Biographies of Great African-Americans
Armstrong, Louis  Daniel
Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) was a great jazz
trumpet player, composer, and singer. He was nicknamed Satchmo because
some people said that his mouth was like a satchel. Armstrong was born
in New Orleans, Louisiana,
and soon became a well-known cornet player in clubs and on riverboats
along the Mississippi River. He became world famous for his incredible
musical talent, especially his improvised solos. Armstrong also sang
"scat," a style in which nonsense words are used in a song. Armstrong
was featured in many recordings, television shows, and movies.
Armstrong celebrated his birthday on July 4. |
| Attucks, Crispus
Crispus Attucks (1723? - March 5, 1770) was the first American to die for the Revolutionary cause: "The first to defy, the first to die." Attucks was shot in the "Boston Massacre," the first fight leading up to the Revolutionary War. Attucks was the American son of a native African father and a woman belonging to the Natick Indian tribe. As a young adult, Attucks escaped his "owner" in Framingham, Massachusetts, and went to sea as a whaler and worked as a ropemaker in Boston, Massachusetts. He learned to read and write, and studied government. Attucks went to many anti-British meetings to discuss unfair taxes; he wrote to Governor Thomas Hutchinson (the Tory governor of Massachusetts) to protest these taxes. On March 5, 1770, Attucks and other Patriots (Colonists who were against British rule) fought with the Red Coats (British soldiers) at Dock Square in Boston in an unofficial skirmish. Attucks was the first of five people to die in the fight. The soldier who shot the Patriots were tried for murder, but most were acquitted (the future US President John Adams was the lawyer for the British soldiers); the acquittals further enraged the people of Boston. As the first person to die for the American Revolutionary cause, Attucks was buried with honor in the Park Street cemetery in Boston. "Crispus Attucks Day" was begun by black abolitionists in 1858; in 1888, the Crispus Attucks Monument was built in the Boston Common. |
Baldwin, James James
Baldwin (Aug. 2, 1924-Dec. 1, 1987) was a very important American
author who wrote about the struggle of being black in America. James
was the oldest of nine children and was born into poverty in Harlem, New York.
He spent much of his youth reading. James' mother was a domestic
worker (a maid) and his strict, cruel stepfather was a factory worker
and preacher (who died in a mental hospital in 1943). James was a
preacher himself for three years when he was a teenager. The author
Richard Wright was James' early writing mentor. Baldwin's first book,
the semi-autobiographical Go Tell It On the Mountain, was
published in 1953 and is considered to be a classic American novel.
Baldwin lived in France for many years, distancing himself from American
life in order to examine it; Baldwin wrote, "Once you find yourself in
another civilization, you're forced to examine your own." A pacifist,
Baldwin participated in the Southern school desegregation struggle of
the 1960s and marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. Baldwin wrote
extensively about the Civil Rights Movement, including The Fire Next Time and Notes of a Native Son.
Throughout his life, Baldwin used his enormous writing talent to work
for racial equality. Baldwin wrote, "I love America more than any other
country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the
right to criticize her perpetually." and "Artists are here to disturb
the peace." Baldwin died at the age of 63 at home in
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. |
Bruce, B. K. Blanche Kelso Bruce (March 1, 1841-1898) was the first African-American who served a full term in the U.S. Senate. Senator Bruce was born a slave on the Farmville Plantation, Virginia. He was educated by his owner's son, and he later went to Oberlin Colllege (in Ohio). Bruce was a Republican senator representing Mississippi; he served from March 5, 1875 until March 3, 1881. During his term, Bruce fought for the rights of minority groups, including African-Americans, Native Americans, and Asian immigrants. After his term as senator, Bruce was appointed registrar of the treasury. He rejected an offer of a ministerial appointment to Brazil because slavery was still legal there. |
| Bluford, Guion Dr. Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. (November 22, 1942-) was the first African-American in space. A NASA astronaut, he flew aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle mission STS-8 as a mission specialist. The flight lasted from August 30, 1983, until September 5, 1983. Dr. Bluford is an aerospace engineer with a Ph.D from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is also a colonel in the US Air Force. He later flew on other space missions, including STS-61A (in 1985), STS-39 (in 1991), and STS-53 (in 1992). In total, Bluford logged over 688 hours in space. Dr. Bluford became a NASA astronaut in August 1979. Dr. Bluford is married and has two children. |
Carver, George Washington   George
Washington Carver (1865?-1943) was an American scientist, educator,
humanitarian, and former slave. Carver developed hundreds of products
from peanuts,
sweet potatoes, pecans, and soybeans; his discoveries greatly improved
the agricultural output and the health of Southern farmers. Before
this, the only main crop in the South was cotton. The products that
Carver invented included a rubber substitute, adhesives, foodstuffs,
dyes, pigments, and many other products.
