Prolific David Drake, also known as Dave the Potter, was an enslaved artist born on a plantation in North Carolina in 1801. He toiled the soil and labored on several plantations and, over the course of his lifetime, was sold or traded by a number … Read MoreDavid Drake (ca. 1801-1874)
John Henderson Cartwright, a minister and university administrator, was born in Houston, Texas, on August 17, 1933. Cartwright graduated from Phillis Wheatley High School in the city in 1950. Upon graduating with honors, Cartwright enrolled in Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, where he received a … Read MoreJohn Henderson Cartwright (1933-2011)
Robert Smith Jervey founded the R. S. Jervay Printing Company in 1901 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Jervay started the Cape Fear Journal newspaper in 1927 after moving to Wilmington from Columbus County, located on North Carolina’s Southeastern border. Wilmington lacked a Black-owned newspaper for thirty … Read MoreRobert Smith Jervay, (1873 – 1941)
Freddie Stowers, recognized posthumously for his heroism and bravery during the decisive Hundred Days Offensive in France in 1918, was the first Black soldier awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S military decoration, for serving during World War I. Born on January 12, 1896, … Read MoreFreddie Stowers (1896-1918)
Josephine Ebaugh Jones was a community activist and possibly the first Black woman in management at a Fortune 500 company. Born to sharecroppers Anna Nance and Scott Ebaugh on July 30, 1920, in Cross Hill, South Carolina, Josephine arrived in New York City in 1946 … Read MoreJosephine Ebaugh Jones (1920-2017)
Aliyah Boston is a basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina, who was named the 2022 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Player of the year and Defensive Player of the Year. Boston was born on December 22, 2001, in … Read MoreAliyah Boston (2001 – )
Robert Lee Satcher Jr., a specialist in child and adult bone cancer, a chemical engineer, and astronaut was born on September 22, 1965, in Hampton, Virginia, to Robert Lee Satcher, from Coffee County, Alabama, and the president of Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia and … Read MoreRobert Lee Satcher Jr. (1965 -)
Major George William Ford was an original member of the 10th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) and later a Major with the Second Battalion of the 23rd Kansas Volunteers during the Spanish American War. Ford was born on November 23, 1847, on the Mount Vernon Plantation in … Read MoreGeorge William Ford (1847-1939)
Christopher Julius “Chris” Rock is an actor and stand-up comedian. Rock, the eldest of seven children, was born on February 7, 1965, to Rosalie and Julius Rock in Andrews, South Carolina. His family moved to New York City, New York when he was a child. … Read MoreChris Rock (1965- )
Woodrow Wilson “Buddy” Johnson was a popular bandleader and recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s whose compositions and arrangements made him an important figure in the transition from the big band sound to Rhythm & Blues. His many hit records earned his band a … Read MoreBuddy Johnson (1915-1977)
