Birthday Celebrations — May 13

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on May 13 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Edward Park Duplex

Born May 13, 1831 — Died January 5, 1900

Field: Politics / Business / Black Mayors / California History

Edward Park Duplex became mayor of Wheatland, California, making him one of the first Black mayors in the United States and the first in the American West.

Why it matters: His life expands Black political history beyond the South and into the West.

Matilda Arabella Evans

Born May 13, 1872 — Died November 17, 1935

Field: Medicine / Black Women Physicians / South Carolina

Matilda Arabella Evans was the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina.

Why it matters: She belongs in the Black women in medicine lane and shows how Black doctors built care access under segregation.

Joe Louis

Born May 13, 1914 — Died April 12, 1981

Field: Boxing / Sports / Black American Symbolism

Joe Louis was heavyweight champion and one of the most important athletes of the 20th century.

Why it matters: His fights carried meaning beyond sports, especially during Jim Crow and World War II.

Stevie Wonder

Born May 13, 1950

Field: Music / Soul / R&B / Songwriting / Activism

Stevie Wonder is one of the most influential musicians in American history.

Why it matters: His work shaped soul, pop, funk, R&B, political music, and modern Black creative freedom.

Manning Marable

Born May 13, 1950 — Died April 1, 2011

Field: History / African American Studies / Scholarship

Manning Marable was a historian and scholar of African American history, politics, and social movements.

Why it matters: He helped shape how modern readers understand Black politics, Malcolm X, race, capitalism, and social justice.

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Wear the history: Stevie Wonder — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.