James Alexander Hood was the first African-American male student to register and attend classes at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a previously all-white institution. Hood was born on November 10, 1942 in Gadsden, Alabama, to Octavie Hood and Margaret Hughes Hood. James had two … Read MoreJames Alexander Hood (1942-2013)
Pianist/ R&B singer Betty Everett was born on November 23, 1939, in Greenwood, Mississippi. Her early education began in 1945 at the Rosenwald Day School in Leflore County, Mississippi. At the age of 9, Everett was already playing the piano and singing gospel music in … Read MoreBetty Everett (1939-2001)
An international human rights and civil rights attorney since 2003, Kimberley Chongyon Motley is well known for her legal practice in both the United States and Afghanistan, as well as her research regarding juvenile justice. Motley is the founder of Motley Legal Services, co-founder of … Read MoreKimberley Motley (1978?- )
Howard Lamar Fuller, civil rights and education activist, was born January 14, 1941, in Shreveport, Louisiana to Juanita Smith and Tom Fuller. Grandmother Pearl Wagner raised him until his 1948 reunion with Smith in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Residing at Hillside Terrace public housing, Fuller attended St. … Read MoreHoward Fuller (1941- )
Educator Lulu Merle Johnson was born on September 14, 1907 in the town of Gravity, Iowa to Jeanette (Burton) and Richard Johnson. Her mother was the daughter of freed slaves, and her father, formerly enslaved, owned and operated his own barbershop. The family were the … Read MoreLulu Merle Johnson (1907-1995)
John Eric Teamer was a gay public high school teacher in Sacramento and San Francisco, California, who emerged as an important community activist in San Francisco and leader in the nationwide LBGTQ community. Teamer was born in Asheville, North Carolina, on April 26, 1941. Beginning … Read MoreJohn Eric Teamer (1941-1994)
Lana Michele Moorer is an American DJ, rapper, and actress best known under the stage name MC Lyte. Moorer was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 11, 1970, and by the age of twelve she began rapping using her book of poems and rhymes, … Read MoreMC Lyte/ Lana Moorer (1970- )
On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, an African American man, was left paralyzed after being shot by a white police officer in front of an apartment complex in Kenosha, Wisconsin. While there are conflicting details surrounding Blake’s arrest, the incident occurred during the aftermath of … Read MoreJacob Blake (1991- )
Mandela Barnes is a Democratic politician, former state representative for Madison, Wisconsin, and the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. Barnes was born on December 1, 1986, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in one city’s poorest sections and in a zip code that has one of the highest … Read MoreMandela Barnes (1986- )
Lucius J. Barker was an African American political scientist who broke through racial barriers to become a leader in constitutional law, civil liberties, and African American politics. Born in Franklinton, Louisiana on June 11, 1928, Barker was the fifth of six children of teacher and … Read MoreLucius J. Barker (1928-2020)
