Sultry, soulful vocalist, lyricist, composer, actor, and activist Oleta Adams was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 4, 1953, and began piano lessons at seven. When she was 11, her family moved to Yakima, Washington, where she sang in the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church choir, … Read MoreOleta Adams (1953- )
Rhythm and Blues singer Eddie Holman was born on June 3, 1946 in Norfolk, Virginia and introduced to the piano and guitar at the age of 2. In 1954, his family relocated to New York City and two years later Holman won first prize at … Read MoreEddie Holman (1946- )
Fred Whitfield is the President, Chief Operating Officer, and minority co-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a franchise in the National Basketball Association. Whitfield shares ownership with his longtime friend and basketball great Michael Jordan. Together they are the only African American owners in the league. … Read MoreFred Whitfield (1959- )
Henry Vinton Plummer was an American Baptist preacher and a chaplain with the United States Army with the Buffalo Soldiers. Plummer was born into slavery on July 30, 1844 on the Three Sister Plantation near Bowie, Maryland. His father was Adam Francis Plummer, and his … Read MoreHenry V. Plummer (1844-1905)
Billie Blair is an African American model who rose to fame during the 1973 fashion extravaganza at the Palace of Versailles near Paris, France. She later left the fashion world to pursue her passion for evangelism. Born to Hattie and William Blair in Arkansas, Billie … Read MoreBillie Blair (1951- )
Virginia University of Lynchburg was established in 1886 during the 19th session of the Virginia State Baptist Church Convention, held at the First Baptist Church in Lexington, Virginia. As one of the oldest institutions of higher education for black Virginians, it was founded on the … Read MoreVirginia University of Lynchburg (1886- )
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)
San Diego businessman and community leader George Ramsey was born in Pasadena, California, one of eight children of George S. Ramsey, a railroad porter and barber, and Eva M. Ramsey. Most sources say that he arrived in San Diego in 1913 as the valet of … Read MoreGeorge A. Ramsey (1889-1963)
Bonnie Watson Coleman has served as the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District since January 3, 2015. The 12th District includes Princeton University and major parts of the Middlesex and Mercer Counties. Coleman is the first African American woman to represent … Read MoreBonnie Watson Coleman (1945– )
In 1943 Gordon Alexander McHenry became the first African American engineer hired by the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington. He was later promoted to Boeing Executive management (1955). Prior to 1943 Boeing labor unions had hindered the hiring of African American engineers. During his forty-year … Read MoreGordon Alexander McHenry (1921-2001)
