Wilson Alexander, Sr. was the third of seven children born on in 1919 to Charles and Pearl Alexander of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. Alexander grew up in a a tight-knit community of sugar plantation sharecroppers in southern Louisiana. On July 24, 1942, he was drafted … Read MoreWilson “Ducktail” Alexander, Sr. (1919-1950)
Luther and Joye Goodwin (Holding Their Child) in 1964 Civil Rights Demonstration Image Ownership: Public domain Tuskegee Airman, civil rights activist, and attorney Luther A. Goodwin was born April 17, 1920 in Jacksonville, Florida, the son of Hilliard E. Goodwin, a college instructor and building … Read MoreLuther Ambrose Goodwin (1920-1982)
Image Ownership: Public domain 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, … Read MoreSean Elijah Bell (1983-2006)
Image Ownership: Public domain Throughout his 20 seasons in baseball, Derek Jeter established himself as a New York Yankees legend. Growing up as a Yankee fan and having played his entire career with the franchise, his play was synonymous with the team’s success. With on-field … Read MoreDerek Jeter (1974- )
Hines Ward with his Mother, Young He on a Visit to South Korea, 2006 "Image Ownership:Public Domain" Hines Edward Ward Jr., former National Football League (NFL) football player, was born on March 8, 1976, in Seoul, South Korea. His parents were an African American father … Read MoreHines Edward, Jr. Ward (1976– )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Oscar Juliuss Grant III was a resident of Oakland, California, and unfortunately is best known for being killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2009. Grant was born to … Read MoreOscar Juliuss III Grant (1986–2009)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" The death of Freddie Gray in 2015 while in police custody brought increased attention to the national debate on interactions between law enforcement and African Americans and inspired the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. Freddie Gray Jr. was born on August … Read MoreFreddie Jr. Gray (1989–2015)
Poster for Seattle Steelheads at Borchert Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 12, 1946 "Image Ownership: Public Domain" The Seattle Steelheads were the all-black minor league baseball team formed in the spring of 1946 as part of the West Coast Negro Baseball League organized by Abe Saperstein … Read MoreSeattle Steelheads (1946)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" Esteemed educator, legendary basketball coach, and successful university president, Harrison Wilson Jr. was born on April 21, 1925, in Amsterdam, a small city in upstate New York. His mother Marguerite Ayers was a school teacher, and his father Harrison Wilson Sr. … Read MoreHarrison B. Wilson Jr. (1925– )
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" Octavius Valentine Catto was a prominent Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, activist, scholar, athlete, and military officer in the National Guard during the Civil War. Catto was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 22, 1839. His mother, Sarah Isabella Cain, a free … Read MoreOctavius Valentine Catto (1839–1871)