Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, actor and former professional wrestler, was born on May 2, 1972 to Rocky Johnson, a Black Nova Scotian professional wrestler, and Ata Johnson, a Samoan, in Haywood, California. Growing up, while his father was on the road during his professional wrestling … Read MoreDwayne “The Rock” Johnson (1972- )
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- )
Dan Bullock was the youngest member of the United States Armed Services to die in the Vietnam War. Bullock, a U.S. Marine, was 15 years old at the time of his death. Dan Bullock was born on December 21, 1953 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Much … Read MoreDan Bullock (1953-1969)
Leading African American anthropologist Lee D. Baker was adopted in 1969 by white parents who lived in Yakima, Washington. They traveled from their home to San Diego, California to adopt 3-year-old Baker. The family continued to live in Washington for a short period of time … Read MoreLee D. Baker (1966- )
Dr. Stanford Lee Warren, a co-founder of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and the Mechanics and Farmers Bank in Durham, North Carolina, was born in Caswell County, North Carolina in 1863. His mother was Anne Warren, and his father was reputed to be tobacco … Read MoreStanford Lee Warren (1863-1940)
Insurance executive Ivan James Houston was born in Los Angeles, California on June 15, 1925 to Norman Oliver Houston and Doris Talbot (Young) Houston. He attended public schools in Los Angeles and graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in 1943. Later that year … Read MoreIvan James Houston (1925- )
Ada Belle Huff Evans was the first African American elected mayor in Colorado. She was born on June 9, 1932 in Langley, South Carolina, a small town located in Aiken County. Much is unknown of her parents and earlier life. However, in 1951, she graduated … Read MoreAda Belle Evans (1932-2011)
Claudia Bonds Thomas, an educator, activist, and civic leader, was the first black woman to be elected mayor in Washington State. Thomas was born on September 20, 1930 in Shannon, North Carolina to Claud and Mary Lee Bonds. At the age of 15, she attended … Read MoreClaudia B. Thomas (1930-2018)
Nia Franklin is the 2018 Miss New York, the 2019 Miss America titleholder, and an American composer. Franklin was born on July 27, 1993, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is the oldest of James and Kristy Franklin’s three children. In her youth, Franklin took classical … Read MoreNia Imani Franklin (1993- )
In the article below, Dr. Uchenna Umeh, a former San Antonio, Texas physician, briefly describes how mental health among African Americans was viewed and treated by the American medical community from the antebellum period until today. In the process she describes how those attitudes have … Read MoreMental Illness in Black Community, 1700-2019: A Short History