United States – Maryland
George W. Draper III (1953- )
The Honorable George W. Draper, the first African American to serve as Chief Judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals,...
Joseph Wiley (“Jefferson Street Joe”) Gilliam Jr. (1950-2000)
Joseph Wiley Gilliam Jr. was a professional football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Gilliam was born on December...
Tekesha A. Martinez (1978 -)
Tekesha A. Martinez, born April 2, 1978, is an American politician who was the first Black mayor of Hagerstown, a...
Lucy Diggs Slowe (1883-1937)
Lucy Diggs Slowe was a trailblazer as an academic and athlete. In 1922, she was the first African American woman...
Edward C. Gainey (1970- )
In 2021 Ed Gainey was elected the 61st mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the first African American to be...
Basil Dorsey (1808-1872)
Basil Dorsey, born enslaved in Maryland, became famous for his role in successfully freeing himself. Dorsey was born in 1808...
Damola Adamolekun (1989- )
Damola Adamolekun is a Nigerian-American business executive and restaurateur. He was the first Black CEO of P. F. Chang’s, a...
Edgar Amos Love (1891-1974)
Edgar Amos Love was an American bishop with the Methodist Episcopal Church and cofounder of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Love...
Charles DeLesline Foster (1948-1986)
On September 6, 1966, Charles DeLesline Foster became the first African American to enroll in The Citadel Corps of Cadets,...
