1928-1998 A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., was an influential judge, legal scholar, and university professor He was a leader in the fight for civil rights and the author of important studies on the sociology of race. Tough Climb Higginbotham was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on February 25, 1928, to
[continue reading…]

1899-1979 Aaron Douglas combined traditional African motifs with cubism and graphic design to create a unique and potent style of illustration during the Harlem Renaissance. He is widely considered to be the father of modern African American art. A Self-Motivated Man Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas, on May
[continue reading…]

1746-1818 Absalom Jones was born into slavery, but purchased his freedom and became the first African American to be ordained an Episcopal minister. He responded to the overt racism prevalent in white churches during the 18th century by pioneering the establishment of African American congregations. A Passion for Reading
[continue reading…]

1908-1972  Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was New York City’s first black congressman. Representing the residents of Harlem in the nation’s capital for two and a half decades as a forceful advocate for African American causes, he rose steadily in power to become one of America’s most influential and effective
[continue reading…]

1845?-1926 Addison Jones was a legendary cowboy and cattleman who earned respect for his skills on the vast ranges of the American southwest. His exploits and expertise were celebrated by his peers in a popular campfire ballad. Texas Horseman Jones was likely born sometime in 1845, either in Texas
[continue reading…]

1921-1992 Alex Haley, the acclaimed author of the novel Roots, dedicated much of his career to lecturing on African American genealogy. His work encouraged black families to explore the rich histories of their ancestors. A Nomadic Life Haley was born in Ithaca, New York, on August 11, 1921. His
[continue reading…]

1916-1994 Alice Childress was a pioneering writer and actress whose award-winning plays and novels were praised for their insightful, compassionate portrayal of realistic characters in difficult situations. With frank language addressing complicated subjects such as racism, sexism, miscegenation, urban poverty, and drug addiction, Childress’ work raised awareness of social
[continue reading…]

1971-Present Allen Kenneth Johnson is a world-class track and field athlete who was a dominant force in the 110-meter high hurdles for well over a decade. Over the course of his career, he won four International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championship titles and a gold medal at
[continue reading…]

1902-1983  William Allison Davis devoted his life to uncovering and correcting unfair bias in the U.S. educational system, and ensuring equal opportunity for all. His landmark studies of caste and class in the south, and the effects of culturally biased tests on underprivileged children, led to dramatic improvements in
[continue reading…]

1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. Peanuts, Molasses, and Axle Grease Herndon was born
[continue reading…]

1927-2003 Althea Gibson’s athletic prowess led to her recognition as an outstanding professional tennis player. In an era of extreme racial segregation, she triumphed over humble beginnings to become the first African American to enter and earn titles at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon championships. She also was the
[continue reading…]

1931-1989  Alvin Ailey combined the spiritual music of his Baptist upbringing with a unique and revolutionary dance style to create an artistic legacy that is critically acclaimed throughout the world. A Nomadic Childhood Ailey was born in Rogers, Texas, on January 5, 1931. His mother, Lula, was only 16
[continue reading…]

1837-1915 Amanda Berry Smith devoted her life to the ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Her most noted achievement is the opening of the first orphanage for black children in Illinois. Called to God Smith was born January 23, 1837, in Long Green, Maryland. Her lather, Samuel
[continue reading…]

1880-1958  Angelina Weld Grimké was a poet and educator from a prominent, multiracial family. Her published works include passionate protests against racism and eloquent portrayals of the issues faced by black Americans in the early 20th century. Famous Family Grimké was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 27, 1880.
[continue reading…]

1880-1958 Angelina Weld Grimke was a poet and educator from a prominent, multiracial family. Her published works include passionate protests against racism and eloquent portrayals of the issues faced by black Americans in the early 20th century. Famous Family Grimke was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 27, 1880.
[continue reading…]

1908-1997 Ann Lane Petry’s literacy talent exposed readers to issues of oppression and prejudice facing female black Americans. She was a distinguished novelist and short story writer as well as a civic activist. Her novel, The Street, was the first written by an African American that sold over one
[continue reading…]

1858?-1964  Anna Julia Haywood Cooper was a pioneer black feminist and educator, whose achievements expressed her faith in the potential of African Americans and the special role of black women. A Gentlemen’s Course Cooper was probably born in 1858 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her mother, Hannah Stanley Haywood, was
[continue reading…]

1912-2009 – Anne Brown navigated a difficult path through the segregated music and theater communities of her time to become one of its outstanding soprano singers. She is best known for her performances as Bess in the classic George Gershwin opera of black southern life, Porgy and Bess. Early
[continue reading…]