For more information on Carver, click here. For a cloze (fill-in-the-blank) activity on Carver, click here.
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Chisholm, Shirley  Shirley
Chisholm (Nov. 30, 1924 - Jan. 1, 2005) was the first African-American
woman elected to the US Congress. Shirley Anita St. Hill was born in
Brooklyn, New York. After being a teacher and serving as a New York
state assemblywoman, Chisolm was elected as a Democrat to the House of
Representatives. She served in Congress for seven terms, from January 3,
1969, until January 3, 1983. In 1972, Chisholm was the first
African-American woman to run for a major-party presidential nomination.
During her long political career, she fought for the rights of women
and minorities. |
Douglas, Aaron Aaron Douglas (May 26, 1899 - February 3, 1979) was an African-American artist who was associated with the Harlem Renaissance art movement. Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas, and studied art at the University of Nebraska. He later moved to Harlem, New York, and soon became a pre-eminent artist. Douglas did many paintings, woodcut prints, murals, and book and magazine illustrations. |
Douglass, Frederick  Frederick
Augustus Washington Bailey Douglass (Feb. 7, 1817-Feb. 20, 1895) was an
abolitionist, orator and writer who fought against slavery and for
women's rights. Douglass was the first African-American citizen
appointed to high ranks in the U.S. government.
For more information on Douglass, click here.Go to a cloze activity on Douglass.Go to a worksheet on Douglass. |
Drew, Charles R.  Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) was an American medical doctor and surgeon who started the idea of a blood bank
and a system for the long-term preservation of blood plasma (he found
that plasma kept longer than whole blood). His ideas revolutionized the
medical profession and have saved many, many lives.
For more information on Dr, C. R. Drew, click here.
|
Dubois, W.E.B. William Edward Burghardt DuBois (February 23, 1868 - August 27, 1963) was a writer, historian, leader and one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). DuBois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He was a gifted student who became a reporter for the New York Globe when he was 15 years old. He later attended Fisk University, then transferred to Harvard University; he was the first black to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University. DuBois became a teacher and later studied the state of black people in the USA and around the world; he wrote many books. For more information on DuBois, click here. |
Du Sable, Jean-Baptiste-Point Jean-Baptiste-Point Du Sable (1750?-1818) was a Haitian-French pioneer and trader; he founded the settlement that would later become Chicago. For more information on Jean Du Sable, click here. |
Estevanico  Estevanico
(pronounced es-tay-vahn-EE-co), also called Estevan, Esteban,
Estebanico, Black Stephen, and Stephen the Moor (1500?-1539) was a
Muslim slave from northern Africa (Azamor, Morocco) who was one of the
early explorers of the Southwestern United States.
For more information on Estevanico, click here. |
Goode, Sarah S. Sarah E. Goode was a businesswoman and inventor. Goode invented the folding cabinet bed, a space-saver that folded up against the wall into a cabinet. When folded up, it could be used as a desk, complete with compartments for stationery and writing supplies. Goode owned a furniture store in Chicago, Illinois, and invented the bed for people living in small apartments. Goode's patent was the first one obtained by an African-American woman inventor (patent #322,177, approved on July 14, 1885). |
Henson, Matthew A.   Matthew
Alexander Henson (Aug. 8, 1866 - March 9, 1955) was an American
explorer and one of the first people to visit the North Pole. He was on
most of Robert E. Peary's expeditions, including the 1909 trip to the North Pole.
