Gregory Dimitri Gadson is a retired United States Army colonel, motivational speaker, actor, and business owner. Gadson was born on February 19, 1966, in Chesapeake, Virginia. He attended Indian River High School, where he was a standout football player. Gadson graduated in 1985 then attended … Read MoreGregory D. Gadson (1966- )
Clara Mae Ward, one of the most outstanding soloists and conductors in gospel history, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1924, to George Ward, a handcrafter and ironworker from Anderson County, South Carolina, and Gertrude Mae Murphy Ward, a pianist and singer also … Read MoreClara Mae Ward (1924-1973)
Psychiatrist Dr. Oscar Clement Allen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 21, 1921. The eldest of four siblings, Allen was reared in Gloucester, Virginia. His parents were John T. Allen, a farmer, and Bertha Frazier Allen, a homemaker. Allen attended the racially segregated Woodville … Read MoreOscar Clement Allen (1921-2004)
Leonard Jeffries, Jr., university administrator, professor, and Pan-Africanist was born January 19, 1937 in Newark, New Jersey to Leola Smith Jeffries of Lynchburg, Virginia, an office secretary, and Leonard Jeffries of Akron, Ohio, a tailor at Irvington Cleaners & Dryers. Reared in Newark’s Roseville section, … Read MoreLeonard Jeffries (1937- )
Michael Stanley Regan, Sr. is the first African American to lead the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its 16th Administrator. He was nominated to serve as Administrator by President Joe Biden on December 17, 2020. The United States Senate confirmed the nomination on … Read MoreMichael Stanley Regan, Sr. (1976- )
In the late 1800s, Ellen Eglin revolutionized the chore of laundry with the invention of the clothes wringer and, in the process, made her mark on African American and women’s history. Born in 1849 in Washington, D.C., little is known about Eglin’s early life. As … Read MoreEllen Eglin (1849- ?)
George David Hackney is the current Washington State Representative for the 11th Legislative District Position 1 representing the Georgetown and South Park neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington, as well as Tukwila and portions of Renton, Kent, and unincorporated King County. Representative Hackney was born in Cleveland, … Read MoreDavid Hackney (1965- )
Muriel E. Bowser is the 8th Mayor of Washington, D.C. On November 6, 2018, Bowser became the first woman ever re-elected as the Mayor of Washington, D.C. and the first mayor to earn a second term in 16 years. Bowser is the second female mayor of … Read MoreMuriel Elizabeth Bowser (1972- )
In their latest book on the Black soldiers who helped build the Alcan Highway during World War II, authors Christine and Dennis McClure encountered a story of injustice in the frigid north. See a description of their new book, A Different Race, to get a … Read MoreInjustice in Alaska Territory: The World War II Court-martial of Ten Black Soldiers Who Helped Build the ALCAN Highway
Fred Whitfield is the President, Chief Operating Officer, and minority co-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a franchise in the National Basketball Association. Whitfield shares ownership with his longtime friend and basketball great Michael Jordan. Together they are the only African American owners in the league. … Read MoreFred Whitfield (1959- )
