Teacher, civil rights activist, and author Barbara E. Pope was born free in January 1854, to former slaves Hannah and Alfred Pope, in the city of Georgetown, in the District of Columbia. Her parents were enslaved in New Jersey and her father, Alfred, became famous … Read MoreBarbara E. Pope (1854 -1908)
DeForest Blake “Buster” Soaries Jr. is a minister, author, and former secretary of state for New Jersey. Soaries was born on August 20, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were both West Indian immigrants and his father was a preacher. After graduating from high … Read MoreDeForest Soaries (1951- )
Jack Sisson was an enslaved African American who became a militia volunteer and was instrumental in the capture of British Gen. Richard Prescott in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. Sisson was born around 1743 and was owned by Thomas Sisson of Tiverton, Rhode Island. … Read MoreJack Sisson (1743?-1821)
Lonna Romaine Hooks is an attorney and the first Black secretary of state for New Jersey. Hooks was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was head of the art department at Fisk University, and the Hooks family lived on campus. While attending her … Read MoreLonna Hooks (1959- )
Tavares, a band of brothers, was a rhythm and blues and funk and soul group. They have also been known as The Tavares Brothers of Cape Verdean heritage (near Senegal) and Chubby & The Turnpikes. They comprised six of seven sons and one daughter of … Read MoreTavares (1969-1976)
Genevieve Scott Neal-Perry is the Robert A. Ross Distinguished Professor, chair of obstetrics and gynecology, and reproductive endocrinologist at the University of North Carolina who specializes in menopausal medicine, polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis management, and fertility care. Born in 1966 in Newark, New Jersey, … Read MoreGenevieve Scott Neal-Perry (1955- )
R&B and Pop singer Regina Elaine Belle was born on July 17, 1963, in Englewood, New Jersey, to Eugene Belle and Lois Belle. She has one brother, Bernard. At a young age, she began performing at Englewood’s Mount Calvary Baptist Church. In 1972, when Belle … Read MoreRegina Belle (1963- )
The mulatto slave William Lee appears together with his owner, U.S. President George Washington, in two and quite possibly three paintings, including the iconic Washington Crossing the Delaware by the artist Emanuel Leutze, where he is seen third from left in the boat where Washington … Read MoreWilliam Lee (aka Billy Lee/ Will Lee) (1752?-1810)
Linda Jones was a popular R&B and soul singer, with a gospel-influenced style because of her family background. Her popularity attracted many fans although her musical career was short due to health issues. Jones was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 14, 1944. At … Read MoreLinda Jones (1944-1972)
Mildred “Millie” Virginia Jackson, R&B singer, playwright, model, lyricist who is often called the “Mother of Hip Hop,” was born on July 15, 1944, in Thomson, Georgia. Her parents’ names are not publicly known. Her mother died in a fire when she was two years … Read MoreMillie Jackson (1944- )