For more information on Henson, click here.
Go to a cloze activity on Henson. |
Jemison, Mae C.  Mae
C. Jemison (October 17, 1956 - ) was the first African-American woman
in space. Dr. Jemison is a medical doctor and a surgeon, with
engineering experience. She flew on the space shuttle Endeavor (STS-47,
Spacelab-J) as the Mission Specialist; the mission lifted off on
September 12, 1992 and landed on September 20, 1992.
For more information on Jemison, click here.Go to a cloze (fill-in-the-blanks) activity on Mae Jemison. Go to a worksheet printout on Mae Jemison with information, three questions to answer, and a picture to color. |
Johnson, William Henry William Henry Johnson (1901- 1970) was an African-American artist who was associated with the Harlem Renaissance art movement. Johnson was born in Florence, South Carolina, but as a teenager, went to study at the National Academy of Design in New York. He painted in France from 1926 to 1930. When he returned to the USA, he opened a studio in Harlem. Johnson had his first solo art exhibition in New York in 1941. Johnson's vibrant paintings represent many subjects, ranging from scenes from everyday life to historical commemoratives of African-Americans, like Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, and Matthew Henson. |
Jones, James Earl James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 -) is an African-American actor who is famous for his deep, resonant voice and powerful presence. He has acted in many movies, including Dr. Strangelove (1963) and Star Wars (as the voice of Darth Vader). He has appeared often on stage and television (including the miniseries Roots II, The Lion King, and Sesame Street). Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, and was raised by his grandparents (his parents separated before he was born). At the age of five, the family moved to Michigan. In high school, Jones overcame a severe speech impediment (a stutter that had made him almost mute for years). Jones studied at the University of Michigan, but left without a degree. He served in the miliary (as a second lieutenant). He later began acting, eventually winning two Tony awards (for acting in plays), three Emmys (for TV performances), a Grammy (for a recording in 1977) and an Oscar nomination (for movie performance). Jones now lives in New York state. |
Joplin, Scott Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was a great composer and pianist. As a boy in Texarkana, Texas, Joplin taught himself to play the piano. He played and composed ragtime music, a lively, unique genre. He composed over 60 pieces (most for piano), including the "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," which are still popular today. Joplin also wrote two operas. |
Jordan, Barbara Barbara Jordan (Feb. 21, 1936-Jan. 17, 1996) was the first black U.S. congresswoman from the deep South; she served Texas for six years in the US House of Representatives. Jordan was a powerful orator who fought for civil rights and the rights of the poor. |
King Jr., Martin Luther  Martin
Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was a great man who worked for racial
equality in the USA. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama.
During the 1950's, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil
rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama,
bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the
unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in
1964. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Commemorating the life of a tremendously important leader, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in January. For more information on Dr. King, click here. |
Lawrence, Jacob Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was an African-American artist who was associated with the Harlem Renaissance art movement. Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but at 13 years old, moved to New York City, New York, where he studied art. He soon became successful, both artistically and commercially. Lawrence often painted scenes of ordinary life in vibrant colors and with a startling angularity. In 1946, Lawrence said of his philosophy of art, "My belief is that it is most important for an artist to develop an approach and philosophy about life - if he has developed this philosophy he does not put paint on canvas, he puts himself on canvas.". |
Marshall, Thurgood   Thurgood
Marshall (July 2, 1908 - Jan. 24, 1993) was the first African-American
justice of the US Supreme Court. Marshall was on the team of lawyers in
the historic Supreme Court trial concerning school desegregation, Brown
v. Board of Education (1954). As a result of this trial, the "separate
but equal" doctrine in public education was overthrown. After a
successful career as a lawyer and judge fighting for civil rights and
women's rights, Marshall was appointed to the high court in 1967 (by
President Lyndon Baines Johnson). On the high court, Marshall continued
his fight for human rights until he retired on June 27, 1991.For a more on Thurgood Marshall, click here. For a Thurgood Marshall printout, click here. |
McCoy, Elijah  Elijah
McCoy (1843 or 1844-1929) was a mechanical engineer and inventor.
