Freedmen’s Town is a nationally registered historical site. The site was originally a community located in the Fourth Ward of Houston, Texas that began in 1865 as the destination for former enslaved people from surrounding plantations in Texas and Louisiana after the Civil War. Freedmen’s … Read MoreFreedmen’s Town, Houston, Texas (1865- )
In the following article sociologist and African American Studies professor Patricia A. Banks describes the rise of private art collectors and collections among African Americans. Her article also shows the growing acceptance of African American art and artists in major museums and galleries across the … Read MoreCollecting African American Art: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Obama Era
Khalid Abdul Muhammad was an African-American activist, a one-time member of the Nation of Islam and national chairman of the New Black Panther Party. Muhammad was born Harold Moore Jr. on January 12, 1948, to Harold Moore Sr and Lottie B. Moore in Houston, Texas. … Read MoreKhalid Abdul Muhammad (1948-2001)
Image Ownership: All-Pro Reels Kevin Wayne Durant is a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association (NBA) who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder (formally known as Seattle Supersonics) and who now plays for the Brooklyn Nets. Durant was born September 29, 1988, in … Read MoreKevin Wayne Durant (1988- )
Following emancipation in 1865, former slaves across the South detached themselves from white-controlled congregations and established independent churches. In Fort Worth, Texas, historic Mt. Gilead Baptist Church was one of those new congregations. Over time it would serve the spiritual and cultural needs of African … Read MoreMt. Gilead Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas (1875- )
Born Arch Colson Whitehead on November 6, 1969, novelist Colson Whitehead spent his formative years in Manhattan, New York with his parents, Arch and Mary Anne Whitehead, who owned a recruiting firm, and three siblings. Of his childhood, he has said that he preferred reading … Read MoreArch Colson “Colson” Whitehead (1969- )
Roberta Alexander is an internationally famous American opera soprano. After performing in numerous operas in the United States and Europe, she established herself as one of the leading American sopranos in the latter quarter of the twentieth century, both on the operatic stage and as … Read MoreRoberta Alexander (1949- )
William Henry Ellis, an African American businessman who challenged racial constructs in the United States by “passing” as Hispanic, was born a slave to Charles and Margaret Ellis on June 15, 1864. His parents had been brought by Joseph Weisiger from Kentucky to Texas in … Read MoreWilliam Henry Ellis (1864-1923)
William Travis and His Bondservant, Joe, at the Alamo Image Ownership: Public domain Joseph, an enslaved person, was one of a handful of survivors at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. He was born around 1815. Known simply as Joe, he was sold four … Read MoreJoe Travis (1815- ?)
Gordon Hawkins was born in Clinton, Maryland, in 1959, into a family with six older brothers and sisters. He graduated from the University of Maryland’s School of Music. He is a baritone opera singer and considered one of the very best in the world. Baritone … Read MoreGordon Hawkins (1959- )
