United States. His inaugural address appears below. My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne … Read More(2009) President Barack Obama Inaugural Address
Es’kia Mphahlele was a South African writer, professor, and political activist who was critical of the nation’s apartheid regime. He subsequently spent twenty years in exile from South Africa between 1957 and 1977. In the speech below, given in Johannesburg, South Africa in June, 1963, … Read More(1963) Es’kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele, “On Negritude in Literature”
Eric H. Holder, Jr., U.S. Attorney General since 2009, was born on January 21, 1951 in the Bronx, New York to parents of Barbadian descent, Eric, a real estate agent and Miriam Holder, a telephone operator. Holder was raised in East Elmhurst, Queens, a community … Read MoreEric H. Holder (1951- )
On January 15, 2009 Roland Wallace Burris was sworn in as the U.S. Senator from Illinois. Burris’s appointment made him the third African American U.S. Senator from the state and the sixth black U.S. Senator in the history of the United States. The appointment, however, … Read MoreRoland Burris (1937- )
Forrester Blanchard Washington was an African American pioneer in social work first with the Detroit Urban League and later with the Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration. Washington was born in1887 in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from Tufts College (University) in 1909 and received graduate degrees from … Read MoreForrester B. Washington (1887-1963)
Heman Marion Sweatt was a postal worker from Houston, Texas, who integrated the University of Texas (UT) Law School in 1950. Sweatt was born on December 11, 1912 in Houston, Texas. He was the fourth child of James Leonard and Ella Rose Sweatt. In 1930, … Read MoreHeman Marion Sweatt (1912-1982)
Eric Pettigrew is the former Washington State Representative for the 37th Legislative District representing Southeast Seattle, Washington and its suburbs. Representative Pettigrew grew up in South Central Los Angeles. After graduating from Nogales High School in the City of Industry, California, he enrolled in Oregon … Read MoreEric Pettigrew (1960- )
Mentis Carrere was a black activist in Los Angeles mainly known for his 1926 heroic defense of his home against a white mob angry that he became an occupant in a formerly all-white neighborhood. Born on December 9, 1891 in Louisiana, Carrere was a working-class … Read MoreMentis Carrere (1891-1989)
Harry Herbert Pace was the founder of the first black record company, Pace Phonograph Corporation which sold recordings under the Black Swan Records label. He was born on January 6, 1884 in Covington, Georgia the son of Charles Pace and Nancy Ferris Pace. His father, … Read MoreHarry Pace (1884-1943)
Sam Lucas, one of the most respected and celebrated entertainers of his time, is credited with breaking barriers for black actors and becoming the first African American actor to star in a “white” feature film. Lucas is best remembered for his comic and dramatic roles … Read MoreSam Lucas (1840-1915)
