Tireless adoption advocate and civil rights activist Mabel T. Grammer was born on December 23, 1913, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the granddaughter of slaves and one of the seven children of Pearl and Edward Treadwell. Her father, who worked as a bellhop, died when she … Read MoreMabel Treadwell Grammer (1913-2002)
The 20th-century evolution of Jr. Walker & The All-Stars began with “The Rhythm Rockers,” which became “The All-Stars” in 1961. In 1964, Walker & The All-Stars signed with Motown Records. The ensemble’s legendary composer and leader was Autry “Jr. Walker” DeWalt Mixon II, was born … Read MoreJr. Walker & The All-Stars (1964-1979)
Sonny Charles Hemphill, arranger, tenor, and director, was born in Blytheville, Arkansas, on September 4, 1940, to sharecroppers. However, at the age of 10, he, his six sisters, and parents moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana. At 14 Hemphill, a tenor and harmonica player, sang in … Read MoreSonny Charles and the Checkmates (1969-2008)
What happened: In 1957, after a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that public school segregation was unconstitutional, nine Black students were selected to attend Little Rock, Arkansas’ Central High School (a previous all-white school). They were among the first Black students in the country … Read MoreLittle Rock Crisis (1957) [Children’s Edition]
Clifford Joseph “T.I.” Harris Jr is a rapper, actor, and entrepreneur credited with popularizing the Hip Hop subgenre, Trap Music during the 2000s. Harris was born on September 25, 1980, to Clifford “Buddy” Harris Sr. and Violeta Morgan in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in … Read MoreClifford Joseph Harris Jr/T.I. (1980- )
Louise Alone Thompson Patterson, civil rights activist, communist, and educator, was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 9, 1901 to Lulu (Louise) F. Brown Toles and William J. Toles. After her parents 1904 separation, Thompson lived in Seattle, Washington as well as Utah, Nevada, Idaho, … Read MoreLouise Thompson Patterson (1901-1999)
Bill (or Billy) Colbert is best known for serving as an officer of color who upheld the law in the Indian Territory during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Though the details of his early life are scant, historical records indicate that he was of … Read MoreBill Colbert (1835-1933)
Billie Blair is an African American model who rose to fame during the 1973 fashion extravaganza at the Palace of Versailles near Paris, France. She later left the fashion world to pursue her passion for evangelism. Born to Hattie and William Blair in Arkansas, Billie … Read MoreBillie Blair (1951- )
In the pre-Civil War United States, a black man who allegedly murdered a prominent white businessman could expect to be summarily tortured and lynched. But in one of most unusual criminal cases of the era, Moses Tate not only avoided a gruesome death but was … Read MoreMoses Tate (1821?- ?)
Ottowa or O.W. Gurley is remembered was one of the wealthiest men in Tulsa, Oklahoma before the 1921 Tulsa Massacre destroyed his property and forced him to flee. Ottowa Gurley was born on Christmas Day in 1868 to freed slaves in Huntsville, Alabama, Gurley grew … Read MoreO. W. Gurley (1868-1935)
