Willie Melton was a farmer and a Civil Rights pioneer in Fort Bend, Texas, responsible for helping to settle what is now known as Kendleton, Fort Bend County, Texas. Melton was born on November 8, 1900, in Fort Bend, a county that in its origins … Read MoreWillie Melton (1900-1969)
Arizona Fleming was a small business owner who became part of the Civil Rights Movement in Fort Bend County, Texas. Fleming was born in Richmond, Texas on March 23, 1884, to Laura and Beauregard Fleming. Not much is known about her life. After attending segregated … Read MoreArizona Fleming (1884-1976)
On May 20, 2019, Reverend Lakeesha Walrond, Ph.D., made history when she was appointed President of the New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), founded in 1900 as the Bible Teacher’s College. Walrond is the first woman and first Black woman to serve as president of NYTS, … Read MoreLakeesha Walrond (1971- )
The St. Augustine Movement was a series of civil rights protests that occurred in St. Augustine, Florida between 1963 and 1964. They were led by local branches of the NAACP Youth Council and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Movement influenced passage of the 1964 … Read MoreThe St. Augustine Movement (1963-1964)
The Detroit Walk To Freedom was a mass march during the Civil Rights Movement that took place on June 23, 1963, in Detroit, Michigan. It drew an estimated 125,000 participants and spectators, which made it the single largest civil rights demonstration in the nation’s history … Read MoreDetroit Walk To Freedom (1963)
The Wire was a popular television series which aired for five seasons on the HBO network, from June 2, 2002, to March 9, 2008. The show, set in Baltimore, Maryland, was created by former police reporter David Simon and based on his experiences and those … Read MoreThe Wire (2002-2008)
Mark Clark was a 22-year-old activist and member of the Black Panther Party (BPP) who on December 4, 1969 was killed along with Chicago area Black Panther Party President Fred Hampton. Clark was born on June 28, 1947 to Elder William Clark and Fannie Bradley … Read MoreMark Clark (1947-1969)
The Cicero Riot of 1951 occurred from July 11-12, 1951, when a mob of approximately 4,000 whites attacked an apartment building an African American family had recently moved into in Cicero, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. The events leading up to the riot began in June … Read MoreThe Cicero Riot of 1951
Lieutenant Colonel Charity Edna Adams Earley was the first African American woman officer of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps. She served as the commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, making her the highest-ranking Black female officer in the Army, during World War II. … Read MoreCharity Earley (1918-2002)
Sylvia Yvonne Cyrus, Executive Director of The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), was born on December 16, 1955, in Plainfield, New Jersey, to John Marvin Cyrus, Sr. from Marion, Virginia, an orphan who achieved an eighth-grade education in Cranford, … Read MoreSylvia Yvonne Cyrus (1955- )