1865-1946 Anthony Overton was the founder of a multifaceted group of Chicago-based companies. The son of slaves, he ultimately presided over a cosmetics business, a magazine and a newspaper, a bank, and an insurance company. Lawyer and Judge Overton was born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1865. Little is known
[continue reading…]

c.1810-1879 – Archer Alexander was born into slavery, survived several attempts at recapture after his escape, and was ultimately memorialized as the model for the liberated slave appearing with Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Freedmen’s Memorial in Washington, DC, and in a biography written by his benefactor. Plantation Life
[continue reading…]

1877-1935 Arnold Josiah Ford was a self-proclaimed Rabbi and the founder of a black synagogue in Harlem. An accomplished musician, he wrote the enduring and inspiring “The Universal Ethiopian Anthem” in tandem with Marcus Garvey’s back-to-Africa movement. Immersed in Music Ford was born in the West Indies, in the
[continue reading…]

1874-1938 Arthur Alfonso Schomburg was a pioneering historian and scholar who helped lay the foundations for the field of African and African American studies. He dedicated his life to collecting and sharing books, papers, and artifacts about the black experience, and to promoting the achievements of people of African
[continue reading…]

1943-1993  Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr., was a barrier-breaking tennis player, and the first—and only—player to win both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open championships in the same year. Ashe used his celebrity to bring attention to injustice, racial prejudice, apartheid in South Africa, and the AIDS epidemic. Early Victories
[continue reading…]

1889 – 1979  Asa Philip Randolph was the preeminent organizer of African Americans in pursuit of labor, civil, and human rights. He built upon his success in the labor movement to bring about social change by influencing U.S. Presidents, the Congress, and other federal institutions, and made a vital
[continue reading…]

1892-1962 Augusta Savage battled discrimination and financial hardships as an acclaimed sculptor and teacher, and went on to become a key mentor and supporter of numerous black artists who followed in her footsteps. An Independent Woman Savage was born Augusta Christine Fells on February 29, 1892, in Green Cove
[continue reading…]

1961-  Barack Hussein Obama rose through Illinois state politics and the U.S. Senate with unprecedented speed, deep convictions, and deft skill to be elected the first African American President of the United States. In so doing, he shattered racial barriers, altered the domestic political landscape, and electrified the world
[continue reading…]

1936-1996 Barbara Charline Jordan devoted her life to politics by using her exceptional oratory abilities to address issues that affected the poor, the disadvantaged, and black communities. As both a Texas State Senator and a U.S. Congresswoman, Jordan fought for civil and human tights, including changes to the Voting
[continue reading…]

1912-1987 Known as the “Architect of the March on Washington,” Bayard Rustin was a tireless crusader for civil rights in the nonviolent tradition of Mohandas Gandhi. Rustin initiated the Freedom Ride movement by leading 1947’s Journey of Reconciliation, and played an instrumental role in the organization of 1963’s Great
[continue reading…]

1901-1979 Beauford Delaney struggled with poverty, mental illness, and obscurity throughout his career as a painter. Since his death, museum retrospectives have reestablished Delaney as one of America’s most vital expressionist painters. A Promising Young Artist Delaney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on December 30, 1901. His father, Samuel,
[continue reading…]

1731-1806 Benjamin Banneker overcame the hurdles of racial prejudice and a disadvantaged childhood to become a self-taught surveyor, clock-maker, mathematician, and astronomer. He published a highly regarded almanac, and earned the respect of prominent colleagues in the federal government. He thereby served as an important exemplar of the fundamental
[continue reading…]

1894-1984 Benjamin E. Mays was a pastor, a passionate advocate of education, and an inspirational leader in the modern Civil Rights Movement. As the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta for 21 years, he guided the institution as it rose to the top ranks of the nations historically black
[continue reading…]

1912-2002 Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., was one of the pioneering African Americans who attended the military academy at West Point before the second World War. The Air Forces first black general, he commanded the legendary Tuskegee group of fighter pilots in World War II. Service in the Blood Davis
[continue reading…]

1877-1970  Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. dedicated his entire life and career to the military, beginning at a time when African Americans were consigned to support service roles with no command authority over whites. He rose to the rank of full General, advised the Army on integration strategies, and in
[continue reading…]

