“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Civil rights activist, dentist, book and African art collector Jack Johnson Kimbrough was born in Lexington, Mississippi, on July 26, 1908, to Samuel G. Kimbrough, a blacksmith, and Mary (Hoover) Kimbrough. Fearing violence from the Ku Klux Klan, in 1915 the … Read MoreJack J. Kimbrough (1908–1992)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Entrepreneur, political organizer, and civilian pioneer, Edward William Anderson was born the son of former slaves, Wyatt and Fannie Anderson, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, September 26, 1871. He arrived in San Diego, California, in the mid-1890s with just $1.25 in his pocket … Read MoreEdward W. Anderson (1871–1953)
Andy Razaf was a philosopher–poet, composer, and prolific musical lyricist of over five hundred songs, comprising some of the greatest hits from the Tin Pan Alley (New York) era. During his professional lifetime, Razaf worked with composers such as Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Don Redman, … Read MoreAndy Razaf (1895-1973)
“Image Ownership: Fair Use” Born on July 4, 1902 in Seattle, Washington, Brice Union Taylor was an athlete who broke racial barriers for African American football players. Brice Taylor is perhaps best known as the University of Southern California’s first All-American football player. A descendant of the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh and African slaves, he was the … Read MoreBrice Union Taylor (1902-1974)
Robert Browning Flippin was an important community leader and racial activist in San Francisco beginning in the 1930s through the 1950s. He was also the first African American parole officer at the California State Prison at San Quentin. The son of the black physician George … Read MoreRobert Browning Flippin (1903-1963)
On November 3, 2020, Kamala Harris was elected Vice-President of the United States on a ticket she shared with winning Democratic Party Presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden. She was officially inaugurated as the 49th Vice President of the United States on January … Read MoreKamala Devi Harris (1964- )
Image Courtesy of UCSF Archives and Special Collections Medical professor and civil rights leader Thomas Nathaniel Burbridge was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 12, 1921. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama, in 1941. From 1942 through … Read MoreThomas Nathaniel Burbridge (1921–1972)
Charles Harrison was one of the most prolific industrial designers of the twentieth century. One of only a handful of early African American industrial designers, he specialized in creating a variety of practical household goods emphasizing form and function. Harrison’s output of innovative consumer products … Read MoreCharles A. “Chuck” Harrison (1931–2018)
Award-winning broadcast journalist and author Belva Davis made history in 1966 when she was hired by San Francisco, California’s Channel 5, KPIX-TV, becoming the first female African American television news reporter on the West Coast. Born Belvagene Melton on October 13, 1932 in Monroe, Louisiana, … Read MoreBelva Davis (1932- )
“Image Ownership: Joe Crawford” Floyd E. Norman is an animator, comic book artist, and script writer who made history in 1956 by becoming the first African American cartoon animator at the Disney studios, where he worked directly with Walt Disney. Norman was born on June … Read MoreFloyd E. Norman (1935– )
