Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (1958– )

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-American actor and director best known for his portrayal of Gustavo “Gus” Fring on the AMC TV series Breaking Bad, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama award and was nominated for an outstanding Supporting … Read MoreGiancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (1958– )

Delano Eugene Lewis (1938 – )

“Image Ownership: University of Kansas” On November 16, 1999 President William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton nominated Delano Eugene Lewis to be the United States Ambassador to South Africa.  Lewis was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and served in that capacity from 1999 to 2001.  Having spent … Read MoreDelano Eugene Lewis (1938 – )

Eddie “the Sheik” Gardner: An Ultramarathoning Legend and Unsung Hero in the Struggle for Racial Equality in America.

Eddie Gardner Crossing the Mississippi River at St. Louis, 1929 “Image Courtesty of Charles Kastner” In the following account, sports historian Charles Kastner describes the remarkable athletic career of Eddie “the Sheik” Gardner of Seattle, Washington. Gardner was arguably the greatest ultramarathoner in Pacific Northwest … Read MoreEddie “the Sheik” Gardner: An Ultramarathoning Legend and Unsung Hero in the Struggle for Racial Equality in America.

Phillips Chapel CME Church, Las Cruces, New Mexico (1911- )

“Image Ownership: Joseph C. Yaroch (CC BY-SA 4.0)” In 1911 a group of African Americans and Hispanics joined to build a small chapel, one of the first for the town of Las Cruces, New Mexico Territory. Their church, Phillips Chapel Colored Methodist Episcopal (now Christian … Read MorePhillips Chapel CME Church, Las Cruces, New Mexico (1911- )

Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1899- )

Arriving in Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory, in 1898, Mrs. Tabytha Watson began the organization of a Baptist church with prayer meetings which included her two children, in her home. By the following year the church was named Mt. Olive Baptist and members raised $135 to … Read MoreMt. Olive Baptist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1899- )

Grant Chapel AME Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1883- )

Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was the first black church in New Mexico and was organized during the state’s territorial period. Although New Mexico Territory had a few slaves before the Civil War, African Americans began arriving in the region in significant numbers … Read MoreGrant Chapel AME Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1883- )

The Harlem Renaissance in the American West

In the following article historians Bruce Glasrud and Cary Wintz discuss their new book, The Harlem Renaissance in the American West which argues that the literary and artistic outpouring by African Americans during the third decade of the 20th Century was a national phenomenon which … Read MoreThe Harlem Renaissance in the American West

George Marion Johnson (1900-1989)

Image Ownership: Library of Congress Dr. George Marion Johnson had a distinguished public and professional career that included high administrative positions at universities on two continents as well as governmental positions in agencies which protected the civil rights of all Americans.  Throughout his career, he … Read MoreGeorge Marion Johnson (1900-1989)