McCoy's high-quality industrial inventions (especially his steam engine
lubricator) were the basis for the expression "the real McCoy," meaning
the real, authentic, or high-quality thing.
For more information on Elijah McCoy, click here. For a cloze activity on McCoy, click here. |
Morgan, Garrett  Garrett
Augustus Morgan (March 4, 1877 - August 27, 1963), was an
African-American inventor and businessman. He was the first person to
patent a traffic signal. He also developed the gas mask (and many other
inventions). Morgan used his gas mask (patent No. 1,090,936, 1914) to
rescue miners who were trapped underground in a noxious mine. Soon
after, Morgan was asked to produce gas masks for the US Army.
For more information on Morgan, click here.
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Obama, Barack  Barack
Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the 44th President of the United States
of America. He was elected President on November 4, 2008 (as a
Democrat), and was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. His Vice-President
is Joseph Biden. Barack Obama is the first African-American president
of the USA. Obama was born in Hawaii. His father, also called Barack
Obama, was from Kogelo, Kenya, Africa; his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham,
was from Kansas, USA.
Obama graduated from Columbia University (1983), then worked as a
community organizer in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard Law
School (1991) and was the first African-American president of the
Harvard Law Review. Michelle Robinson and Obama married in 1992; they
have 2 daughters. He was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996,
1998, and 2002 (he lost in 2000). Obama was elected to the US Senate in
2004 (Dem-IL). Barack has written two books, Dreams from My Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006). Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in October, 2009.
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Owens, Jesse  Jesse Owens (Sept. 12, 1913 - Mar. 31, 1980) was one of the world's greatest track and field athletes. At the 1936 Berlin Olympic games,
Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals (in the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter
relay and the long jump) , set two Olympic records, and tied another.
This humiliated Hitler and was an affront to his racial theories -
Hitler had assumed that the "Aryans" (the Germanic race) would easily
win. A year earlier, as an Ohio State University student, Owens set new
world records in the 220 yard dash, the 200 yard hurdles, and the long
jump (and equaled the record in the 100 yard) at the National Collegiate
Track and Field Meet (on May 25, 1935).
Go to a page on Jesse Owens. Or go to the printable version.
Go to a cloze (fill-in-the-blank) activity on Owens. |
Parks, Gordon  Gordon
Parks (Nov. 30, 1912- March 7, 2006) was a photographer, writer, film
director, composer, and musician. His works document the 20th century
and have been seen by millions of people around the world. Parks was
the youngest of 15 children, born to impoverished parents in Kansas.
Parks was the first African-American photographer to work at Life
magazine and Vogue magazine. He wrote 12 books, produced many
documentaries and Hollywood films (including Shaft), produced, directed,
and scored a major Hollywood film (The Learning Tree, 1960), wrote a
ballet about Martin Luther King (called Martin), and composed other
music (including a symphony, a concerto, blues and other popular songs). |
Parks, Rosa  Rosa
Parks (February 4, 1913 - October 24, 2005) was a pivotal figure in the
fight for civil rights. On December 1, 1955, a Montgomery, Alabama,
bus driver ordered Mrs. Parks to give up her seat to a white man. When
she refused, she was fined and arrested. This incident prompted a
city-wide bus boycott, which eventually resulted in a Supreme Court
ruling that segregation on city buses is unconstitutional.
For more information on Rosa Parks, click here.For a Parks Cloze activity, click here. |
Rillieux, Norbert  Norbert
Rillieux (March 17, 1806-October 8, 1894) was an African-American
inventor and engineer who invented a device that revolutionized sugar
processing. Rillieux's multiple effect vacuum sugar evaporator (patented
in 1864) made the processing of sugar more efficient, faster, and much
safer. The resulting sugar was also superior. His apparatus was
eventually adopted by sugar processing plants all around the world.
For more information on Rillieux, click here. |
Robinson, Jackie  Jack
(Jackie) Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1912 - October 24, 1972) was
the first black man allowed to play major league baseball.
