Renowned author Langston Hughes once asked ‘What happens to a dream deferred?’ For most, that early desire is swallowed up by the realities of life and largely dismissed, because some put an expiration date on dreams. But Dr. Karen Morris Priester is living proof that dreams can be achieved despite any circumstance. While history has […]
Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. a retired heart surgeon and educator, has made history a few times over the course of his four-decade career in medicine. On this day in 1980, Dr. Watkins performed the first human application of the Automatic Implantable Defibrillator (AID) at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md. Watkins, born June 13, […]
Ballerina rock star Misty Copeland appears in the upcoming Rick Burns documentary, American Ballet Theatre at 75, in honor of the prestigious classical ballet company’s 75th anniversary year. Copeland, a soloist in the company, joined in 2007 as just the third African-American female soloist in its 75-year history. It was a lifelong dream realized for the 32-year-old […]
Janet Emerson Bashen is recognized as the first African-American woman to hold a U.S. Patent for a software invention. Bashen’s LinkLine software is used by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to track claims, manage documents, and compile related reports. Bashen was born February 12, 1957 in Mansfield, Ohio. She attended Alabama A&M […]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two members of the Tuskegee Airmen — the famed all-black squadron that flew in World War II — died on the same day. The men, lifelong friends who enlisted together, were 91. Clarence E. Huntley Jr. and Joseph Shambrey died on Jan. 5 in their Los Angeles homes, relatives said Sunday. […]
Charlayne Hunter-Gualt and Hamilton E. Holmes were civil right trailblazers who were at the center of integrating the University of Georgia. The pair were the first Black students admitted at the school on this day in 1961, after launching a lawsuit with the assistance of the NAACP. Hunter and Holmes were top students at […]
DeBoraha Akin-Townson is carrying on the tradition of the rodeo, which has deep roots among many Black and Native American people in the Midwest and South. Ms. Akin-Townson made history in 1990 by becoming the first Black cowgirl to compete in the International Professional Rodeo Finals in 1990. Akin-Townson, 56, is a native of […]
Andrew Young made history this week when President Jimmy Carter appointed him the first Black ambassador to the United Nations in 1976. The appointment took place on December 16, ending a promising career in the U.S. Congress but setting Young up for even greater achievements. Born March 12, 1932, in New Orleans, Young was […]
Henry L. Marsh made history in 1977 by becoming the first Black mayor of Richmond, Va., but his achievements before then are also noteworthy. Marsh, who just celebrated his 81st birthday, is a prominent activist and champion of civil rights. Marsh was born December 10, 1933 under modest circumstances. His mother died when he […]
Azie Taylor Morton was the first and only African-American to hold the position of Treasurer of the United States. Despite hardships, Ms. Morton excelled by entering one of the highest offices in the land. Born February 1, 1936 in Dale, Texas, Morton worked in the cotton fields as a teen. Because Dale didn’t have any […]
General Daniel James Jr. was the first four-star general of the United States Air Force. Although he nearly didn’t get the opportunity to serve his country, General James flew in a pair of wars and won several decorations before his historic moment. James was born February 11, 1920 in Pensacola, Fla. After graduating high […]
Cheryl Brown Hollingsworth broke the color line of the long-running Miss America beauty pageant in 1970 by becoming its first African-American contestant. Although she didn’t make the coveted top 10, she helped carve a pathway for women of color from that point on. Born Cheryl Adrienne Brown, the ballet dancer and teen model was […]
