John Edward Bruce was born into slavery in Piscataway, Maryland in 1856. When Bruce was three years old his father was sold away to Georgia prompting young Bruce and his mother to escape to Washington, D.C. in fear of losing each other. Bruce and his … Read MoreJohn Edward Bruce (1856-1924)
Clifford L. Alexander Jr. was an adviser to presidents, the first African-American secretary of the Army, and a former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Born in New York City on September 21, 1933, he was the son of Clifford L. and Edith … Read MoreClifford L. Alexander, Jr. (1933-2022)
Image Courtesy of The History Cooperative William Pickens was born January 15, 1881 in Anderson County, South Carolina. His parents were liberated slaves who migrated to Arkansas when he was a young boy. Young Pickens worked in cotton fields and in sawmills while attending the … Read MoreWilliam Pickens (1881-1954)
Eleanor Holmes Norton was born on June 13, 1937 in Washington, D.C. to parents Coleman and Vela Holmes. Both her parents were government employees. Growing up in a well educated and politically conscious household caused Eleanor Holmes to be very aware of the surrounding struggles … Read MoreEleanor Holmes Norton (1937- )
Jack and his wife Sophy were enslaved in Middletown, Connecticut to Philip Mortimer (1710-1794), a wealthy Irish businessman. Philip Mortimer freed them in his will, but his son-in-law, George Starr, contested and succeeded in overturning the will. Mortimer’s will also intended to give Jack and … Read MoreJack Mortimer (1700’s)
Jane Elizabeth Manning was born in Wilton, Connecticut, one of five children of Isaac and Phyllis Manning, a free black family. Although Jane was a member of the local Presbyterian Church, she remained spiritually unfulfilled until 1842 when she heard the message of a missionary … Read MoreJane Elizabeth Manning James (1813-1908)
Born into slavery on the eastern shore of Maryland in 1807, James William Charles Pennington escaped from slavery in 1828 and settled for a time in Long Island, where he studied in night school. Devoted to black education, he became an antislavery preacher, teacher, activist, … Read MoreJames W. C. Pennington (1807-1870)
Born in West Africa, Prince Mortimer was captured by slave traders as a young boy. After enduring a brutal passage to the Americas, he arrived in Connecticut around 1730. In the late 1750s he was sold in Middletown, Connecticut to Philip Mortimer, who trained him … Read MorePrince Mortimer (ca. 1724-1834)
Betsey Stockton was born into slavery in Princeton, New Jersey in 1798. She belonged to Robert Stockton, a local attorney. Presented to Stockton’s daughter and son-in-law, the Rev. Ashbel Green, then President of Princeton College, as a gift, Betsy Stockton was now in a household … Read MoreBetsey Stockton (1798-1865)
Marshall “Major” Taylor was a late 19th and early 20th century champion cyclist who became the first African American to win a world championship in sprint cycling. Between 1898 and 1899 he set numerous world records in cycling ranging from the quarter-mile to two-mile race. … Read MoreMarshall “Major” Taylor (1878-1932)
