Meaza Ashenafi Mengistu, a human rights activist, broke barriers in Ethiopia when, in 2018, she became the first woman to hold the position of President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia. Mengistu was born on July 25, 1964, in the Asosa Zone of Benishangul-Gumuz, … Read MoreMeaza Ashenafi Mengistu (1964- )
Fani Taifa Willis is the first Black woman to hold the office of District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia. Willis was born on October 27, 1971, in Inglewood, California, and raised by her father, John Clifford Floyd III, in Washington, D.C. Learning at the feet … Read MoreFani Willis (1971- )
Judge Eileen R. Petersen, an advocate for women’s and children’s rights, was born on April 18, 1937, in Christiansted, Virgin Islands (VI), and reared in Free Gut to Anna Leevy and Hugo Petersen. She was a product of the island’s public schools, graduating from Christiansted … Read MoreEileen Ramona Petersen (1937-2023)
Steven L. Reed is the first African American mayor of Montgomery, Alabama. Reed was born in 1974 in Montgomery, to Mollie and Joseph L. Reed. His mother was an educator, and his father was a former educator and well-known politician who served on the Montgomery … Read MoreSteven L. Reed (1974- )
Jerome A. Holmes, is the first African American to serve as an United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Holmes was born in Washington D.C. on November 18, 1961. His parents were Ryland and Hattie Holmes. Holmes graduated from Wake Forest University in 1983 … Read MoreJerome A. Holmes (1961- )
Richard Howell Gleaves was a Haitian-American merchant, lawyer, politician, and the 55th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. Greaves was born free on July 4, 1819, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a Haitian father and English mother. He received his early education in Philadelphia and New Orleans. … Read MoreRichard Howell Gleaves (1819-1907)
The Honorable Nathaniel Raphael Jones was an African American attorney, judge, and law professor. His indelible contributions and steadfast commitment to equality for all under the law’s eyes have since resulted in tremendous progress for persons of color in the United States and abroad. Nathaniel … Read MoreNathaniel R. Jones (1926-2020)
Leah J. Ward Sears is a retired Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Sears served on the court from 1992 until June 2009. Appointed by Governor Zell Miller in 1992, Sears became the first African American woman chief justice of any state’s highest appellate … Read MoreLeah Ward Sears (1955- )
Alberta Jones was born on November 12, 1930, to Sarah (Sadie) Frances Crawford and Odell Jones, in Louisville, Kentucky. Jones attended Louisville Central High School and the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes, which in 1951 merged with the University of Louisville. She graduated third in … Read MoreAlberta Odell Jones (1930-1965)
Richard A. Harewood was a prominent lawyer, state representative, and judge in Chicago, Illinois. He was born on June 25th, 1900 in Barbados, British West Indies and raised there until he was seven years old. His father who was a soldier in the British Colonial Army, died when Harewood was three years old, and his … Read MoreRichard A. Harewood (1900-1985)
