Award-winning actor Octavia Lenora Spencer was born on May 25, 1970, in Montgomery, Alabama. Her mother, Dellsena Spenser, raised her seven children alone, relying solely for support from a modest maid’s salary. Spencer attended her local public elementary school and graduated from Jefferson Davis High … Read MoreOctavia Lenora Spencer (1972- )
Marion Thompson Wright, educator and historian, was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in history in the United States. Wright was born on September 12, 1902, in East Orange, New Jersey, the daughter of Moses R. Thompson and Minnie Homes Thompson. Her … Read MoreMarion Thompson Wright (1902-1962)
Hannah Archer Till, a former enslaved African American, served as the personal cook for General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Born in Kent County, Delaware, on November 25, 1721, she was originally named Long Point by her father, an Oneida Indian. Her mother … Read MoreHannah Archer Till (1721-1826)
Dr. Charles Victor Roman was an author, physician, historian, medical school professor, and civil rights activist. He was also the first physician of African ancestry from North America to receive training in both ophthalmology and otolaryngology. Roman was born on July 4, 1864, in Williamsport, … Read MoreCharles Victor Roman (1864–1934)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Paul Jennings was a personal servant and slave to President James Madison during and after his White House years. After buying his freedom in 1845 from Daniel Webster, Jennings in 1865 published the first White House memoir, A Colored Man’s Reminiscences … Read MorePaul Jennings (1799–1874)
Ava Marie DuVernay is an American director, screenwriter, film marketer, and film distributor. At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, DuVernay won the Best Director prize for her second feature film, Middle of Nowhere (2012), becoming the first African American woman to win that award. DuVernay … Read MoreAva Marie DuVernay (1972- )
Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a Nigerian-American doctor who is best known for discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain injury affecting former National Football League players, among others. Omalu’s discovery and the reaction to it prompted the 2015 film Concussion starringt the actor Will Smith. … Read MoreBennet Ifeakandu Omalu (1968- )
Ayuba Suleiman Diallo is best known for his memoirs as a Muslim who had to endure the Atlantic slave trade and enslavement in colonial America. His personal history was published in 1734 by Thomas Bluett as Some Memories of the Life of Job. To this … Read MoreAyuba Suleiman Diallo (1701–1773)
Price M. Cobbs is a psychiatrist, author, and management consultant best known for co-authoring the book Black Rage, regarded by the New York Times as “one of the most important books on blacks,” with fellow psychiatrist William H. Grier. Detailing the ambiguities in the psychological … Read MorePrice M. Cobbs (1926- )
Mellody Hobson is the co-CEO of Ariel Investments (AI), which was founded in 1983 by John W. Rogers Jr. With the continued growth of the African American middle class, the number of black investors has risen. Ariel Investments is one of the nation’s few African … Read MoreMellody Hobson (1969- )
