World-renowned painter Beauford Delaney was born on December 30, 1901, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Samuel Delaney, a barber and a Methodist minister, and Delia Johnson Delaney, a seamstress born of slave parents. They had ten children. Two of the sons were painters, including Joseph Delaney. … Read MoreBeauford Delaney (1901-1979)
Leondra Reid Kruger, a Justice on the California Supreme Court, was born on July 28, 1976, in Glendale, California, to Leon Kruger and Audrey Reid Kruger from Jamaica. Both of her parents were physicians. However, she was reared in South Pasadena. She has two siblings. … Read MoreLeondra Reid Kruger (1976- )
A successful entrepreneur, Richelieu Dennis, was born February 25, 1969 in Liberia the son of Mary Dennis. Dennis grew up in Liberia during the civil wars, a time of violence and disruption. However, he was able to attend elementary and high school in Liberia and … Read MoreRichelieu Dennis (1969- )
Postmodern Composer, pianist, and conductor Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III, who has penned more than 250 works, was born on April 17, 1941, in Rochester, New York, to Lora Hailstork and Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork Jr. However, he was reared in Albany, New York. He has one … Read MoreAdolphus Cunningham Hailstork III (1941- )
On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated United States Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the resignation of Associate Justice Stephen Breyer. Two months later on April 7, she was confirmed by … Read MoreKetanji Brown Jackson (1970- )
Nina Mitchell Wells is an attorney and politician (D) who served as the 32nd Secretary of State for New Jersey. Mitchell was born on September 9, 1950, in Washington, D.C. In her youth she attended Immaculate Conception Academy, an all-girls catholic high school, and graduated … Read MoreNina Mitchell Wells (1950- )
The California Gold Rush, from 1848 to 1860, began after gold was discovered by carpenter and sawmill operator James W. Marshall on January 24, 1848. After Marshall’s discovery, thousands of people came to the goldfields in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern … Read MoreAfrican Americans in the California Gold Rush (1848-1860)
New Jack Swing R&B singer Ralph Edward Tresvant was born on May 16, 1968, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Patricia Tresvant and Ralph Hall. He and siblings, Andre and LaTonya, were reared in the Roxbury section of the city. While a teenager, Tresvant and his friends … Read MoreRalph Edward Tresvant Jr. (1968- )
The history of West Indian immigration can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua were brought to the British North American colonies to work on plantations. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) sparked another wave of immigration with thousands … Read MoreWest Indian Immigration to the United States (1900- )
The first African American players in the National Basketball Association in the twentieth century all came into the league in 1950. They were Earl Francis Lloyd (Washington Capitols), Charles Henry Cooper (Boston Celtics), and Nathaniel Clifton (New York Knicks). They all began their college careers … Read MoreThe First Black Players in the NBA (1950)
