Aerospace engineer Wesley Leroy Harris was born on October 29, 1941 in Richmond, Virginia. His parents, Rosa Minor and William Harris, were both workers in local tobacco factories. Harris graduated from Richmond’s Armstrong High School in 1960. He then married his high school sweetheart and … Read MoreDr. Wesley Leroy Harris (1941- )
Ernest Roscoe Dickerson is an American director, cinematographer, and screenwriter. Most notably, he directed Juice (1992), which he co-wrote along with Gerard Brown. He also directed TV episodes of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knights (1995); Bones (2001); Never Die Alone (2004); and several episodes … Read MoreErnest Roscoe Dickerson (1951- )
Actor Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987 in Santa Ana, California to Donna Jordan and Michael A. Jordan. He also has an order sister, Jamila, and a younger brother, Khalid. When Michael was two years old, his family moved to Newark, New … Read MoreMichael Bakari Jordan (1987- )
Donald Payne Jr. has been the U.S Representative for New Jersey’s 10th congressional district since 2010, winning elected to a seat previously held by his father, Donald Payne Sr. Payne was born on December 17, 1958 in Newark, New Jersey to Donald and Hazel (Johnson) … Read MoreDonald Milton Payne Jr. (1958- )
William F. Powell, a late 19th Century politician, was born in Troy, New York on June 26, 1848. When he was young, his family moved to New York City where he attended public schools. Powell had a diverse education as a young man. He attended … Read MoreWilliam F. Powell (1848-1920)
Keith Douglas Sweat is an American Rhythm and Blues singer and songwriter who is known for hit songs that include “Nobody,” “I Want Her,” and “Make it Last Forever.” Sweat is also credited as being one of the first performers in the musical genre called … Read MoreKeith Sweat (1961- )
Michael Vincent Drake, a physician and college administrator, became president of two major American universities. Born on July 9, 1951 in New York City, Drake grew up in Englewood, New Jersey and Sacramento, California. His parents Carl Everett Drake, a psychiatrist who had once been … Read MoreMichael Vincent Drake (1951- )
Jeremiah G. Hamilton (a.k.a. Jerry Hamilton, though both names may be fictitious) was known as the “Prince of Darkness” and considered the wealthiest African American of the 19th century. Although the details of his life are somewhat enigmatic, he may have been born somewhere in … Read MoreJeremiah G. Hamilton (ca. 1807-1875)
Medical technician and lawyer, state executive, and judge Alice Athenia Lytle was born on March 2, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey. Her father Lacey Lytle worked as a janitor in a building where she lived. He and her mother Margaret moved the family to Harlem … Read MoreAlice Athenia Lytle (1939-2018)
Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. The fifth of seven children, she was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. During a tempestuous Christian childhood, around … Read MoreMarsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
