Category: History

Scientist, inventor, and activist William Conan Davis, the first African American to earn a doctorate from the University of Idaho, was born on August 22, 1926, in Waycross, Georgia. His…

Maria Louise Baldwin, a pioneering educator, made history in 1881 by becoming a teacher at the Louis Agassiz School, an all-white school for the children of Harvard University professors and…

Emmanuel W. Onunwor, was the first African-born American politician to be elected mayor of an American city when he in 1997 was elected mayor of East Cleveland, Ohio. Onunwor was…

Martin G. “Marty” Barnes, the first African American mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, was born on March 15, 1948, and reared in the impoverished Riverside Projects of Paterson. He had…

Alyia Gaskins, born May 1, 1989, is an American public health professional, urban planner, and politician who assumed office as the first Black female mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, on January…

Brownsville, established in 1858 and named after its developer, Charles S. Brown, is known for its vibrant street art scene. Located in the easternmost part of Brooklyn, Brownsville is bordered…

Joseph Wiley Gilliam Jr. was a professional football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Gilliam was born on December 29, 1950, to Joseph Gilliam Sr. and Ruth Gilliam in…

Tyrone Anthony Garner, born in February 1969, is the first Black Mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. He is also the thirty-first Mayor of the city and the fifth Mayor/ Chief…

Lewis Henry Douglass was an Army veteran, journalist, printer, and community activist who fought against racial inequality in America. A native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Douglass was born on October…

Lovie Lee Smith is an American football coach for the National Football League (NFL). Smith was born on May 8, 1958, to Thurman Smith and Mae Smith in Gladewater, Texas.…