Choreographer, dancer, and teacher Lorraine Graves was born Lorraine Elizabeth Graves on October 5, 1957, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Tommy E. Graves Jr., founder and CEO of Graves Funeral Home, and Mildred Odom Graves, a public school teacher. Lorraine had one brother, Tommy E. Graves … Read MoreLorraine Graves (1957-2024)
Alonzo Logwone Mitz was a National Football League (NFL) defensive end who played professionally for the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals. Mitz was born on June 5, 1963, in Henderson, North Carolina, and raised by his mother Rosa Lee Winbush, and his grandparents. Mitz … Read MoreAlonzo Mitz (1963- )
Charles Richard Drew was a medical researcher, surgeon, and the first African American to be appointed as a medical examiner for the American Board of Surgery. His research and work led to the development of processing and storing plasma in blood banks. Drew was born … Read MoreCharles Drew (1904-1950)
Offiong Ekanem Ejindu is a Nigerian architect, philanthropist, and businesswoman born in Ibadan, Nigeria in June 1962 to Professor Sylvester Joseph Una and Obonganwan Ekpa Una. Princess Fifi, reputedly a billionaire, is an influential philanthropist, “ranked as one of the African female pioneers in the … Read MorePrincess Fifi Ejindu (1962- )
The Royal Ice Cream Sit-In was a nonviolent protest that occurred on June 23, 1957, in Durham, North Carolina. The sit-in was led by Douglas E. Moore and began when he and seven other protestors entered the Royal Ice Cream Parlor and sat in the … Read MoreRoyal Ice Cream Sit-In (1957)
David Ray “Doc” Roberts is a baseball manager and former outfielder. Roberts was born on May 31, 1972, to Waymon Roberts, an African American United States Marine, and Eiko Roberts, a Japanese woman in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. During his early childhood, Roberts and his family … Read MoreDavid Ray “Doc” Roberts (1972- )
Prolific David Drake, also known as Dave the Potter, was an enslaved artist born on a plantation in North Carolina in 1801. He toiled the soil and labored on several plantations and, throughout his lifetime, was sold or traded by a number of plantation owners. … Read MoreDavid Drake (ca. 1801-1874)
Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American saber and fencing team member who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She became the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab (headscarf) while competing in the Olympics. Muhammad was born … Read MoreIbtihaj Muhammad (1985- )
Pamela Sutton-Wallace is a healthcare executive. In 2022, she was appointed COO of Yale New Haven Health, Connecticut’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare system. Wallace was born in September 1969. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and African American Studies from … Read MorePamela Sutton-Wallace (1969-)
Journalist Mary Alice Jervay Thatch was persistent, dedicated, and influential throughout her extensive career. Born on July 6, 1943, Thatch was a third-generation editor and publisher of The Wilmington Journal, closely following the steps of her father and grandfather. In 1927, Thatch’s grandfather, Mr. Robert … Read MoreMary Alice Jervay Thatch