On April 11, 1947, Robinson played his first major league baseball game
(he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in an exhibition game against the
New York Yankees). Robinson played with the Dodgers for 10 years. He
played in six World Series and was the first African-American in the
Baseball Hall of Fame (in 1962).
For more information and activities on Robinson, click here. |
Scott, Dred  Dred Scott (1795-1858) was a a slave who sued for his freedom in court, since he had been taken to a "free" state (Wisconsin). He lost his case in St. Louis, Missouri,
but won it on appeal. His case was again appealed and Scott lost. The
results of his court case led to major political upheavals in the USA
and eventually, the Civil War.
For more information on Scott, click here. |
Truth, SojournerSojourner Truth (1797?-1883) was an American preacher who dedicated her life to fighting for for civil and human rights. She was born a slave in New York State, but was freed in 1827. After becoming a preacher, she campaigned for the abolition of slavery and for women's rights. During the US Civil War, she helped black Union soldiers obtain supplies and also worked as a counselor for the National Freedon Relief Association. |
Tubman, Harriet  Harriet Tubman (1820 - 1913) escaped slavery in Maryland
in 1849 and traveled north. She then helped hundreds of other slaves
flee to the north to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Mrs. Tubman
helped John Brown recruit soldiers for his raid on Harpers Ferry (1859).
She spied for the Union (in South Carolina) during the US Civil War. After the war, she lived in Auburn, New York,
and founded the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged Negroes. Mrs. Tubman
devoted her life to fighting slavery and championing the rights of
women.
For more information on Harriet Tubman, click here. |
Walker, Madame C. J.  Madam
C. J. Walker (December 23, 1867 - May 25, 1919) was an inventor,
businesswoman and self-made millionaire. Sarah Breedlove McWilliams C.
J. Walker was an African-American who developed many beauty and hair
care products that were extremely popular. Madam Walker started her
cosmetics business in 1905. Her first product was a scalp treatment
that used petrolatum and sulphur. She added Madam to her name and began
selling her new "Walker System" door-to-door. Walker soon added new
cosmetic products to her line. The products were very successful and
she soon had many saleswomen, called "Walker Agents," who sold her
products door to door and to beauty salons.
For more information on Madame C. J. Walker, click here.
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Walker, Maggie LenaMaggie Lena Walker (July 15, 1867-December 15, 1934) was the first woman in the USA to become a local bank president. Throughout her life, Walker worked for civil rights and other humanitarian causes. Maggie Mitchell was born in Richmond, Virginia, to former slaves. In 1886, Maggie married Armstead Walker, Jr. She worked first as a teacher, and then as an agent for the Woman's Union Insurance Company, quickly rising to become the executive secretary/treasurer of the company. She founded the newspaper, the St. Luke Herald, in 1902. In 1903, she started the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank and was its president. In 1929, at the start of the economic depression, her bank bought all the local black-owned banks in town and renamed itself the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company. For more information on Maggie Lena Walker, click here. For a cloze (fill-in-the-blanks) activity on Maggie Lena Walker, click here. |
Washington, Booker T.  Booker
Taliafero Washington (April 15?, 1856 - Nov. 15, 1915) was an orator,
civil rights activist, professor, writer, and poet. He was born a slave
in Virginia,
but was freed by Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (when it went into
effect in the South, in 1865). Washington dedicated his life to
education as a means of obtaining equality. He founded the Tuskegee
Normal and Industrial Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, and the National Negro Business League.
