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)
Bonnie Jenkins is a retired U.S. Naval Reserve officer, diplomat, and expert in international security, arms control, treaty laws, and nonproliferation and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction. Born in Queens, New York, and growing up in the Bronx, New York, Jenkins was the child … Read MoreBonnie Denise Jenkins (ca.1960– )
Esteemed educator, legendary basketball coach, and successful university president, Harrison Wilson Jr. was born on April 21, 1925, in Amsterdam, a small city in upstate New York. His mother Marguerite Ayers was a school teacher, and his father Harrison Wilson Sr. worked in construction. Dr. … Read MoreHarrison B. Wilson Jr. (1925-2019)
George Washington Fields was born into slavery in Hanover County, Virginia on April 25, 1854. He was one of 11 children of Martha Ann Berkley and Washington Fields. Of the children, one died in infancy, three were sold off, and one was a runaway. Fields … Read MoreGeorge Washington Fields (1854-1932)
Michael Battle is an educator, religious leader, and diplomat. Born on July 28, 1950, in St. Louis, Missouri, he was one of twelve children from Jessie Battle Sr., a Pentecostal pastor, and Mary Battle. Michael received his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College (1973), his Master … Read MoreAnthony Michael Battle (1950- )
Reuben E. Brigety II was named the first African American President of the University of the South in 2020 but before that gained recognition for his involvement in American diplomacy organizations and work as a U.S. ambassador to the African Union (AU), 2013-2015. Dr. Brigety … Read MoreReuben Earl Brigety II (1973- )
Prominent Virginia journalist Ray Boone Sr. was born February 2, 1938, in Suffolk, Virginia. His parents, foreign-born Japanese father, Tsujiro Miyanski, and mother, Leathia M. Boone, of mixed African and Native American descent, were banned from marrying in Virginia because of their different races. Yet … Read MoreRaymond Harold/ “Ray” Boone Sr. (1938-2014)
Hall of Fame National Basketball Association (NBA) player Moses Eugene Malone was born March 23, 1955, in Petersburg, Virginia, and was raised by his mother, Mary Malone, a store clerk. Malone was the first player in history to go to the professional ranks directly from … Read MoreMoses Eugene Malone (1955-2015)
In the article below, Carlton McLellan, PhD, a senior fellow at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), briefly describes the history of the more than one hundred and forty black women and men who have led diplomatic delegations as U.S. Ambassadors in ninety-five … Read MoreAmerica’s Black Ambassadors: A Historical Snapshot
