Kay Coles James is a conservative political figure who has served in various government and executive roles. She was most notably the first African American president of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank. James was born June 1, 1949, and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She … Read MoreKay Coles James (1949- )
William Henry West was a Civil War-era African American soldier and later a police officer in Washington, D.C. West was best known for arresting U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. This is the only known record of a sitting United States President being arrested. … Read MoreWilliam Henry West (1842-1915)
Opal (Flake) Lee is a retired teacher and activist who is considered the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” Flake was born on October 7, 1926, in Marshall, Texas, to Otis Flake and Mattie Broadus. When Lee was a child, her family home burned down in a fire, … Read MoreOpal Lee (1926- )
Civil rights attorney Louis L. Redding was the first Black man admitted to practice law in Delaware. He argued one of the cases that formed part of the United States Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision. Redding was born on October 25, 1901, … Read MoreLouis L. Redding (1901-1998)
Keith Claudius Mitchell is a politician who has been Prime Minister of Grenada since 2013. He previously served as Prime Minister from 1995 to 2008 which makes him the longest-serving Prime Minister in Grenada’s history, having held the office for more than 19 years. He … Read MoreKeith Mitchell (1946- )
Moeketsi Majoro, an economist and politician and present Prime Minister of Lesotho, was born on November 3, 1961, in Leribe, Lesotho. Majoro is married to Masekoalane Mamusa Rankhelepe. They are the parents of two children. Majoro received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from … Read MoreMoeketsi Majoro
(1961- )
His Excellency, Julius Maada Wonie Bio, the current president of Sierra Leone, was born on May 12, 1964, in Tihun, Bonthe District, Sierra Leone. Julius’ father was Charlie Bio II, a Sherbro Paramount Chief of Sogbini Chiefdom, who had nine wives. Julius’ biological mother’s name … Read MoreJulius Maada Wonie Bio
(1964- )
The current president of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé Eyadema, was born on June 6, 1966, in Afanyagan, Togo. His parents were, Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadema, an army officer, and Veronica Massan. A year after his birth in 1967, Gnassingbé’s father seized power in a military coup … Read MoreFaure Gnassingbé (1966- )
On January 1, 1916, The Journal of Negro History (now The Journal of African American History), an award-winning peer viewed journal and the official periodical published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, was founded as a quarterly research journal … Read MoreJournal of Negro History (1916- )
Businesswoman Ernesta Gertrude Forster, more commonly known as Ernesta Procope, was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 1923. The year of her birth is contested, as public records have her date of birth as February 9, 1923. Similarly, her family name also is … Read MoreErnesta Procope (1923-2021)
