Benoni Wilfred Urey (1957- )

Politician, philanthropist, and investor Benoni Wilfred Urey is one of the wealthiest Liberians and the founder of Lonestar Cell Mobile Telecommunication Corporation (MTN), Liberia’s largest nationwide mobile network. Urey was born on June 22, 1957, in Careysburg Montserrado County, the Republic of Liberia, to Daniel … Read MoreBenoni Wilfred Urey (1957- )

Princess Fifi Ejindu (1962- )

Offiong Ekanem Ejindu is a Nigerian architect, philanthropist, and businesswoman born in Ibadan, Nigeria in June 1962 to Professor Sylvester Joseph Una and Obonganwan Ekpa Una. Princess Fifi, reputedly a billionaire, is an influential philanthropist, “ranked as one of the African female pioneers in the … Read MorePrincess Fifi Ejindu (1962- )

Rita M. de Chabert-Schuster (1933-2023)

Dame of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Virgin Islands, philanthropist, entrepreneur, educator, and real estate developer Rita M. de Chabert-Schuster was born on May 27, 1933, in Christiansted, Virgin Islands, to Ralph de Magne de Chabert, Sr., a journalist and … Read MoreRita M. de Chabert-Schuster (1933-2023)

Henriette Díaz de Lille (1813 -1862)

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)

David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley (1968- )

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- )

Thaddeus H. Spratlen: Scholar and Philanthropist Generating Economic Change in Black America

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