Alondra Nelson, lecturer, social scientist, administrator/organizer, was born on April 22, 1968, in Bethesda, Maryland, to career Navy parents Robert Nelson and Delores Nelson. Reared in New Orleans, she has Jamaican roots. Alondra’s siblings are Andrea Nelson, Robert Nelson, and Anthony Nelson. However, Alondra’s earlier … Read MoreAlondra Nelson (1968- )
Troy Anthony Carter is a United States Congressman representing Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District since May of 2021. He is the Second Vice-Chair in the Congressional Black Caucus, and prominently known as the first African American elected to serve District 102 in the Louisiana House of … Read MoreTroy Anthony Carter (1963 – )
Sister Thea Bowman was a Catholic Franciscan nun, evangelist, and educator known for introducing culturally inclusive practices into the Catholic liturgy. Her contributions were so significant that she is being considered for sainthood. Thea Bowman was born Bertha Elizabeth Bowman on December 29, 1937, in … Read MoreSister Thea Bowman (1937 – 1990)
Dr. Percy Anthony Pierre is an accomplished pioneer in electrical engineering and trailblazer known for his academic and professional accomplishments throughout the nation including a university presidency. Born in Welcome, Louisiana, on January 3, 1939 to Rosa Villavaso Pierre and Percy John Pierre who were … Read MoreDr. Percy A. Pierre
Bernette Joshua Johnson is a retired Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. She is the first African American woman to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court and the second female to hold the position of Chief Justice. Born in Lemannville, Louisiana on June 17, … Read MoreJustice Bernette Joshua Johnson
Marie Walker Johnson was a Black Creole civil rights activist in Oakland, California, during the 1960s. A mother of five and a nurse, she also played a crucial role in multiple grassroots groups in the East Bay area. In these organizations, she marched, wrote letters, … Read MoreMarie Clara Delpit Walker Johnson (1921-1974)
Gilda Barabino, a biomedical engineer and world-renowned sickle cell researcher, is the first African American and woman president of Olin College of Engineering. She was born on May 28, 1956 in Anchorage, Alaska to Margaret Angus Barnes Barnum and Norman Edward Barnum III. At a … Read MoreGilda Barabino (1956- )
Akwaeke Emezi is part of a small but growing number of transgender Nigerian writers whose unique perspective and the rapidly growing audience for their novels have garnered them international literary acclaim. Emezi identifies as transgender and as an ogbanje. Transgender people do not identify with … Read MoreAkwaeke Emezi (1987- )
Educational administrator Albert Walter Dent was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 25, 1904, to Daisy Dent. Information was not available regarding his father. He had two sisters. Dent graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1926. … Read MoreAlbert Walter Dent (1904-1984)
Shalanda Delores Young is a U.S. policy advisor who is the first Black woman to serve as Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She previously served as Deputy Director from March 24, 2021, to March 17, 2022 and before that … Read MoreShalanda Young (1977- )
