William Henry Jernagin was a Baptist minister, civil rights advocate and Organizer of the Washington Bureau of the National Fraternal Council of Negro Churches. Born on October 13, 1869 in Mashulaville, Mississippi, to Allen and Julia Ruth Jernagin. He was educated in the public schools … Read MoreWilliam Henry Jernagin (1869-1958)
Professional basketball player James Edward Harden Jr. was born on August 24, 1989 to James Harden Sr. and Monja Willis in Los Angeles, California. Harden also have a half-brother named Akili Roberson and a sister named Arnique Jenkins. James Harden Sr. was mostly absent during … Read MoreJames Harden (1989- )
Pauline Elizabeth Short Robinson, a long-time educator, was the first black librarian to be hired in Denver, Colorado. Born on January 31, 1915 in Gay, Oklahoma, Robinson’s family emphasized the importance of education at a young age. Her grandfather taught her how to read before … Read MorePauline Short Robinson (1915-1997)
Earl Grant was a popular American musician during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He is best known for his instrumental version of the song “Ebb Tide.” Grant was born in Idabel, Oklahoma on January 20, 1931. While there is not much known about his childhood, we do know … Read MoreEarl Grant (1931-1970)
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on December 30, 1949, Tom Colbert was the first African American Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Raised by his single mother, Edith Colbert, with four other siblings, he grew up in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, a small town near Oklahoma City, and graduated from … Read MoreTom Colbert (1949- )
David Lewis is the first African American to serve on the Criminal Court of Appeals in Oklahoma. Born to Sylvia Lewis on April 30, 1958 in Ardmore, Oklahoma, he graduated from Ardmore High School in 1976. He got a bachelor’s degree in Business economics at the University of Oklahoma in 1980. … Read MoreDavid B. Lewis (1956- )
Dr. Olivia Juliette Hooker is one of the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots. Born in 1915 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, at the age of six, she lived through the Ku Klux Klan destroying her family’s home along with the 35-block “Black Wall … Read MoreOlivia J. Hooker (1915-2018)
Myrtis Dightman, Member of the Southwestern Colored Cowboys Association Image Ownership: Public domain The Southwestern Colored Cowboys Association (SCCA) was formed in the late 1940s by black cowboys to create a space for African Americans to compete in rodeo events. The SCCA was a minor league that … Read MoreSouthwestern Colored Cowboys Association (1940s-1950s)
Map of the 1842 Cherokee Slave Revolt Image Ownership: Public domain The Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation occurred in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) when a group of twenty-five enslaved blacks, mostly from the Joseph Vann plantation, attempted to escape to Mexico where slavery was abolished. The revolt … Read MoreThe Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation (1842)
An experimental psychologist, Gloria Twine Chisum is primarily known for developing protective eyewear for pilots in extreme conditions. Chisum was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1930. She grew up in Muskogee but then attended Howard University where she earned an undergraduate degree in psychology in 1951 and completed an MS in psychology … Read MoreGloria Twine Chisum (1930- )
