Clyde Foster, scientist and mathematician, was a significant figure who worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). His calculations helped launch rockets into space and throughout his career he was an advocate for African Americans in Science. Foster was born in Birmingham, Alabama … Read MoreClyde Foster (1931-2017)
On January 13, 1997, Major Charles L. Thomas was awarded the Medal of Honor for “heroism in action” in Climbach, France during World War II. Born on April 17, 1920 in Birmingham, Alabama, Thomas’s family relocated to Detroit, Michigan during the Great Migration. Throughout his … Read MoreCharles L. Thomas (1920 – 1980)
Dorothy Butler Gilliam is a journalist, editor, media educator, feminist, author, and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was the first African American female reporter hired by The Washington Post. Born in the Dixie Homes Project in Memphis, Tennessee, Gilliam was … Read MoreDorothy Butler Gilliam (1936- )
Raphael Gamaliel Warnock is the senior pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, once led by Reverends Martin Luther King Sr., and Martin Luther King Jr, in Atlanta, Georgia. On January 5, 2021 he made history by becoming the first African American elected to represent … Read MoreRaphael G. Warnock (1969- )
Steven L. Reed is the first African American mayor of Montgomery, Alabama. Reed was born in 1974 in Montgomery, to Mollie and Joseph L. Reed. His mother was an educator, and his father was a former educator and well-known politician who served on the Montgomery … Read MoreSteven L. Reed (1974- )
Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer, social justice advocate, and law professor at New York University School of Law. Stevenson was born on November 14, 1959 in Milton, Delaware. His father, Howard Carlton Stevenson, Jr. was a laboratory technician at General Foods, and his mother, Alice … Read MoreBryan Stevenson (1959- )
Vivian Juanita Malone was one of the first two black students to enroll at the University of Alabama and was the first black graduate of the institution. Malone was born on July 15, 1942, in Monroe County, Alabama. Both of her parents worked at Brookley … Read MoreVivian Juanita Malone Jones (1942-2005)
Cameron Jerrell “Cam” Newton is an American football quarterback who played for the Carolina (North Carolina) Panthers and is now the quarterback for the New England (Massachusetts) Patriots in the National Football League (NFL). Newtown was born on May 11, 1989 to Jackie and Cecil … Read MoreCameron Jerrell “Cam” Newton (1989- )
Yvonne Young Clark, a pioneer in the field of science and engineering, was born April 13, 1929, in Houston, Texas. Her father was Dr. Coleman Milton Young Jr., a medical doctor and surgeon. Her mother was Hortense Houston Young, a library specialist and journalist. Clark … Read MoreYvonne Young Clark (1929-2019)
