George Washington Biggs was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Biggs was born on July 2, 1925 in Nogales, Arizona to Dolores and Levi Biggs. Biggs’ father was a member of the 25th Infantry (Buffalo Soldiers) where he rose to the rank of master sergeant. … Read MoreGeorge Washington Biggs (1925-2020)
Beth A. Brown was an American astrophysicist and the first black woman to receive a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Michigan. Born on February 4, 1969, Brown grew up with her parents, younger brother, and an older cousin in Roanoke, Virginia. Her curiosity … Read MoreBeth A. Brown (1969-2008)
Ed Dwight, the first African American astronaut candidate, IBM computer systems engineer, real estate developer, professional sculptor, and former Air Force test pilot, was born in Kansas City, Kansas on September 9th, 1933. From a young age, Dwight was an avid reader and a talented … Read MoreEd Dwight (1933- )
Joseph Bernard Rogers was a Republican politician who served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. Rogers was born in Omaha, Nebraska on July 8, 1964, to Joe Louis and Lola Marie Rogers. His parents divorced in 1966, and his mother moved to Denver, Colorado. … Read MoreJoseph Bernard Rogers (1964-2013)
Dr. John Baldwin West was one of a handful of African American pulp detective fiction writers. In the 1950s his books were described by critics as white life novels, placing him in a category with better-known writers such as Willard Motley, William Gardner Smith, and … Read MoreJohn Baldwin West (1905-1960)
Meadow “Meadowlark” Lemon III was most famous as the longtime star player of the Harlem Globetrotters. Lemon was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on April 25, 1932. He adopted the name “Meadowlark” while he was with the Harlem Globetrotters. Lemon attended Williston Industrial School in … Read MoreMeadow “Meadowlark” Lemon III (1932-2015)
Lieutenant Colonel Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell is the first African American female fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. Kimbrell was born in Lafayette, Indiana on April 20, 1976. Her parents, Eve Blackman Ng A Qui and Dr. Norman N A Qui, migrated from Guyana … Read MoreShawna Rochelle (Ng A Qui) Kimbrell (1976- )
Dr. Michael Johnson, microbial biologist and immunobiology professor at the University of Arizona, is currently researching the efficacy of copper as an inhibitor of coronavirus’ spread and replication. Johnson was born in 1982 into a single-parent household in Chicago, Illinois. His academic journey began at … Read MoreMichael D.L. Johnson (1982- )
In March 1943, the United States Army renamed the 367th Negro Infantry Regiment the 364th Negro Infantry Regiment. Most of the new recruits came from Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. By June, the regiment, consisting of approximately 3,000 soldiers, was sent to Camp Papago Park … Read MoreThe Mystery of the 364th Infantry Regiment (1943-1945)
Research scientist Jane Hinton was born on May 1, 1919 in Canton, Massachusetts. Her mother, Ada (Hawes) Hinton, was a former teacher, and her father, William Augustus Hinton, was a bacteriologist and one of the most prominent African American medical researchers of his era. In … Read MoreJane Hinton (1919-2003)
