Kathleen Neal Cleaver emerged in the late 1960s as one of the most influential leaders of the Black Panther Party (BPP). Neal was born in Memphis, Texas on May 13, 1945. Her father Ernest Neal was a sociology professor at Wiley College. Her mother, Juette (Johnson) Neal, earned a … Read MoreKathleen Neal Cleaver (1945- )
Pioneering black journalist Louis Lomax was born in Valdosta, Georgia on August 16, 1922 to parents Emanuel C. Smith and Sarah Louise Lomax. He attended Paine College in Augusta, Georiga where he was editor of the student newspaper. He graduated from Paine in 1942 at the age of 19. Lomax then entered graduate … Read MoreLouis Emanuel Lomax (1922-1970)
Dr. Robert Doyle Bullard, is known as the “father of environmental justice.” Over three decades he has been a prominent activist and scholar in the field of environmental justice, which encompasses land use, transportation equity, suburban sprawl, housing, minority health, regional equity, emergency response, and community preparedness. … Read MoreRobert Doyle Bullard (1946- )
The shooting on New Year’s of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old black man from Oakland, California, sparked major protests against excessive deadly force used by the police. These protests began less than a week after Grant had been shot and killed by Johannes Mehserle, a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) … Read MoreThe Oscar Grant (Oakland) Protests, 2009-2011
Joseph L. White, known as the “Father of Black Psychology,” for exposing the implicit whiteness in the field of psychology, including education, research, and professional training, was a clinical psychologist, professor, and researcher who challenged the American Psychological Association (APA) by helping to found the Association of … Read MoreJoseph L. White (1932-2017)
The Hunter’s Point Uprising began on September 27, 1966, and lasted three days. At that time, it was the largest riot in San Francisco, California, since the anti-Chinese riots almost 90 years earlier. The uprising began when police chased and attempted to arrest three teenagers—Darrell Mobley, 14; … Read MoreHunter’s Point, San Francisco Uprising (1966)
Business executive, city official, and civil rights activist David Surmier Cunningham, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Reverend David S. Cunningham, Sr. and Eula Mae Lawson Cunningham on June 24, 1935. His family moved to Decatur, Illinois in 1943. Cunningham attended E.A. Gastman Elementary School and received musical instruction at Millikin University. … Read MoreDavid Surmier Cunningham, Jr. (1935-2017)
Reginald Doucet, a 25-year-old California native, was shot and killed on January 14, 2011, during an altercation with Officer Aaron Goff of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Goff, a rookie officer who had been on the force for only 17 months, was found justified in the shooting … Read MoreReginald Doucet (1985-2011)
James Homer Garrott was an African American modernist architect. He was pivotal to the creation of many historic buildings in the Los Angeles, California area, designing more than 200 buildings throughout the city, including municipal buildings, schools, medical buildings, and over 25 churches between 1928 and 1970. … Read MoreJames H. Garrott (1897-1991)
Derrick Jones was an East Oakland, California barber who was shot and killedby officers of the Oakland Police Department on November 8, 2010. He was 37 years old at the time of his death. His death, along with those of many others including the well-known killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael … Read MoreDerrick Jones (1983-2010)
