Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first (1848-1856) and seventh (1872-1876) president of Liberia. Roberts was born free in Norfolk, Virginia on March 15, 1809. His father was of Welsh origin, and his mother, Amelia, was described as a mulatto. His mother married a free black … Read MoreJoseph Jenkins Roberts (1809–1876)
Elizabeth Key Grinstead was one of the first women of African American ancestry in the North American colonies to sue for her freedom and win. Key won freedom for herself and her infant son, John Grinstead II, in the colony of Virginia on July 21, … Read MoreElizabeth Key Grinstead (1630–1665)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Eddie Marcy was a member of the support staff of the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. Marcy was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 13, 1919, to Arthur and Callie Marcy. His parents moved to Big Stone Gap, Virginia, … Read MoreEddie E. Marcy (1919–2016)
“Image Ownership: Kaori Tachibana/The Collegian” Dr. Ronald Andrew Crutcher is a distinguished classical musician and a national leader in higher education. He served as the as the seventh president of Wheaton College from 2004 to 2014, and then became the first African American president of … Read MoreRonald Andrew Crutcher (1947– )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” James Apostle Fields was a former enslaved person who became an influential black lawyer and teacher serving in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1890 to 1891. Although sources differ on the exact date in 1844 on which Fields was born, … Read MoreJames Apostle Fields (1844–1903)
Physicist George Campbell Jr. was born on December 2, 1945, in Richmond, Virginia, to Lilia and George Campbell. George’s parent divorced when he was in elementary school. Because of the disappearance of his father’s financial support and his mother’s low-paying domestic job, Campbell grew up … Read MoreGeorge Campbell Jr. (1945- )
“Image Ownership: Ashley Schumaker” In August 2021 Dr. Brian O’Harold Hemphill will become the first black president of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He has previously served as president of Radford University in Radford, Virginia from 2016 to 2021 and was the tenth president … Read MoreBrian O’Harold Hemphill (1969– )
The graphic designer George Elliot Olden, known for his work in television and advertising, was born in Birmingham, Alabama on November 13, 1920. Olden’s father, James Clarence Olden, was a Baptist minister and his mother, Sylvia Ward Olden, was a music teacher. When he was … Read MoreGeorge Olden (1920-1975)
William P. Stewart, a Civil War veteran, was also an early black settler in Snohomish County, Washington. Stewart was born on December 9, 1839, as a free person of color to Walden and Henrietta Stewart in Sangamon County, Illinois. He had five other siblings, four … Read MoreWilliam P. Stewart (1839-1907)
Dr. Carolyn L. Robertson Payton was the first African American and the first woman to become the director of the U.S. Peace Corps. She was appointed in 1977 by U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Carolyn L. Robertson Payton was born on May 13, 1925, in Norfolk, … Read MoreCarolyn L. Robertson Payton (1925-2001)
