Henry Vinton Plummer was an American Baptist preacher and a chaplain with the United States Army with the Buffalo Soldiers. Plummer was born into slavery on July 30, 1844 on the Three Sister Plantation near Bowie, Maryland. His father was Adam Francis Plummer, and his … Read MoreHenry V. Plummer (1844-1905)
The Wake-Robin Golf Club (WRGC) was the first and is the oldest African American women’s golf club in the United States. It was founded on April 22, 1937 in Washington, D.C. by Helen Webb Harris, a school teacher. The WRGC is named after the wake-robin … Read MoreThe Wake-Robin Golf Club (1937- )
Beth A. Brown was an American astrophysicist and the first black woman to receive a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Michigan. Born on July 15, 1969, Brown grew up with her parents, younger brother, and an older cousin in Roanoke, Virginia. Her curiosity … Read MoreBeth A. Brown (1969-2008)
Born on September 1, 1857 in Columbia, Mississippi, Henry E. Baker was remarkable for being the first author to explore and record the work of African American inventors. He began his education at the United States Naval Academy in 1874 where he was only the … Read MoreHenry E. Baker (1857-1928)
Clarence Holbert is best known as the chief designer of Eritrea’s currency and the second African American engraver to work at the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Born in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, Holbert was raised in Washington D.C.’s Northeast neighborhood of Ivy City. Though … Read MoreClarence Holbert (1944-2018)
Ed Dwight, the first African American astronaut candidate, IBM computer systems engineer, real estate developer, professional sculptor, and former Air Force test pilot, was born in Kansas City, Kansas on September 9th, 1933. From a young age, Dwight was an avid reader and a talented … Read MoreEd Dwight (1933- )
The Baltimore Elite Giants was a professional Black baseball team that played in the independent league as well as all of the Negro Leagues formed. The franchise had previously played in Nashville, Cleveland, Columbus, and Washington, before finding its home in Baltimore. The team was … Read MoreNashville/ Baltimore Elite Giants (1920-1951)
Jerome A. Holmes, is the first African American to serve as an United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Holmes was born in Washington D.C. on November 18, 1961. His parents were Ryland and Hattie Holmes. Holmes graduated from Wake Forest University in 1983 … Read MoreJerome A. Holmes (1961- )
Harriet Powers is one of the best known southern African American quilt makers in the nation. Only two of her quilts survive today, both made after the Civil War. One is in the National Museum of American History collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, … Read MoreHarriet Powers (1837-1910)
Born in Westmoreland, Jamaica on June 15, 1940, Orlando Patterson is one of the foremost sociologists in the United States. The son of Charles, a detective, and Almina, a seamstress, Patterson displayed academic talent at a young age. A frequent visitor to his local library, … Read MoreOrlando Patterson (1940- )
