Former Naval officer Gerald Eustis Thomas served as United States Ambassador to Guyana and Kenya. Born in Natick, Massachusetts on June 23, 1929 to Walter and Leila Thomas, President Ronald W. Reagan appointed Gerald E. Thomas to both ambassadorships. Thomas began his undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. He transferred to Harvard University … Read MoreGerald E. Thomas (1929- )
Twenty-three-year-old Sean Elijah Bell, the victim of a violent police shooting in 2006, was born on May 18, 1983, to William and Valerie Bell. As a child, Bell was interested in acting and played baseball. According to Bell’s fiancée, Nicole Poultre, in an interview with … Read MoreSean Elijah Bell (1983-2006)
Angela Rye is a lawyer, political commentator, and CEO of IMPACT Strategies. Rye was born on October 26, 1979 in Seattle, Washington to Eddie Rye Jr., a community organizer, and Andera Rye, a retired college administrator. She attended the University of Washington where she received … Read MoreAngela Rye (1979- )
Aubrey “Drake” Graham is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor, and songwriter. Drake was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Sandi Graham, a Jewish Canadian, and Dennis Graham, a black drummer from Memphis, Tennessee. The couple divorced when Drake was five years-old. … Read MoreAubrey Drake Graham (1986- )
Born Arch Colson Whitehead on November 6, 1969, novelist Colson Whitehead spent his formative years in Manhattan, New York with his parents, Arch and Mary Anne Whitehead, who owned a recruiting firm, and three siblings. Of his childhood, he has said that he preferred reading … Read MoreArch Colson “Colson” Whitehead (1969- )
Image Ownership: Public domain Jonathan Moore, teacher, musician, entrepreneur, activist, and youth advocate, was born to Gwendolyn Jones and Jonny Moore in Seattle, Washington, on April 21, 1969. As a student at Roosevelt High School in the 1980s, Moore rented rooms at the Seattle Center … Read MoreJonathan Moore (1969-2017)
Image Ownership: Public domain Brazilian political activist Beatriz Nascimento was born on July 12, 1942, to Rubina Pereira do Nascimento and Francisco Xavier de Nascimento in Aracaju, capital of the Northeast Brazilian state of Sergipe. She migrated with her family, including ten brothers to Rio … Read MoreBeatriz Nascimento (1942-1995)
Image Ownership: Public domain Veronica Webb is an African American model, actress, writer, and television personality. Webb was the first African American to have a major cosmetics contract when she signed with Revlon in 1992. Webb also appeared on the covers of Vogue, Essence, and … Read MoreVeronica Webb (1965- )
Image Ownership: Public domain Elton Clay Fax, a prolific African-American cartoonist, author, and illustrator, was born on October 9, 1909, in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Mark Oakland Fax, a clerk, and Willie Estelle Fax, a seamstress. Elton’s younger brother, Mark, was a music prodigy … Read MoreElton Fax (1909-1993)
Born February 12, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio, Arsenio Hall is a comedian, talk show host, writer, producer, and actor. He hosted the late night show Arsenio Hall Show from 1989 to 1994. A Baptist preacher’s son, Hall he grew up in a poor East Cleveland … Read MoreArsenio Hall (1956- )
