Dr. Hobart Sidney Jarrett (1915-2005) was a respected scholar, educator, and leader in Black community organizations. His contributions to African American literature, civil rights advocacy, and Black fraternity history underscore his legacy as a dedicated advocate for education and social progress. Hobart Jarrett was born … Read MoreHobart Sidney Jarrett (1915-2005)
Douglas Palmer, the first Black mayor of Trenton, New Jersey, was born Douglas Harold Palmer on October 19, 1951, in the city, to George H. Palmer, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and Dorothy Vaughn Palmer from Trenton. Douglas’s sibling is Karen Palmer Richardson. Palmer’s … Read MoreDouglas Palmer (1951- )
Kenneth E. Reeves, the first African American Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was born Kenneth Errol Reeves in Detroit, Michigan, on February 8, 1951. His parents were Jamaican immigrants who divorced when he was just a year old, and he was reared in a single-parent household … Read MoreKenneth E. Reeves (1951- )
Alvin A. Brown, the first African American mayor of Jacksonville, Florida was born on December 15, 1961, in Beaufort, South Carolina and was reared with his four siblings by his mother and grandmother. His formative years were spent at St. Helena Junior High School, and … Read MoreAlvin A. Brown (1961- )
Alvin Austin Attles Jr. was a basketball player for the National Basketball Association (NBA) who played his entire career with the Golden State (California) Warriors and later became one of the first African American coaches in the NBA, where he coached the Warriors to their … Read MoreAlvin Austin Attles Jr. (1936-2024)
Claude William Black Jr. was one of the most important advocates for civil rights and social justice in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on November 28, 1916, in San Antonio, Texas, to Claude William Black Sr., the Vice President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping … Read MoreClaude William Black Jr. (1916-2009)
Leah Penniman is a farmer and food sovereignty activist who cofounded Soul Fire Farm near Grafton, New York, in 2010. Penniman was born in 1980 to Adele Smith, an African American woman and a White father in Central Massachusetts. Penniman’s parents divorced at an early … Read MoreLeah Penniman (1980- )
Edgar Amos Love was an American bishop with the Methodist Episcopal Church and cofounder of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Love was born on September 10, 1891, to Julies C. Love, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Susie Love, a licensed minister and the … Read MoreEdgar Amos Love (1891-1974)
Edna May Griffin, often referred to as ‘the Rosa Parks of Iowa,’ was a prominent American civil rights pioneer in her state. This nickname underscores her pivotal role in civil rights campaigns in Iowa, notably the 1948 Katz Drugstore Sit-In Protests in Des Moines. Born … Read MoreEdna May Griffin (1909-2000)
Esperanza Spalding, a composer, librettist, bassist, lyricist, violinist, and vocalist, quickly emerged as one of the most successful jazz artists of the 21st Century. She was born Esperanza Emily Spalding on October 18, 1984, in Portland, Oregon, to an African American father and a mother … Read MoreEsperanza Spalding (1984- )
