Antonio Ramon Delgado is an attorney, business owner, former entertainer and the first person of African American or Hispanic descent to be elected to Congress from upstate New York. On January 3, 2019, he was sworn into the 116th United States Congress. A Democrat, he … Read MoreAntonio Delgado (1977- )
Francisca Van Dunem (née Francisca Eugénia da Silva Dias Van Dunem), an attorney and politician, became the first person of African-descent to serve as a cabinet minister in Portugal. Born on November 5, 1955 in Luanda, Angola, Van Dunem was one of six children born … Read MoreFrancisca Van Dunem (1955- )
Politician and educator Judson W. Lyons was born on August 15, 1858 in Burke County, Georgia. In 1871, his family moved to Augusta, Georgia where Lyons was educated at the Augusta Institute. Lyons got involved in Republican Party politics as a young man, being selected … Read MoreJudson W. Lyons (1858-1924)
Nineteenth-century politician John P. Green was born on April 2, 1845 in New Bern, North Carolina to free African Americans who were of mixed-race ancestry. His father John used his skills as a tailor to buy his freedom but died in 1850, which put the … Read MoreJohn P. Green (1845-1940)
Stacey Plaskett is the current delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Territory of the Virgin Islands. She achieved national notoriety as one of the House Impeachment Managers in the Second Impeachment Trial of former President Donald Trump in February 2021. Plaskett was … Read MoreStacey E. Plaskett (1966- )
Paulette Brown, an attorney and former judge, is the first African American woman and first woman of color to head the American Bar Association. Brown was born on April 28, 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland to Wilbur Brown, a truck driver, and Thelma Brown. In 1969, … Read MorePaulette Brown (1951- )
Honorae Alfred (Ray) Glascor, was one of Franklin County, Ohio’s first African American judges. Glascor was born January 15, 1914 in Augusta, Georgia. Glascor’s parents, Sebron and Fannie Glascor, were sharecroppers. In 1921 the Glascor family relocated to Columbus, Ohio. Glascor had five siblings: Lula, … Read MoreHonorae Alfred Glascor (1914-2011)
Influential attorney and civil rights activist William Haywood Burns was born on June 15, 1940, in Peekskill, New York. He was known for his defense of Angela Davis as well as serving as the first black dean of a law school in New York. Burns began his work in … Read MoreW. Haywood Burns (1940-1996)
As a lawyer, speechwriter, and close friend to Martin Luther King, Jr., Clarence Jones was a key figure in the background of the Civil Rights movement. While Jones’ own accomplishments were numerous, his touch on history has been relatively silent compared to the individuals with whom he was associated. Clarence … Read MoreClarence Benjamin Jones (1931- )
Keith Ellison is an American politician and lawyer, who is currently the Attorney General-elect of Minnesota. Ellison was born on August 4, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan. He is the third of five sons born to Leonard and Clida (Martinez). Since childhood Ellison was involved with the civil rightsmovement and briefly worked … Read MoreKeith M. Ellison (1963- )
