Image Ownership: Keith Allison Klay Alexander Thompson is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Golden State Warriors. Thompson was born February 8, 1990 in Los Angeles, California to Mychal Thompson, a former NBA player, and Julie Leslie … Read MoreKlay Alexander Thompson (1990- )
Haben Girma, both blind and deaf, is a disability rights advocate and attorney who became the first deaf and blind graduate of Harvard Law School in Massachusetts when she graduated with a Juris Doctor degree (JD) in 2013. Girma was born on July 29, 1988, … Read MoreHaben Girma (1988- )
Site of Richard Freeman Saloon in Old Town San Diego Image Ownership: Public domain Richard Freeman, deputy city marshal and entrepreneur in the early years of San Diego, California, was born somewhere in the Eastern United States. His date of birth is unknown and so … Read MoreRichard Freeman (?-1851)
Known as the Queen of R&B, Ruth Brown was a rhythm and blues singer and actress who crusaded for musicians’ rights. Brown was born Portsmouth, Virginia, on January 12, 1928. After a string of unfortunate events, Brown ended up in Washington, D.C. There, important people … Read MoreRuth Brown (1928-2006)
The prohibition of alcohol in the United States during the early 20th century didn’t really affect the nightclubbing scene in Los Angeles, California, especially in the Culver City area during the 1920s. Sebastian’s Cotton Club, at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and National Street, was … Read MoreSebastian’s Cotton Club Culver City, California (1926-1938)
William A.G. Brown, Founder of the Boston Saloon Image Ownership: Library of Congress The Boston Saloon, which operated in Virginia City, Nevada, is the only black-owned Western saloon to be the subject of an archaeological excavation. During Virginia City’s heyday in the early 1870s, the … Read MoreThe Boston Saloon (1864-1875)
The Hotel Robinson, built in 1897, was one of the first businesses in San Diego County, California to be owned and operated by an African American, and the oldest continuously operated hotel in Southern California. The hotel is now a part of the National Register … Read MoreHotel Robinson (1897-1921)
Fire Station No. 30, Engine Company No. 30 in Los Angeles, 2011 Image Ownership: Cbl62 Fire station #30, the first fire station manned by African Americans in the West, was established in 1924. Although the station was created in 1924, African Americans had been serving … Read MoreLos Angeles Fire Department Fire Station 30 (1924-1955)
Tyra Lynne Banks is one of the most famous African American models of the late twentieth century. Banks is also a television personality, actress, author, and businesswoman. She was born on December 4, 1973, in Inglewood, California, to Carolyn London, a medical photographer, and Donald … Read MoreTyra Banks (1973- )
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Oakland, California emerged in the eastern part of the Bay Area in 1858. The congregation itself was founded by members of the black community in Oakland at the time, but it wasn’t until 1863 that they actually had … Read MoreFirst AME Church, Oakland, California (1858- )