For more information on Washington, click here. |
Related Pages:
African-American History |
 Timeline of African-American History (with quiz/printout) |
 Black History Calendar |
 Printable African-American Biography WorksheetsPrintable worksheets on many historic African-American notables, with information to read, a picture to color, and questions to answer. |
 Find an Important African-American for Each LetterSee if you can think of and write down an important African-American from history for each letter of the alphabet. Find a person's name for as many letters as you can. Or go to a sample answer page. |
 African Americans A Printable Activity Book for Early Readers |
 African Americans A Printable Activity Book for Fluent Readers |
 Quiz on Great African-Americans A printable page |
 African-American Inventors A printable page |
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 Marian Anderson |
| Brief Summary - An African American operatic and concert singer that was renowned thoughtout the world for her extraordinary contralto voice. The first African American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. The following web resource has related information: |
 Maya Angelou |
| Brief Summary - A world famous poet, author, historian singer and civil rights activist. This Grammy and Horatio Alger award winner was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. The following web resources contain related information: |
 Josephine Baker |
| Brief Summary - Entertainer, war heroine and civil rights activist. The following web resource has related information: |
 Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Georgia - 2nd District. |
 James Booker |
| Brief Summary - Perhaps the greatest piano player in the history of New Orleans. |
 Congresswoman Corrine Brown |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congresswoman from Florida - 3rd District. |
 Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. |
| Brief Summary - The mayor of the city and county of San Francisco, California. Before his term as mayor, he was the longest serving Speaker of the Assembly in California history; furthermore, he is the only African American to ever hold that post. |
 Grace Bumbry |
| Brief Summary - Famous African American opera singer who sang in concerts around the world. The following web resource has related information: |
 Congresswoman Julia Carson |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congresswoman from Indiana, 10th District. |
 Congressman William L. Clay |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Missouri - 1st district. |
 Congresswoman Eva Clayton |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congresswoman from North Carolina - 1st district. |
 Congressman James E. Clyburn |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from South Carolina - 6th district. |
 Congressman John Conyers, Jr. |
| Brief Summary - Contains a Biography on the U.S. Congressman from Michigan - 14th district. He is the longest serving African-American in the history of the U.S. House. Rep. John Conyers is the ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee. |
 Anthony Davis |
| Brief Summary - An internationally known African American composer of operatic, symphonic, choral, and chamber works. He is best known for his opera X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X. |
 William Edward Burghardt DuBois |
| Brief Summary - An African American educator, author, historian, sociologist, philosopher, poet, and leader. Besides being one of the founders of the NAACP, he was the very first African American to receive a doctoral degree from Harvard University. The following web resources contain related information: |
 Congressman Chaka Fattah |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania - 2nd district. |
 Matthew Gaines |
| Brief Summary - A former slave, community leader, minister, and Republican State Senator. He made valuable contributions in the establishment of free public education in Texas. The following web resources contain related information: |
 Marcus Mosiah Garvey |
| Brief Summary - A Black nationalist and Pan-African theorist who encouraged Black migration back to Africa. |
 Alex Haley |
| Brief Summary - The Pulitzer Prize winning author, Alexander Palmer Haley, wrote "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" and "Roots: The Saga of an American Family". The following web resources have related information: |
 Virginia Hamilton |
| Brief Summary - The official web site of the late African American author of over thirty books. America's most honored writer of Books for Children. Additional information about one of the greatest authors of children's books may be found at the following web resource: |
 Congressman Alcee L. Hastings |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Florida - 23rd District. |
 Billie Holiday |
| Brief Summary - One of the most famous Jazz singers of all time. |
 Akua Lezli Hope |
| Brief Summary - African American woman poet, writer, and hand papermaker. A founding member of the Black Writers Union and the New Renaissance Writers Guild; furthermore, she is an Area Coordinator for Amnesty International. |
 Langston Hughes |
| Brief Summary - A Poet, Essayist, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, & Lyricist borned in Joplin, Missouri. Sometimes called The Poet Laureate of Harlem. One of America's great writers. |
 Zora Neale Hurston |
| Brief Summary - Renowned African American author who wrote stories, novels, anthropological folklore and an autobiography. The following web resource has related information: |
 Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Illinois - 2nd District. The son of civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson. The following web resource has related information: |
 Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. |
