Atlanta attorney Michael R. Hollis founded one of the earliest black-owned airlines, Air Atlanta, in 1984. Hollis was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 22, 1953, the youngest of five children of Flem H. Hollis, a Pullman porter, and Virginia R. Hollis, an official with … Read MoreMichael R. Hollis (1953-2012)
Rhythm and blues artist Sharon Lafaye Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, on May 4, 1956. She was the youngest of six children born to Ella Mae Price Jones and Charlie Jones. The family moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. … Read MoreSharon Lafaye Jones (1956–2016)
The Second Emancipation Proclamation was an envisioned executive order proposed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement which they urged President John F. Kennedy to issue. As the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln to … Read MoreSecond Emancipation Proclamation (1962)
Shaunita Latrice “Tia” Norfleet is the first and, as of 2016, only African American female to be licensed as a NASCAR driver. Born on May 1, 1986, in Suffolk, Virginia, Tia is the daughter of Bobby Norfleet, a professional racecar driver in the 1990s. Her … Read MoreTia Norfleet (1986- )
Jasmine Guy is an American actress, director, singer, and dancer. She was born on March 10, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts, to biracial parents. Her father, William Guy, is an African American pastor, and her mother, Jaye Rudolph, is a Portuguese American who was a school … Read MoreJasmine Guy (1962- )
Igbo Landing is a historic site at Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Glynn County, Georgia. In 1803 one of the largest mass suicides of enslaved people took place when Igbo captives from what is now Nigeria were taken to the Georgia coast. In May … Read MoreIgbo Landing Mass Suicide (1803)
African American LDS activist Eugene Orr was born on March 16, 1946, to David Orr and Martha Wilder Orr in Ashburn, Georgia. The family was deeply religious and planned for young Orr to become a minister. As a child, Orr would sometimes put corn silk … Read MoreEugene Orr (1946– )
“Image Ownership: Harry Naltchayan/Washington Post” Ivanhoe Donaldson, one of the leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was born on October 17, 1941, in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, New York. He was the son of New York policeman, and his mother was … Read MoreIvanhoe Donaldson (1941–2016)
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-black battalion of the Woman’s Army Corps (WAC). The 6888th had 855 enlisted African American women and officers. The battalion was commanded by Major Charity Edna Adams Early, who became the highest-ranking African American woman in the … Read More6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (1945–1946)
The Birmingham Campaign was a movement led in early 1963 by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which sought to bring national attention to the efforts of local Black leaders to desegregate public facilities in Birmingham, Alabama. The campaign was led by Dr. Martin Luther … Read MoreThe Birmingham Campaign (1963)
