“Image Ownership: Don Hogan Charles/The New York Times” Lloyd George Richards was an African American film, theater, and video director. He was born on June 29, 1919, in Toronto, Ontario, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. Richards was only nine years old when his father died, … Read MoreLloyd George Richards (1919–2006)
Viola Davis is an American producer and actress of stage, screen, and television. Davis was born August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina. She is the daughter of Mary Alice Davis, a maid, factory worker, homemaker, and civil rights activist. Her father, Dan Davis, … Read MoreViola Davis (1965- )
Idrissa Akuna “Idris” Elba is a British actor best known for his roles in The Wire and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. He has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a miniseries or television film, for which he … Read MoreIdrissa Akuna “Idris” Elba (1972- )
Malvin Russell Goode was the first African American news correspondent for a major television network. Goode was born on February 13, 1908, in White Plains, Virginia, but his family moved to Homestead, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, when he was very young. Goode, the third of four … Read MoreMalvin Russell Goode (1908–1995)
Mary Edmonson (1832–1853) and Emily Edmonson (1835–1895) were enslaved African Americans who became prominent in the United States abolitionist movement after gaining their freedom. On April 15, 1848, they were among the 77 slaves who tried to escape from Washington, D.C. to New Jersey on … Read MoreThe Edmonson Sisters (1832–1895)
“Image Ownership: Harry Naltchayan/Washington Post” Ivanhoe Donaldson, one of the leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was born on October 17, 1941, in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, New York. He was the son of New York policeman, and his mother was … Read MoreIvanhoe Donaldson (1941–2016)
The Pearl Incident in 1848 was the single largest recorded escape attempt by enslaved people in United States history. On April 15, 1848, 77 slaves attempted to flee Washington, D.C. by sailing away on a schooner called The Pearl. They planned to sail south along … Read MoreThe Pearl Incident, 1848
Born on November 5, 1940, Cedric Robinson, one of the nation’s most influential political scientists, on died on June 5, 2016. Robinson was born and raised in a working-class neighborhood of Oakland, California, the son of Clara Whiteside and Frederick Hill. After graduating from Berkeley … Read MoreCedric Robinson (1940-2016)
Chaplain (Major General) Matthew Augustus Zimmerman Jr. is a retired American Army officer who served as the 18th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1990 to 1994. He was the first African American to hold this position. Zimmerman was born on December … Read MoreMatthew Augustus Zimmerman Jr. (1941– )
Black Lives Matter Protesters in Syracuse, NY, June 6, 2020 “Image Ownership: Scott Schild” The Syracuse, New York Chapter of Black Lives Matter was founded by public school educator and community actor Anthony Harper on August 6, 2015. The founding occurred several weeks after Black … Read MoreBlack Lives Matter, Syracuse Chapter (2015- )
