Birthday Celebrations — July 15

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 15 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Maggie Lena Walker

Born July 15, 1864 — died December 15, 1934

Businesswoman, banker, newspaper publisher, civil rights advocate, and community leader.

Walker rose from post-Civil War Richmond to become one of the most important Black business leaders in American history. She became the first African American woman in the United States to found a bank, using business, mutual aid, and community organizing to strengthen Black families and institutions.

Ernie Barnes

Birth name: Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr.

Born July 15, 1938 — died April 27, 2009

Artist, professional football player, actor, author, and Black figurative painter.

Barnes grew up in Durham, North Carolina, during segregation and turned both sports and art into lifelong disciplines. His elongated figures and sense of motion became his signature style, and his painting The Sugar Shack became a Black cultural image through Good Times and Marvin Gaye’s I Want You album era.

Millie Jackson

Birth name: Mildred Virginia Jackson

Born July 15, 1944

R&B singer, soul singer, songwriter, model, playwright, and bold spoken-word soul figure.

Jackson built a career on powerful vocals, humor, honesty, and long spoken sections that made her music feel direct and conversational. Her fearless style helped her stand out in soul and R&B, and she is often connected to the spoken-word energy that later influenced hip-hop storytelling.

Forest Whitaker

Born July 15, 1961

Actor, director, producer, humanitarian, and Academy Award-winning performer.

Whitaker became known for deep character work and quiet emotional power across film, television, and stage. His career includes major performances in Bird, The Last King of Scotland, The Butler, and other projects, along with humanitarian work through peace and development initiatives.