Carl Maxie Brashear was a United States Navy sailor and master diver. Brashear was born on January 19, 1931, to McDonald Brashear and Gonzella Brashear in Tonieville, Kentucky. Brashear’s family later relocated to a farm in Sonara, Kentucky, where he attended the local grade school … Read MoreCarl Maxie Brashear (1931-2006)
William F. Powell, a late 19th Century politician, was born in Troy, New York on June 26, 1848. When he was young, his family moved to New York City where he attended public schools. Powell had a diverse education as a young man. He attended … Read MoreWilliam F. Powell (1848-1920)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ efforts at integration began in 1953, when brewing company Anheuser-Busch bought the franchise. Company chairman August A. Busch Jr. soon realized that no black players on the field, meant very few black faces in the crowd. To remedy the situation, he … Read MoreTom Alston (1926-1993)
Raye Jean Jordan Montague, a registered professional engineer, was incredibly influential in transforming the field of marine vessel construction. A longtime employee of the U.S. Navy and a leader in its transition to the use of Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), Montague created the … Read MoreRaye Jean Jordan Montague (1935-2018)
John A. Williams was an American writer, academic, and journalist. He is best known for his explorations of black identity in his 1967 best-selling novel The Man Who Cried I Am. John Alfred Williams was born on December 5, 1925 in Jackson, Mississippi, but soon after … Read MoreJohn A. Williams (1925-2015)
Born April 26, 1920 in Wampee, South Carolina, Golden Asro Frinks is known for his activism during the Civil Rights Movement and his work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). When Frinks was nine, his family, including ten other siblings, moved to Tabor City, … Read MoreGolden Asro Frinks (1920-2004)
Franklin Dorrah Cleckley, the first African American to serve as a justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court, was born on August 1, 1940, in Huntington, West Virginia. His mother was Vivian Wood. After graduating from high school, he attended Anderson College and earned his bachelor’s degree in … Read MoreFranklin D. Cleckley (1940-2017)
William Henry Cosby, Jr., one of America’s most influential and successful entertainers, was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1937 to William Henry, a U.S. Navy cook, and Anna Pearl Cosby, a maid. The family struggled financially, and moved into Philadelphia’s crime-ridden Richard Allen … Read MoreBill Cosby (1937- )
George Howard, Jr. was the first black justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and the first black federal judge in Arkansas. As a lawyer, he litigated cases that resulted in the desegregation of Arkansas public schools. As a federal judge, he presided over the politically-charged Whitewater cases that involved Bill and Hillary … Read MoreGeorge Howard Jr. (1924-2007)
Barry C. Black is a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral. On June 27, 2003, he became the first African American Chaplain of the United States Senate. Black was born on November 1, 1948, in Baltimore, Maryland. At an early age, his parents—his father Lester and especially his mother Pearline—insisted on … Read MoreBarry C. Black (1948- )
