Sultry, soulful vocalist, lyricist, composer, actor, and activist Oleta Adams was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 4, 1953, and began piano lessons at seven. When she was 11, her family moved to Yakima, Washington, where she sang in the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church choir, … Read MoreOleta Adams (1953- )
Byron Allen (Folks) is an American businessman, television producer, and comedian born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 22, 1961. His media company, Entertainment Studios, owns assets in television production, broadcasting, film production, and digital media. Byron Allen Folks was born in Detroit to Carolyn and … Read MoreByron Allen (1961- )
Marlin Oliver “The Magician” Briscoe was a football quarterback for the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). When the Denver (Colorado) Broncos drafted him in 1968, Briscoe became the first African American Quarterback in professional football to start on a football team. … Read MoreMarlin Oliver Briscoe (1945-2022)
Pamela Sutton-Wallace is a healthcare executive. In 2022, she was appointed COO of Yale New Haven Health, Connecticut’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare system. Wallace was born in September 1969. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and African American Studies from … Read MorePamela Sutton-Wallace (1969-)
Claudia Lynn Thomas is an orthopedic surgeon, civil rights activist, and change agent. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1950 and raised in Queens, New York. She studied classical ballet with Bernice Johnson at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center in Queens. Thomas … Read MoreClaudia Lynn Thomas (1950- )
Opera singer Gregory Gardner was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on July 31, 1950, to Earl Gardner, a singer from Aliceville, Alabama, and Dorothy Davis Gardner, a soprano and piano player from Norfolk. Gregory was one of nine kids. He was introduced to piano studies at … Read MoreGregory Gardner (1950- )
Jessie Maple Patton, a pioneer for African American women in the film industry, was born on February 14, 1937, in McComb, Mississippi. There were 11 children in the Maple family, including sisters Lorrain Maple Crosby, Peggy Maple Lincoln, Debbie Maple Reed, Camilla Maple Clarke Doremus, … Read MoreJessie Maple Patton (1937-2023)
In 2023, New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the former “Colored School No. 4” a protected landmark from demolition or significant alterations, preserving its architectural and historic features. Eric Leroy Adams, the 110th mayor of New York City since 2022, designated $6 … Read MoreColored School No. 4 (1849-1894)
Tatyana Marisol Ali is an actress and singer best known for her role on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ali was born in North Bellmore, New York, on January 24, 1979, and is of Afro-Panamanian and Indo-Trinidadian heritage, with her ancestry rooted … Read MoreTatyana Ali (1979 – )
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an actress and producer known for her depictions of powerful women in history on stage, television, and in major movies. Bassett was born on August 16, 1958, in New York, New York. After her father, Daniel Benjamin Bassett, and her mother, … Read MoreAngela Bassett (1958- )
