Birthday Celebrations — May 12

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on May 12 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Walter Franklin Anderson

Born May 12, 1915 — Died October 24, 2003

Field: Classical Music / Conducting / Composition / Black Music Education

Walter Franklin Anderson was a composer, pianist, conductor, and educator.

Why it matters: Anderson gives May 12 a strong classical music and education entry, helping widen the Black music archive beyond popular music.

Albert Murray

Born May 12, 1916 — Died August 18, 2013

Field: Literature / Jazz Criticism / Cultural Theory / Blues Thought

Albert Murray was a novelist, essayist, critic, and major interpreter of blues and jazz culture.

Why it matters: Murray argued for Black culture as central to American identity, not marginal to it.

Jack Trice

Born May 12, 1902 — Died October 8, 1923

Field: College Football / Sports Integration / Black Student-Athletes

Jack Trice was Iowa State’s first Black athlete and died from injuries sustained in a football game.

Why it matters: His life and death reveal the danger, isolation, and pressure Black athletes faced in overwhelmingly white college sports.

Nathaniel R. Jones

Born May 12, 1926 — Died January 26, 2020

Field: Law / Civil Rights / Federal Judiciary

Nathaniel R. Jones was a civil rights attorney, NAACP general counsel, and federal judge.

Why it matters: He links legal strategy, civil rights litigation, and the Black judicial presence in federal courts.

Ertharin Cousin

Born May 12, 1957

Field: Diplomacy / Food Security / Humanitarian Policy

Ertharin Cousin is a diplomat and former executive director of the World Food Programme.

Why it matters: She shows Black American leadership in global food security and humanitarian policy.