1874-1922  Bert Williams was one of Broadway’s most successful performers during the first two decades of the 20th century. First with his partner George Walker, then working solo, he transcended the boundaries of the minstrel tradition in which he performed and triumphed as a comedian, dancer, singer, and songwriter.
[continue reading…]

1892 – 1926  Bessie Coleman overcame an early life of hardship to become the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license, and the first Black woman to fly an airplane.  The symbolic power of her achievement made her an iconic figure for African Americans in the early
[continue reading…]

1894(?) – 1937 – Bessie Smith’s outsize voice and personality made her one of the most popular performers of the early 20th century. Her willingness to fight against any slight, her enormously powerful singing style, and her passion for life informed her music and engaged audiences in that unique
[continue reading…]

C.1798-1865 Betsey Stockton was born into slavery, and emerged as a religious and academic pioneer. She was instrumental in bringing formal education to indigenous Hawaiians and Native Americans, and in establishing numerous schools. A Young Missionary Sets Sail Stockton was born sometime in 1798, into childhood slavery in Princeton,
[continue reading…]

1870-1932  Bill Pickett was the most famous African American rodeo performer of all time, and the first black cowboy movie star. He invented a way of controlling steers called “bulldogging,” and became a star attraction of wild west shows. Now known as “Steer Wrestling,” the event he created remains
[continue reading…]

1915 – 1959 Billie Holiday, affectionately known as “Lady Day,” lent a life of suffering to her art, and created a unique vocal style. Many of her songs embody her pain in a way that touches a chord in the audience. Her heartfelt rendition of the anti-racism song “Strange
[continue reading…]

1841-1898 Blanche Kelso Bruce was a prominent politician in Mississippi and Washington, DC, for three decades in the aftermath of the Civil War. He holds the distinction of being the first African American to serve a full, elected term in the U.S. Senate. Escape from Slavery Bruce was born
[continue reading…]

1856-1915  Booker Taliaferro Washington was one of the leading African American figures of his era. Born a slave and initially denied an education, he was ultimately responsible for founding one of the preeminent black educational institutions in the U.S., and was known for his philosophy of hard work, vocational
[continue reading…]

1961-Present  Frederick Carlton “Carl” Lewis achieved numerous world records over a long career, and across four track and field events: the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, the 400-meter relay, and the long jump. In 1984, he confidently fulfilled his own prediction and won four gold medals in a single Olympic
[continue reading…]

1875 – 1950  Carter Godwin Woodson applied a ferocious intellect and a passion for truth to create the field of Black history, and endow it with academic rigor. His commitment to preserving and promulgating the social, cultural, and factual record of African American achievement was unswerving throughout a long
[continue reading…]

1844-? Cathay Williams was the only known female African American Buffalo Soldier. She was the first black woman to be documented for her service in the U.S. Army before women were officially allowed to enlist. Buffalo Woman Williams was born in September of 1844 in Independence, Missouri. Aside from
[continue reading…]

1925?-2003 Celia Cruz rose from her musical career in Latin America to become the leading female Afro-Cuban and Salsa vocalist in the United States, becoming a symbol of the spirit of the Cuban expatriate community. Café con Leche Cruz was born Ursula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso
[continue reading…]

C. 1682 – ? Cesar was a successful practitioner of traditional African medicine in the southern United States during the middle of the 18th century. In recognition of his accomplishments, the South Carolina legislature took the unprecedented step of freeing him from slavery and awarding him a substantial lifetime
[continue reading…]

1917-2002 Charity Adams Earley was a pioneer in the success of both women and African Americans in the U.S. Army. She served as one of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) first black officers, and ultimately attained the rank of major. A Studious Start Earley was born on December 5,
[continue reading…]

1907-1996 Nicknamed “Chief” by his aviation students, Charles Alfred Anderson, Sr.. served as the Chief Civilian Flight Instructor for the Tuskegee Institute ’s groundbreaking program to train black pilots. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt established a military aviation program at Tuskegee in 1941. Anderson was tasked with training the
[continue reading…]

1858-1932  Charles Waddell Chesnutt distinguished himself as a prominent writer of short stories, essays, and novels. He addressed issues of race relations and slavery in his work, using irony and humor. Later in his career, he became a social and political activist. A Varied Beginning Chesnutt was born on
[continue reading…]

1895-1950  Charles Hamilton Houston was an attorney, a professor, and a law school dean. He devised and implemented the legal strategy that set the stage for the unanimous 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed segregation in public schools. Early Resolve Houston was born
[continue reading…]

