Civil Rights Advocate, professor, and Pastor William “Bill” Lawson was born William Alexander Lawson on June 28, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Walter Lawson and Clarisse Lawson Cade. William, his two brothers, and his sister were all reared in Kansas City, Kansas. In 1946, … Read MoreWilliam “Bill” Lawson (1929-2024)
Surgeon, professor, and philanthropist John Henry Hale was born on June 5, 1878, in Estill Springs, Tennessee, to Aaron Hale and Emma Gray Hale. John’s elementary education was obtained in Estill Springs. Hale received a Bachelor of Science from the historically Black Walden University in … Read MoreJohn Henry Hale (1878-1944)
Troy Anthony Carter is a United States Congressman representing Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District since May of 2021. He is the Second Vice-Chair in the Congressional Black Caucus, and prominently known as the first African American elected to serve District 102 in the Louisiana House of … Read MoreTroy Anthony Carter (1963 – )
Frederick Stephen Humphries Sr., university president, professor, and HBCU advocate, was born December 26, 1935, in Apalachicola, Florida to Minnie Fry Henry, a domestic servant and teacher, and Thornton Govan Humphries Sr., a lumber mill worker and salter. A lifelong Catholic, Humphries was influenced by … Read MoreFrederick Humphries (1935-2021)
James H. Sills, Jr., the first African American mayor of Wilmington, Delaware, was born in North Carolina in 1931. We know little about his early life before he arrived in Wilmington. At various times he was a billiards hustler, farm laborer, and solider before he … Read MoreJames H. Sills Jr. (1931- )
Derek Burton, the former University of Michigan distinguished classics professor, is the current Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Hong Kong. Born August 24, 1965 in Washington, D.C., he is the son of retirees James Burton Collins, who had worked as … Read MoreDerek Burton Collins (1965- )
Arthur Paul Davis was an African American university teacher, literary scholar, author, and editor, born November 21, 1904, to Andrew Davis and Francis (Nash) Davis in Hampton, Virginia. He was one of nine children. He married Clarice E. Winn on October 6, 1928 (d. 1978), … Read MoreArthur Paul Davis (1904-1996)
Ernest Roscoe Dickerson is an American director, cinematographer, and screenwriter. Most notably, he directed Juice (1992), which he co-wrote along with Gerard Brown. He also directed TV episodes of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knights (1995); Bones (2001); Never Die Alone (2004); and several episodes … Read MoreErnest Roscoe Dickerson (1951- )
Dr. John Francis is a conservationist, scholar, educator, and best-selling author. He holds a Ph.D. in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. Francis is perhaps best known for forsaking motorized vehicle transport to travel the country on foot, a … Read MoreJohn Francis (1946- )
Mathematical physicist and university administrator Arlie O. Petters was born in the Central American city of Dangriga in the nation of Belize (formerly British Honduras) on February 21, 1964, the son of civil engineer Oswald Vasquez. His mother, Velina, left him when he was a child to work in … Read MoreArlie Oswald Petters (1964- )
