Russell Carrington Wilson (1988- )

On February 2, 2014, 26-year-old Russell Carrington Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks football team to a Superbowl Championship over the Denver (Colorado) Broncos in Superbowl XLVIII.  Wilson, in only his second year with the Seahawks, became the second African American quarterback (after Doug Williams) to … Read MoreRussell Carrington Wilson (1988- )

National Negro Opera Company (1941-1962)

Mary Cardwell Dawson established the National Negro Opera Company (NNOC) in 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Born in North Carolina, Dawson graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1925, the only African American in her class. Facing discrimination in her aspiration for a career … Read MoreNational Negro Opera Company (1941-1962)

Clarence Everett Lightner (1921-2002)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Clarence Everett Lightner, the first popularly elected mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina and the first African American elected mayor of a metropolitan Southern city, was born on August 15, 1921 to Mammie Blackmon and Calvin E. Lightner in Raleigh. His father, … Read MoreClarence Everett Lightner (1921-2002)

Chowan Beach, Hertford County, North Carolina (1926-2004)

Chowan Beach was an African American playground founded in 1926 when Eli Reid of Winton, in Hertford County, North Carolina, converted an abandoned fishing beach along the Chowan River into a family-oriented resort for African Americans. The area was originally settled in the Colonial era … Read MoreChowan Beach, Hertford County, North Carolina (1926-2004)

Freeman Beach-Seabreeze, Wilmington, North Carolina (ca. 1885- )

Freeman Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina, was one of two North Carolina beaches available to African Americans in the state during the Jim Crow era. The beach area, originally 99 acres of underdeveloped beachfront land near Myrtle Grove Sound, was acquired by Alexander and Charity … Read MoreFreeman Beach-Seabreeze, Wilmington, North Carolina (ca. 1885- )

André Leon Talley (1949-2022)

Known as one of the fashion world’s most recognized personalities, Talley stepped down as Vogue’s editor-at-large after three decades to become the editor-in-chief for Numero Russia, an international magazine based in Russia. Talley was the son of William C. Talley, a taxi driver, and Alma … Read MoreAndré Leon Talley (1949-2022)

Louise Celia “Lulu” Fleming (1862-1899)

Louise Cecelia Fleming, the first African American to graduate from the Women’s Medical College at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was born January 28, 1862 to slave parents on a plantation near Hibernia in Clay County, Florida.  Her father is unknown; she was raised by her mother who … Read MoreLouise Celia “Lulu” Fleming (1862-1899)

Assata Olugbala Shakur (1947- )

Assata Olugbala Shakur—political activist, author, fugitive, and step-aunt of the famed, slain hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur—was born JoAnne Deborah Bryon on July 16, 1947 in New York City, New York. Following her parents’ divorce in 1950, she moved with her mother and maternal grandparents to … Read MoreAssata Olugbala Shakur (1947- )