William Hooper Councill (1849-1909)
William Hooper Councill, educator and race leader, was born into slavery in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on July 12, 1849. His parents were both slaves on the Councill plantation. When William was...
View ArticleSolomon G. Brown (1829-1906)
Solomon G. Brown, poet, lecturer, and scientific technician, became the first African American employee at the Smithsonian Institution. He also played a significant role in the implementation of the...
View ArticleJ. Max Barber (1878-1949)
Jesse Max Barber, journalist, dentist, and civil rights leader, was born on July 5, 1878 in Blackstock, South Carolina to former slave parents. As a young man he worked as a barber while completing...
View ArticleGeorge B. Vashon (1824-1878)
Attorney, scholar, essayist, and poet George Boyer Vashon made noteworthy contributions to the fight for emancipation and education of blacks. He was born on July 25, 1824, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania,...
View ArticleTony Dungy (1955- )
Tony Dungy, a former professional football player and coach for Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2001) and the Indianapolis Colts (2002-2008), was the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl....
View ArticleWilliam Warrick Cardozo (1905-1962)
William Warrick Cardozo, physician and pediatrician, was a pioneer investigator of sickle cell anemia and a leader in medical research of problems affecting people of African descent. Cardozo, born in...
View ArticleFrederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961)
Frederick McKinley Jones was a prolific early 20th century black inventor who helped to revolutionize both the cinema and refrigeration industries. Between 1919 and 1945 he patented more than sixty...
View ArticleFats Waller (1904-1943)
Jazz pianist virtuoso, organist, composer and grand entertainer, Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller was born on May 21, 1904 in Harlem, New York. He became one of the most popular and influential performers...
View ArticleThomas Day (1801-ca. 1861)
Thomas Day, master cabinetmaker and entrepreneur, was born in 1801 in Dinwiddie County in southern Virginia to free African American parents. While little is known about his childhood, by the time he...
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