Known as one of the leading football players with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Franco Harris was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey on March 7, 1950. He was the son of an African American soldier who served in World War II and an Italian “war bride” … Read MoreFranco Harris (1950-2022)
In 1995, Lonnie Bristow, a board-certified doctor of internal medicine, became the first African American President of the American Medical Association (AMA) in its 148 year history. Bristow, the son of Lonnie Harlis Bristow, a Baptist minister, and Vivian Wines Bristow, a nurse, grew up … Read MoreLonnie Bristow (1930- )
Robert Louis Johnson, founder, chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Black Entertainment Television (BET), is also the majority owner of the Charlotte (North Carolina) Bobcats of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the first African American billionaire. He was born in Hickory, Mississippi in … Read MoreRobert Louis Johnson (1946- )
William ‘Willie the Pro” Thrower was the first African American to play as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Thrower was born on March 22, 1930, in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Although his statistics as a college and high school football player are good, … Read MoreWilliam “Willie the Pro” Thrower (1930-2002)
Ernest “Ernie” Banks was the first African American baseball player for the Chicago (Illinois) Cubs and the first African American manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Banks earned the nickname “Mr. Cub” while playing shortstop and first base from 1953-1971 for the team. Ernest Banks … Read MoreErnest “Ernie” Banks (1931-2015)
Lawyer, judge and businessman Samuel Riley Pierce Jr., was the first African American partner in a major New York law firm, the first African American member of a Fortune 500 board, and one of the first African Americans to argue a case before the U.S. … Read MoreSamuel R. Pierce, Jr. (1922-2000)
Singer, guitarist, songwriter, and music producer Curtis Lee Mayfield was born on June 3, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. Mayfield began his career singing gospel music with the group the Northern Jubilee Singers. While with them he met Jerry Butler, another aspiring singer, and in 1957 … Read MoreCurtis Mayfield (1942-1999)
Hall-of-Fame football player Walter Jerry Payton was born on July 25, 1954 in Columbia, Mississippi. He was one of three children born to Edward and Alyne Payton. Young Payton played a number of sports with his brother, Eddie. Payton attended John Jefferson High School, an … Read MoreWalter Jerry Payton (1954-1999)
Born in Cuba on April 7, 1917, Mongo Santamaria is an Afro-Cuban percussionist who became an influential musician in the United States in the 1950s. His given name is Ramón Santamaría Rodríguez. Nicknamed Mongo by his father, Santamaria believes his nickname comes from the Mali … Read MoreMongo Santamaria (1917-2003)
Ernie Davis is best known for being one of the greatest football players in college football history and the first black person to win the Heisman Trophy. In the process, Davis became an icon for an integrated America and for African Americans achieving the American … Read MoreErnie Davis (1940-1963)
