Al Green, born on April 13, 1948, in Forrest City, Arkansas, is known as one of the great rhythm and blues singers of the 1970s. Albert Greene was born to Cora and Robert Greene, who were sharecroppers and parents of ten other children. Greene and … Read MoreAl Green (1948- )
Annie E. Brown gained fame as a Methodist Episcopal evangelist in the late 1800s and early 1900s, earning a national reputation among Blacks and whites alike with her missionary work. While most of Brown’s work was done along the Atlantic seaboard, she traveled as far … Read MoreAnnie E. Brown (1862-1918)
Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon was the first African American woman to be ordained into the United Presbyterian USA denomination. Rev. Cannon was ordained in Shelby, North Carolina, on April 24, 1974, by the Catawaba Presbytery. Katie Cannon was born on January 3, 1950, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. She … Read MoreKatie Geneva Cannon (1950-2018)
Noel C. Taylor became the first African American mayor of Roanoke, Virginia. He held office from 1976 to 1992, and was the city’s longest serving mayor. Taylor was widely considered one of the most influential leaders in the city’s history. A Republican, he was elected mayor in 1976 after … Read MoreNoel C. Taylor (1924-1998)
Solomon Burke was a minister and renowned singer of Rhythm & Blues and Soul music with a career stretching from the 1950s to his death in 2010. Although never reaching chart-topping fame, Burke is heralded as one of one of the best soul singers of all time. Born … Read MoreSolomon Burke (1940-2010)
Political activist Reverend Mineo Katagiri was born in Haleiwa, Hawaii on August 1, 1919. He graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1941 and then earned his theological degree from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, New York in 1944. He was ordained in 1945 and was a minister … Read MoreRev. Mineo Katagiri (1919-2005)
Born Dovey Mae Johnson on April 17, 1914, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dovey Johnson Roundtree was an African American civil rights activist, attorney, and ordained minister who won the 1955 Interstate Commerce Commission case on segregated bus terminals. She was the second oldest of four children born to James Elliot Johnson, a printer … Read MoreDovey Johnson Roundtree (1914–2018)
James F. Jones stood out for many years within black American religious circles. Known for his lavish living and mysterious persona, Jones’ followers referred to him as “Prophet Jones” and were captivated by his sermons. With his roots in the Black Church, Jones would influence the subsequent televangelism … Read MoreJames F. Jones / “Prophet Jones” (1907-1971)
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- )
Rev. Theodore Judson Jemison was a civil rights leader and president of the National Baptist Convention. He was responsible for leading the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott in Louisiana in 1953, the first large-scale bus boycott protesting racial segregation in the South and advised Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on leading the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott two years later. … Read MoreTheodore Judson Jemison (1918-2013)