1922-1979  Charles Mingus fused musical styles drawn from classical, swing, bop, Latin, and avant-garde genres to develop a wholly original form of composition. In performance, his bass playing was strong and unique; and in his career and practice, he strove to create opportunities for jazz artists while forcing himself
[continue reading…]

1904 – 1950 Charles Richard Drew achieved an unprecedented level of success for an African American of his era in the medical and scientific communities. His inventive and pioneering work with the storage and shipment of blood plasma saved hundreds of lives during World War II, and led to
[continue reading…]

1920 – 1955  Charlie Parker, widely known as “Bird” (both for his free lifestyle and affinity for chicken), was one of the creators of the jazz genre “bebop.” Along with Dizzy Gillespie and other musical pioneers, he created a new style of improvisation and composition that altered the entire
[continue reading…]

1880-1969  Charlotta Bass used her influence as the publisher of a newspaper to uncover injustice and fight for civil rights. She campaigned for vice president of the United States and used the resulting media coverage to call attention to such issues. Climbing the Ladder Bass was born Charlotta Amanda
[continue reading…]

1924-1973  Clara Ward applied her unique talent as a singer, pianist, and arranger to join with her family in creating one of the most popular gospel acts of all time. Together they combined an unprecedented fusion of church and popular performance elements with an entrepreneurial spirit and drive, leading
[continue reading…]

1899-1990  Clifton Reginald Wharton was the first African American to enter the U.S. Foreign Service under the State Department’s merit system. In 1958, after decades of service in traditionally black posts such as Liberia and the Canary Islands, he broke the department’s color barrier by becoming the first black
[continue reading…]

1932-1972  Clyde McPhatter was one of the great lead R&B singers of the 1950s. His emotive high tenor voice led his vocal group, The Drifters, to tremendous popularity. His subsequent solo career brought him pop chart cross-over success, and a career that prefigured the development of both the rock
[continue reading…]

1904-1969  Coleman Hawkins was perhaps the most influential saxophone player of all time and was responsible for the instrument’s importance in jazz. He was the first to establish its legitimacy in the genre, and was able to evolve with shifting currents in the music over a 40-year period while
[continue reading…]

1903-1991  Cool Papa Bell was a baseball player who was renowned for his speed and prowess on the field. He was a legendary fixture in the so-called “Negro Leagues” during the first half of the 20th Century. Chasing Baseball Bell was born on May 17, 1903, in Starkville, Mississippi.
[continue reading…]

1904-1984  William Basie used his training as an accompanist to develop one of the world’s greatest big bands with a “who’s who” of jazz singers, instrumentalists, composers, and arrangers. His precise piano style and swinging rhythm section set the standard for future artists, and attracted audiences and fans for
[continue reading…]

1914-1999  Daisy Gatson Bates was an activist and publisher. She is best known for her role as mentor and advisor to the group of nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Bates dedicated her life to the struggle against injustice, and was among this country’s
[continue reading…]

1920-1978  Daniel “Chappie” James dedicated his life to an extraordinary career in the U.S. Air Force. Over the course of three wars, in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, he completed more than 160 combat missions as a fighter pilot. In recognition of his achievements, he received the honor of being
[continue reading…]

1924-1963 Dinah Washington was one of the most beloved, versatile, and popular singers of her generation and, indeed, in all of American popular music history. An artistic descendent of classic Blues Age divas such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, she built on her early gospel roots to master
[continue reading…]

1919-1943  During a short-lived but distinguished Navy career, Doris “Dorie” Miller, with limited training and on his own volition, fought at Pearl Harbor against attacking Japanese planes with anti-aircraft guns to defend his ship and his country. Farm to Sea Miller was born in 1919 in Waco, Texas, the
[continue reading…]

1929-1968  Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most important and significant African Americans of all time.  But his greatness of stature is best measured by his impact on all Americans, and indeed the entire global community in support of humanitarianism, universal dignity for all people, and nonviolent
[continue reading…]

1899 – 1974 Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington is recognized as one of the greatest jazz composers and performers who ever lived. He combined an exceptional talent for instrumental voicings, improvisation, and jazz arrangements to create a unique big-band sound that expanded the range of the musical form and excited
[continue reading…]

1941-2006 Edward Rudolph Bradley, Jr., was an American broadcast journalist, first in radio and then in television. He is best known for his work as an investigative reporter on the CBS television program 60 Minutes, for which he won 20 Emmy awards in the course of a 26-year career.
[continue reading…]

