Online real estate entrepreneur Robert Reffkin was born June 7, 1979, in Berkeley, California. His mother was Israeli and his father was African American. When Reffkin was born, his mother’s parents disowned their daughter for having a child with a black man. Reffkin’s father also … Read MoreRobert Reffkin (1979- )
Catholic nun and philanthropist Henriette Díaz de Lille was born on March 11, 1813, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her great, great, grandmother was enslaved and brought from West Africa. Her mother, Marie-Josèphe Díaz, was a free woman of color, and her father, Jean-Baptiste Lille Sarpy, … Read MoreHenriette Díaz de Lille (1813 -1862)
Graca Simbine Machel is a former freedom fighter, prominent educator, philanthropist, and the only woman in modern times to be first lady of two nations, Mozambique and South Africa. Graca Simbine was born on Oct. 17, 1945 at Incadine, Gaza Province, Mozambique. Her father died … Read MoreGraca Machel (1945- )
Ziggy Marley is a Jamaican Grammy award-winning reggae musician, singer, and philanthropist. Marley was born in the Trench Town section of Kingston, Jamaica, on October 17, 1968, to parents and famed reggae artists Robert “Bob” Nesta and Alpharita “Rita” Constantia (Anderson) Marley. Ziggy’s family features … Read MoreDavid Nesta “Ziggy” Marley (1968- )
On May 18, 2021, longtime University of Washington Professor Emeritus Thaddeus Spratlen died in Seattle, Washington at the age of 90. Few people knew his name, but his work transformed black economics in the United States. In the article below, Professor William Bradford, former Dean … Read MoreThaddeus H. Spratlen: Scholar and Philanthropist Generating Economic Change in Black America
Author, philanthropist, scholar, mentor, and activist James L. Conyers Jr. was born James (Jim/ Naazir) L. Brown Jr. on June 17, 1961, in Jersey City, New Jersey at the Margaret Hague Hospital. He graduated from Henry Snyder High School in 1979 and four years later … Read MoreJames L. Conyers Jr. (1961-2021)
Theodore Kenneth “T.K.” Lawless, MD was an internationally-known dermatologist who helped pioneer techniques to treat syphilis and was one of the first doctors to treat cancer with radium. A millionaire, Dr. Lawless built his wealth over decades and was recognized for his significant contributions as … Read MoreTheodore Kenneth Lawless (1892-1971)
This entry is for juvenile audiences. To see the full version of this entry, click here. Who are they: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid advocate. He became the countries first Black president and first president of post-apartheid South Africa where he served from … Read MoreNelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013) [Children’s Edition]
Arlan Hamilton is the founder of Backstage Capital and the author of “It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage,” which was published in 2020. Hamilton was born on October 30, 1980, in Dallas, Texas. Her first interest was the … Read MoreArlan Hamilton (1980- )
Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean businessman and philanthropist. He is best known for being the founder and chairman of Econet Wireless International and Zimbabwe’s first billionaire. Masiyiwa was born on January 29th, 1961 in Zimbabwe. His father was a miner who later became a businessman, … Read MoreStrive Masiyiwa (1961- )
