William Jones, one of the last Buffalo Soldiers, was also a U.S. Army Master Sergeant, Prisoner of War (POW) in Korea and successful entrepreneur. Jones was born in Tamo, Arkansas to farmers Joseph and Elizabeth Jones on July 15, 1918, the youngest of seven children. Jones grew up in Kansas and attended the … Read MoreWilliam Jones (1918-2009)
Linda Brown is best remembered as the subject of the lawsuit that led to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision which eventually impacted public schools across the United States. Brown was born on February 20, 1943, in Topeka, Kansas. She was the daughter of Oliver and … Read MoreLinda Brown (1943-2018)
As an Army Major General, Frederic Ellis Davison paved the way for many African Americans who became military officers. Through Davison’s decorated career, those he led and served alongside respected him. His legacy as an officer in World War II and the Vietnam War marked his place in both military and … Read MoreFrederic Ellis Davison (1917-1999)
Carl Brewer served as the 100th Mayor of Wichita, Kansas, only the second African American elected to that office. Brewer was born on March 8, 1957 in Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita North High school, and graduated in 1975. He obtained his first job at … Read MoreCarl Brewer (1957-2020)
William McBryar was a biracial buffalo soldier whose received the Medal of Honor for his participation in the 1890 Cherry Creek Campaign in Arizona Territory. McBryar was born on February 14, 1861 in Elizabethtown, North Carolina to Rose McBryar, an African American, and a white father whose name is unknown. McBryar attended … Read MoreWilliam McBryar (1861-1941)
George Goldsby, a.k.a. George Gooseby, a.k.a. William Scott, was a veteran of the Union Army and a sergeant in the Tenth U.S. Cavalry (“buffalo soldiers”). His involvement in a shooting incident near Fort Concho, Texas and subsequent disappearance created an aura of frontier mystery surrounding his name. Goldsby appeared as … Read MoreGeorge Goldsby (1843-1922)
Lieutenant General Alonzo Earl Short, Jr. was at one point one of the highest-ranking African American officers on active duty in the Untied States Army. Short’s responsibilities during his service included managing the communications systems between the White House and various military branches. Short was born … Read MoreAlonzo Earl Short, Jr. (?- )
Felix Wayne Mitchell, also known as Felix the Cat, was a notorious drug kingpin operating in Oakland, California who headed the criminal organization known as the “69 Mob.” Born on August 23, 1954 in East Oakland, California, Mitchell began a life of crime early. While still a teen, … Read MoreFelix Wayne Mitchell (“Felix the Cat”) (1954-1986)
George Washington Carver began life inauspiciously on the frontier of southwestern Missouri. Born a slave, the precise date, indeed, even the year, is unknown. He never knew either of his biological parents but was raised by his former owners as if he were their own. … Read MoreGeorge Washington Carver (c.1864 -1943)
Paul Kagame, the current President of Rwanda, was born in Gitarama, central Rwanda, on October 23, 1957, into a Tutsi family. In 1959 when the massacres of Tutsis by Hutus began, Paul Kagame’s family fled to Uganda along with thousands of Tutsis, to save their lives. He grew up … Read MorePaul Kagame (1957- )