1897-1975  Elijah Muhammad guided the Nation of Islam from its modest beginnings during the Great Depression, when a handful of African Americans met in a Detroit storefront, to its meteoric rise after World War II. Under his leadership, it became one of the most powerful religious and social institutions
[continue reading…]

1903-1986  Ella Josephine Baker worked with the leading civil rights activists of her time, and played a critical part in forming the organizational basis for the movement. Although her gender may have kept her from a more visible role, she remained a steadfast proponent of grass roots empowerment and
[continue reading…]

1917-1996  Ella Fitzgerald bebopped with Dizzy Gillespie and scatted with Louis Armstrong during a nearly 60-year-long career in which she became a renowned jazz pioneer. She effectively reinterpreted the American songbook, won 13 Grammy Awards, and earned the title “The First Lady of Song.” From Dance to Song Fitzgerald
[continue reading…]

1883 – 1941  Ernest Just was an internationally acknowledged authority in the fields of fertilization and egg development. A true scientist’s scientist, he devoted his life to expanding the bounds of knowledge and understanding. His accomplishments were enormous and enduring, despite the effects of racism in U.S. academic institutions,
[continue reading…]

  1921-1977  Erroll Garner was a self-taught pianist of astonishing originality and virtuosic technique who bridged key elements of the swing and bebop eras in a style all his own. He was the most popular pianist of his time, and was equally appreciated by other jazz musicians, jazz fans,
[continue reading…]

1911-1991  Ethel L. Payne combined a passionate concern for the rights of black people in all parts of the world with a talent for investigative reporting and writing. She became the leading African American journalist of her time, and a tireless supporter of civil rights. With the Help of
[continue reading…]

1896-1977  Ethel Waters overcame an early life of difficulty to become one of the best-known entertainers of her time. Her unique singing style broke through racial barriers and was embraced by a broad audience, black and white alike. In stage and film, she used her natural acting talent to
[continue reading…]

1883?-1983  Eubie Blake was a prolifically talented composer and performer in ragtime, jazz, vaudeville, and popular styles. Over a career spanning much of the 20th century, he contributed over 1,000 songs to the popular canon, including several all-time classics. His musical “Shuffle Along” opened the Broadway stage to African
[continue reading…]

1917-1977  Fannie Lou Hamer became active in the Civil Rights movement when she was denied the right to register to vote in Indianola, Mississippi. This experience of overt discrimination inspired the 44-year-old Hamer to give up her family life and devote her remaining years to the fight for racial
[continue reading…]

1818 – 1895  Frederick Douglass was the most highly regarded African American speaker, publisher, and author of his time. His tireless efforts to abolish slavery and establish civil rights for Blacks were instrumental to the attainment of those goals in his lifetime. His intelligence and erudition set an example
[continue reading…]

1903-1994  Fredi Washington, an ivory-skinned African American beauty with exceptional acting talent, was the tragic victim of the racial stereotypes, fears, and prejudices of her time. Unable to develop a career as a serious black actress, and unwilling to pretend to be white, she became an important activist and
[continue reading…]

1846-1910  A dentist by trade, Dr. George F. Grant also distinguished himself as an educator, scholar, and inventor. Grant earned acclaim as both an innovator in dental practice and as a frequent and vocal commentator on the development of dentistry. Even at leisure, his active mind never stopped working
[continue reading…]

1864? – 1943  George Washington Carver was an agricultural scientist and educator of international reputation, whose work had a critical impact on the agrarian economy of the post-Civil War Southern U.S.  He revolutionized the prevailing system of reliance on cotton and tobacco, while creating hundreds of new products based
[continue reading…]

1888-1970  Hall Johnson was a virtuoso violinist, composer, and musical director in New York and Hollywood. He was the founder of an acclaimed black choir that set the standard for the performance of African American spirituals. Steeped in Music Johnson was born on March 12, 1888, in Athens, Georgia,
[continue reading…]

1821? – 1913  Known as the “Moses of her people,” Harriet Tubman was born a slave of purely African ancestry. She escaped to freedom and risked her life to save over 300 slaves, including her own parents, in 19 separate “freedom trips” on the Underground Railroad. During the Civil
[continue reading…]

1895-1952  Hattie McDaniel was an actress best known for her performance as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind. During her career, she also became a lightning rod for criticism of the racially stereotyped roles offered in the entertainment industry at the time. Brought up in the Family Business McDaniel
[continue reading…]

