In the following article sociologist and African American Studies professor Patricia A. Banks describes the rise of private art collectors and collections among African Americans. Her article also shows the growing acceptance of African American art and artists in major museums and galleries across the … Read MoreCollecting African American Art: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Obama Era
Image Ownership: U.S. Coast Guard Joseph Charles Jenkins, the first African American naval officer, paved the way for the beginning of desegregation in the United States Coast Guard. Jenkins was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1914. Unfortunately, there is little information regarding his childhood. He … Read MoreJoseph Charles Jenkins (1914-1959)
Draymond Jamal Green, Sr. is a professonal basketball player with the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently playing with the Golden State (California) Warriors. Green was born on March 4, 1990, in Saginaw, Michigan to Mary Babers and Wallace Davis. Green was raised by … Read MoreDraymond Jamal Green, Sr. (1990- )
Roberta Alexander is an internationally famous American opera soprano. After performing in numerous operas in the United States and Europe, she established herself as one of the leading American sopranos in the latter quarter of the twentieth century, both on the operatic stage and as … Read MoreRoberta Alexander (1949- )
Theophilus Lewis, a drama/theater critic, journalist, and U.S. Postal Service employee, was born to Thomas and Anne Lewis on March 4, 1891, in Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis attended public schools in Baltimore but was very much self-educated. He joined the U.S. Army and fought in World … Read MoreTheophilus Lewis (1891-1974)
Joseph Brazil was an American jazz saxophonist and educator born August 25, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan. He taught jazz at Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington, and co-founded the music curriculum at the University of Washington in the late 1960s. He also founded the Black … Read MoreJoe Brazil (1927-2008)
Christopher Paul Curtis is an American children’s book author. He was born on May 10, 1953, in Flint, Michigan, and the city serves a setting in some of his books. His parents were Dr. Herman E. Curtis, a chiropodist, and Leslie Curtis, an educator. He … Read MoreChristopher Paul Curtis (1953- )
Image Ownership: AP Julius LeVonne Chambers was a twentieth century African-American civil rights activist and lawyer. Born October 6, 1936, to William and Matilda Chambers in Mt. Gilead, a small town in Montgomery County, North Carolina, he faced segregationist laws from birth. Opportunities for young … Read MoreJulius L. Chambers (1936-2013)
Milton Jackson, also known as Milt or Bags because of the bags under his eyes, the leader of the Modern Jazz Quartet, was born on January 1, 1923, in Detroit, Michigan, to Manley Jackson and Lillie Beaty Jackson. He started playing the guitar at the … Read MoreMilton/ Milt or Bags Jackson (1923-1999)
Soul Singer Wilson Pickett was born on March 18, 1941, in Prattville, Alabama, as the fourth of eleven children. Throughout his childhood, he sang in Baptist church choirs and was trained as a gospel singer. During this period, he began to develop a soulful tone … Read MoreWilson Pickett (1941-2006)
