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 issues and was often controversial. Storytelling
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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 father, Simon Haley, was a graduate
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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 Jones was born in Sussex, Delaware,
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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 Aloysius Leon Higginbotham, Sr., a factory
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1875 – 1955 – The child of former slaves, Mary McLeod Bethune believed that education was the key to ensuring equality of opportunity for Blacks in the U.S. She acted on this belief by devoting her life to teaching, by founding a school that would become a college, and, ultimately, by advising leading national organizations
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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 Alexander was born near Richmond, Virginia,
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1825-1866 John Swett Rock was a pioneer African American leader and orator in the years leading up to and during the Civil War. One of America’s first black physicians and lawyers and a dedicated advocate of civil rights and self improvement, he made history as the first African American to be admitted to practice before
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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 politicians during the 1960s and the
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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 with his message of hope and
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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 in the country. A Mysterious Messenger
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