| Brief Summary - One of America's leading political figures. Since the time of Dr.King, Rev. Jackson has been a staunch defender of civil rights for all Americans. The founder of the National Rainbow Coalition. |
 Quincy Jones |
| Brief Summary - African American music impresario who won over twenty Grammy awards, an Emmy award and several Oscar nominations. The following web resource has related information: |
 Barbara Jordan |
| Brief Summary - She was a Congresswoman, Educator, and Constitutionalist. One of the greatest African American women of our time. |
 BB King |
| Brief Summary - This guitarist is frequently called the undisputed King of the Blues. The following web resource has related information: |
 Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Brief Summary - The great civil rights activist who was the leading force behind the withdrawal of segregation laws in the 1960's. Additional information on Dr. King may be found at the following web resources: |
 Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congresswoman from Texas - 18th District. |
 Congressman John Lewis |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Georgia - 5th District. |
 Les McCann |
| Brief Summary - The legendary godfather of contemporary soul-jazz known for his smooth and funky spontaneity. |
 Cynthia McKinney |
| Brief Summary - The former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia - 4th District. |
 Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek |
| Brief Summary - The former U.S. Congresswoman from Florida - 17th District. The first African-American elected to U.S. Congress from Florida since Reconstruction. |
 Toni Morrison |
| Brief Summary - Famous author of such works as "Beloved", "The Bluest Eye", "Song of Solomon", "Tar baby", and many other great works. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Additional information on Toni Morrison may be found at the following web resources: |
 Ambassador Moseley-Braun |
| Brief Summary - In 1992, Carol Moseley-Braun became the first African American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. After serving her term in the U.S. Senate, she was appointed a special advisor in the Department of Education. She is currently Ambassador to New Zealand and the Independent State of Samoa. |
 Congresswoman Eleanor H. Norton |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congresswoman from District of Columbia - Delegate at Large. |
 President Barack Obama |
| Brief Summary - The 44th President of the United States and the first African American to obtain this office; President Obama had served as the U.S. Senator from Illinois. President Obama is married to the equally intelligent Michelle Obama. He is also the author of the best selling book "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream".. The following web resources may provide additional information: |
 Alondra Oubre |
| Brief Summary - Dr. Oubre is a medical anthropologist and the author of Instinct and Revelation, as well as published articles such as "The Adaptionist Yardstick" and "Black English Vernacular and Educability". Her writings cover scientific topics such as plant drug research; pharmacology; and human biodiversity, including the nature-nurture debate over ethnic differences. |
 Sidney Poitier |
| Brief Summary - The first Afro-American actor to win the Oscar (Lilies of the Fields, 1963). One of the very best actors of all time. |
 Colin L. Powell |
| Brief Summary - Powell is the first African American to hold the office of United States Secretary of State; furthermore, he is the only African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense. Additional information may be found at the following web resource: |
 Vernellia R. Randall |
| Brief Summary - Dr. Randall is a professor of Law at the University of Dayton. Selected for Marquis Who's Who in the World for 1995, 1996, 1997, & 1998. Prior to Law, she had over 13 years experience as a Registered Nurse. At the request of the Office of the President, she was the special reviewer of the President Clinton's health care plan before it's public release. |
 Dr. Condoleezza Rice |
| Brief Summary - Dr. Condoleezza Rice is the first African American woman to be appointed Secretary of State. Please review her impressive biography at one of the following locations: |
 Congressman Bobby L. Rush |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of U.S. Congressman from Illinois - 1st district. |
 Justice Clarence Thomas |
| Brief Summary - An Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Additional information on Justice Thomas may be found at the following web resource: |
 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of U.S. Congressman from Mississippi - 2nd district. |
 Jean Toomer |
| Brief Summary - A great Harlem Renaissance writer and poet. Additional information on Jean Toomer may be found at the following web resource: |
 Derek Walcott |
| Brief Summary - A Nobel prize winning poet and playwright. |
 Congresswoman Maxine Waters |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congresswoman from California - 35th District. |
 Congressman Melvin Watt |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from North Carolina - 12th District. |
 Congressman J. C. Watts, Jr. |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma - 4th District. |
 Roy Wilkins |
| Brief Summary - Civil Rights leader and Executive Secretary of the NAACP for 22 years. |
 Carter Godwin Woodson |
| Brief Summary - Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) was an educator and philosopher, mentor to African American scholars, and founder of the African American Historical Association. The following web resource has related information: |
 Congressman Albert R. Wynn |
| Brief Summary - The official web page of the U.S. Congressman from Maryland - 4th District. |
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