1859-1937 Henry Ossawa Tanner was the preeminent black artist of the 19th century, and the first African American painter to be recognized internationally as a master in the Naturalist traditions of American art. He found his true vision, and recognition, only after journeying to Paris to live and work,
[continue reading…]

1856-1940  Henry Ossian Flipper was the first African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After an unwarranted dishonorable discharge from the Army, he enjoyed a long, distinguished career as a mining engineer, legal authority, and author. Breaking Ground at West Point Flipper was born
[continue reading…]

1910-1976  Chester Arthur Burnett, aka Howlin’ Wolf, projected the elemental power of the blues through his six-foot, three-inch, 275-pound frame, raw feral voice, electric guitar, and harmonica to stunning effect. He was a major contributor to the evolution of the electric Chicago blues, blues/rock, and rock and roll. Farming
[continue reading…]

1862 – 1931  Ida B. Wells devoted her life to social justice for Blacks and women. She became a world-famous writer and campaigner in support of these causes, published important treatises on the origins and nature of “mob rule” and the lynching of African Americans in the south, and
[continue reading…]

1848-1933  John Robert Clifford published the leading African American newspaper of its era, and as the first black attorney admitted to the West Virginia state bar, he won a trailblazing victory in Williams v. Board of Education that found discriminatory practices in public education illegal. Studies in Chicago Clifford
[continue reading…]

1919-1972 The first African American in the twentieth century to play major league baseball, Jackie Robinson was undoubtedly one of the most influential men in the history of America’s favorite pastime, and the first ballplayer of any race to appear on a United States postage stamp. He has been
[continue reading…]

1924-1987  Dividing his time between America and Europe, James Arthur Baldwin wrote numerous novels, essays, and plays that vividly depict the struggle of Blacks in white America. As an active member of the civil rights movement, Baldwin continually maintained that it was only through nonviolent action that racial equality
[continue reading…]

1766-1842 James Forten used his success as a sailmaker in Philadelphia to advance the abolitionist cause. He founded numerous organizations to aid recently freed or escaped slaves, and donated a large part of his personal fortune to this purpose. Sailor, Sailmaker Forten was born on September 2, 1766, in
[continue reading…]

1894-1955  James P. Johnson was the finest popular pianist of his time, the seminal creator of the stride style bridging ragtime and jazz, the composer of “The Charleston,” and the creator of long-form classical works that incorporated African American motifs. His influence on every key jazz musician who followed
[continue reading…]

1871-1938  James Weldon Johnson was a multitalented and prolifically creative figure in the artistic, political, and civil rights domains of his era. He was responsible for seminal contributions in all of these realms, and was considered one of the primary drivers of both the Harlem Renaissance and the development
[continue reading…]

1852 – 1889  Jan Matzeliger invented a shoe manufacturing machine that was, at the time, considered impossible. He enabled the creation of the modern shoe industry and billions of dollars of economic value, and affordable shoes for ordinary people everywhere. Early Aptitude Matzeliger was born in Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana
[continue reading…]

1745?-1818  Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable was an intrepid pioneer and settler in the areas now known as Peoria and Chicago, Illinois. His foresight in perceiving the importance of the site of Chicago, now one of the largest cities in the United States, was matched by his uncommon affinity
[continue reading…]

1890-1941  Jelly Roll Morton brewed a gumbo of musical styles including New Orleans traditional, ragtime, blues, minstrel shows, hymns, spirituals, and classical genres to help create jazz. He was a prolific composer and one of the first to capitalize on the growing market for sheet music, and to master
[continue reading…]

1913 – 1980  James C. (“Jesse”) Owens overcame physical, economic, and racial barriers to become one of the greatest athletes of all time, and the first world renowned African American sports star. In so doing, he publicly refuted bigoted attitudes toward Blacks, and set an example for personal excellence
[continue reading…]

1798-1866 James Pierson Beckwourth was the only African American pioneer to record his exploits in the early days of the western frontier. He was involved in major events from Canada to Mexico and Florida to California, where he discovered the Beckwourth Pass through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Like his
[continue reading…]

1942-1970  Jimi Hendrix was among the most innovative and influential musicians of the 20th century. His highly charged and intuitive guitar playing and his early death cemented his brief career into legend. Playing by Ear Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. His father, James Allen
[continue reading…]

1901?-1972  Jimmy Rushing lent his distinctive tenor voice to many of jazz’s great big bands, and he then emerged equally powerfully as solo artist. He personified the evolution of African American music from its blues roots to jazz expression, and brought a unique sensitivity and understanding to the lyrics
[continue reading…]