Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian-Swedish chef and restaurateur. Samuelsson was born Kassahun Tsegie on January 25, 1973, in Ethiopia. His father was President of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His unnamed mother died during the Ethiopian tuberculosis epidemic of 1974. Samuelsson and his sister, Fantaye, … Read MoreMarcus Samuelsson (1973- )
Rochester, August 29, 1868 Dear Harriet: I am glad to know that the story of your eventful life has been written by a kind lady, and that the same is soon to be published. You ask for what you do not need when you call … Read More(1868) Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman
Janet Mock is an African American, Hawaiian, and Transgendered person. She was born on March 3, 1983 in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised there and in Oakland, California and Dallas, Texas as Charles Mock III. Her father is Charles Mock II and her mother is Elizabeth … Read MoreJanet Mock (1983- )
Julius “Nipsey” Russell was a comedian, dancer, and poet. Russell was born on October 13, 1924, in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother gave him the nickname Nipsey, and he embraced it because he liked the way it sounded. Russell attended Booker T. Washington High School in … Read MoreNipsey Russell (1924-2005)
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)
Irene Amos Morgan Kirkaldy was a civil rights activist who won her 1946 U.S. Supreme Court case in Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia, which declared interstate transport racial segregation to be unconstitutional, nearly a decade before the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Irene Amos was born … Read MoreIrene Morgan Kirkaldy (1917-2007)
Roy Franklin Simmons was professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the New York Giants and Washington Redskins. He was also one of the first openly gay players in the NFL. Simmons was born on November 8, 1956 in Savannah, … Read MoreRoy Franklin Simmons (1956-2014)
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- )
Jeffery “Ja Rule” Atkins is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and actor who gained fame in the early 2000s with popular hit songs such as “Holla Holla,” “I’m Real” featuring Jennifer Lopez, and “Wonderful” featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti. Ja Rule was born on February 29, … Read MoreJeffery “Ja Rule” Atkins (1976- )
Taylor Nicole Smith is a professional soccer player in the National Women’s League. Smith was born on December 1, 1993 in Fort Worth, Texas to Rose Smith and an unnamed father. Growing up, Smith attended Forth Worth Country Day School located in Fort Worth, Texas. … Read MoreTaylor Nicole Smith (1993- )