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)
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
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– )
Dorothy Counts was one of the first black students admitted to the Harry Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of the initial effort to desegregate schools in that city. After the four days of harassment by white students that she faced alone, … Read MoreDorothy Counts (1942- )
Willie Jeffries is a former American football player and coach. Jeffries served as the head football coach at South Carolina State University for nineteen seasons in two stints (1973–1978, 1989–2001), five seasons at Wichita State University (1973–1983), and five seasons at Howard University (1984–1988). Jeffries … Read MoreWillie Jeffries (1937- )
“Image Ownrship: Pubic Domain” Warner McCary, slave, musician, performer, self-identified prophet, and physician, was born in Natchez, Mississippi, circa 1810. His mother, Franky, was a slave, and his father, James McCary, was a slave owner and cabinetmaker who migrated to Natchez from Pennsylvania. Throughout his … Read MoreWarner McCrary (c.1810–n.d.)
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American retired professional basketball player who played fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played both the point guard and shooting guard positions during his playing time in the NBA. Iverson was born on June 7, 1975, in … Read MoreAllen E. Iverson (1975- )
Dennis Earl Green was an American football coach who was best known during his time in the National Football League (NFL) as head coach to the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. Green was born on February 17, 1949, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His father was a … Read MoreDennis Earl Green (1949–2016)
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American singer-songwriter and actress. She was best known for her singles from the late 1970s through the early 1990s including: You Know How to Love Me, Living All Alone, and Don’t Wanna Change the World. Hyman was born on July … Read MorePhyllis Hyman (1949–1995)
Benjamin W. Arnett was an African American administrator, minister, and politician. He was born a free man in Brownsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, on March 6, 1838. The grandson of Samuel and Mary Louise Arnett, he was half African American, three-eighths Scottish, one-sixteenth Native American, and … Read MoreBishop Benjamin William Arnett (1838–1906)
