John Johnson, who is described as Lincoln, Nebraska’s long-forgotten photographer, was well known for his photography of the African American Community of his time. Johnson was born in Lincoln in 1879, the son of enslaved people. Johnson’s father was a Civil War veteran and his … Read MoreJohn Johnson (1879-1953) and Earl McWiliams (?-?)
The St. Louis Stars were a Negro League Baseball team that originally played independently, but later joined the National Negro League (NNL). The team’s original name was the St. Louis Giants, and it was formed in 1906 by African American bank messenger and baseball fan, … Read MoreSt. Louis Stars (St. Louis Giants) (1906-1943)
The Atlanta Black Crackers were a professional Negro League baseball team that played mostly as a minor league team but were briefly a major negro league team as well. The team was originally formed as the Atlanta Cubs, a semi-professional team made of college students … Read MoreThe Atlanta Black Crackers (1919-1939)
Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail was a professor, mentor, President of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc (NACME), and most recently President of Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Irving McPhail was born on March 27, 1949 in Harlem, New York. He … Read MoreIrving Pressley McPhail (1949-2020)
John B (for the Baptist) Stradford was born a free man in Versailles, Kentucky in 1861. His father, J.C. Stradford was a former slave who had been emancipated and was living in Stradford, Ontario (Canada) but who returned to the U.S. and was in Versailles … Read MoreJohn “the Baptist” Stradford (1861-1935)
Benjamin Lloyd Crump is an American Civil Rights lawyer who is best known as the attorney of the families of Black Lives Matter victims starting with the case of Genie McMeans Jr in 2002. Crump, the oldest of nine siblings, was born on October 10, … Read MoreBenjamin Lloyd Crump (1969- )
Henry “Pistol” Mason was the first Black baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia farm team, the Schenectady Blue Jays in 1955. Mason was born on June 19, 1931 in Marshall, Missouri to Tansie and Anna Mason. His father was a laborer in a rock quarry and … Read MoreHenry Mason (1931-2020)
Norman “Turkey” Stearnes was one of the Negro League Baseball’s (NBL) most feared hitters. Born on May 8, 1901 in Nashville, Tennessee to Will S. and Mary (Everett), Stearnes, his mother was a cook for a private family earning $7 a week and was listed … Read MoreNorman Thomas “Turkey” Stearnes (1901-1979)
Ezekiel Elijah Elliot is a running back who plays for the Dallas (Texas) Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). Elliott was born on July 22, 1995 to his mother, Dawn Huff Elliot, and his father, Stacy Elliot in Alton, Illinois. Elliott attended John Burroughs … Read MoreEzekiel Elijah Elliott (1995- )
Pellom McDaniels, the first born of Pellom and Mary McDaniels, was born on February 21, 1968. He was an all-American professional football player who played defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). Although he was a well-known player for the Kansas City Chiefs (1992-1998), … Read MorePellom McDaniels III (1968-2020)
