Alvin A. Brown, the first African American mayor of Jacksonville, Florida was born on December 15, 1961, in Beaufort, South Carolina and was reared with his four siblings by his mother and grandmother. His formative years were spent at St. Helena Junior High School, and … Read MoreAlvin A. Brown (1961- )
The Harlem Renaissance in New York City attracted African Americans from every part of the United States, the West Indies, and the African continent to participate in its massive production of art and literature. The Renaissance was Pan-African in scope, showcasing the scholarship of bibliophile … Read MoreTommy Davis (? – ?)
George F. Bowles, born enslaved in 1844 in Charleston, South Carolina, was one of the most prominent figures in Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction era Mississippi. He was a lawyer, newspaper editor, politician, and businessman. His early life remains somewhat unclear, with conflicting accounts of his parent’s … Read MoreGeorge F. Bowles (1844-1899)
Charles Smith, a visual artist, historian, activist, and minister, was born on November 11, 1940, to Bertha Mary Smith and an unnamed father in New Orleans, Louisiana. His early life was marked by tragedy when his father was killed in what local officials in New … Read MoreCharles Smith (1940- )
Louisiana Freedom Summer, also known as CORE’s Louisiana Project, was a Civil Rights campaign in Louisiana during the summer of 1964. It co-occurred simultaneously with the more famous Mississippi Freedom Summer Project. Like its Mississippi counterpart, the Project relied on volunteers from across the United … Read MoreLouisiana Freedom Summer (1964)
U.S. Army Air Force World War II veteran Edward Lucien Toppins was a fighter pilot credited with shooting down four German enemy fighter aircraft during aerial combat, a distinction shared with two other Tuskegee Airmen. Toppins was born in Mississippi on June 12, 1915. His … Read MoreEdward Toppins (1915-1946)
Louis Cameron Gossett Jr., one of the most commanding American actors in television and film, as well as a producer, director, and social activist, was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, the only child to Louis Cameron Gossett Sr. and Hellen Rebecca … Read MoreLouis Gossett Jr. (1936-2024)
King of Zydeco and Louisiana Blues Clifton Chenier, singer, pianist, harmonicist, lyricist, and composer, was born on June 25, 1925, in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana to Joseph Chenier, an accordionist and sharecropper, and Olivia Kennerson Chenier, who introduced him to the rudiments of playing … Read MoreClifton Chenier (1925-1987)
Rayne Dakota (Dak) Prescott is a National Football League quarterback currently playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott was born on July 29, 1993, in Sulphur, Louisiana to parents Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott. Prescott attended Haughton High School in Haughton, Louisiana and then accepted a scholarship … Read MoreRayne Dakota (Dak) Prescott (1993- )
The case of the Jena Six exposed racial injustice and inequality following an incident involving six male African American teenagers. The arrest of the students, all enrolled at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, ignited a national movement to address longstanding injustices in what has … Read MoreJena Six (2006)
