Crystal Nix-Hines is an attorney, screenwriter, producer, and diplomat who was born in Wilmington, Delaware on August 23, 1963. Her father, Theophilus R. Nix Sr., was the second African American attorney admitted to the Delaware bar, and her mother, Dr. Lulu Mae Nix, was the … Read MoreCrystal Nix-Hines (1963- )
Orchestral pianist, violinist, conductor, composer, and arranger of the Swing to Bebop eras, Teddy Wilson was born Theodore Shaw Wilson on November 24, 1912, in Austin, Texas. He and his brother Gus Wilson, however, were reared on the campus of Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), … Read MoreTeddy Wilson (1912-1986)
Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American saber and fencing team member who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She became the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab (headscarf) while competing in the Olympics. Muhammad was born … Read MoreIbtihaj Muhammad (1985- )
Mildred Coleman Crump became the first African American councilwoman in the 336-year history of the Newark City Council in New Jersey when she assumed office in 1994. She is also the first woman to serve as council president for Newark, New Jersey, which she did … Read MoreMildred Coleman Crump (1939-)
Newark’s first Black woman municipal court judge, Golden Elizabeth Johnson, was born April 10, 1944, in Newark, New Jersey, to LeRoy Johnson, a civil rights activist and tenant president of a housing project, and Lucy Melton Johnson from Wilson, North Carolina. Golden had two sisters, … Read MoreGolden Elizabeth Johnson (1944-2010)
Twelve-time GRAMMY-winning composer, conductor, librettist, and jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter was born on August 25, 1933, in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were Joseph Wayne Shorter, a a welder for the Singer sewing machine company, and Louise Shorter, a seamstress with furriers. They also had … Read MoreWayne Shorter (1933-2023)
The Arnells, a female doo-wop ensemble that also performed as The Teenettes Variations, were all from all-girls Joseph Battin High School in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey. The short-lived but talented group, established in 1963, met in the high school corridors. They rehearsed after school … Read MoreThe Arnells (1963-1964)
John “Jack” Albert Holmes, Jr. (also known as “Daddy Jack Holmes”) was Virginia’s first Black disc jockey. He was born to John Albert Holmes, Sr., and Mary Holmes on July 1, 1912, in Merchantville, New Jersey. He graduated from Camden High School in Camden, New … Read MoreJohn Albert Holmes, Jr. (1912-1989)
Raphael Bostic is the chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In addition, he serves on the Federal Open Market Committee, The Federal Reserve’s chief monetary policy body. Bostic was born June 5, 1966 to Rafael Theodore Bostic of St. Croix and … Read MoreRaphael W. Bostic (1966- )
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)
