Honoring those we lost on May 13 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Alfred Rush Born date uncertain — Died May 13, 1876 Field: Reconstruction Politics / Racial Violence / South Carolina Alfred Rush was a Black Reconstruction-era South Carolina legislator who was ambushed and murdered. Why it matters: […]
Honoring those we lost on May 12 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Oscar DePriest Born March 9, 1871 — Died May 12, 1951 Field: Politics / Congress / Black Political Firsts Oscar DePriest was the first Black person elected to Congress after Reconstruction and the first Black congressman […]
Honoring those we lost on May 11 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Moses Fleetwood Walker Born October 7, 1856 — Died May 11, 1924 Field: Baseball / Early MLB Integration / Black Sports Firsts Moses Fleetwood Walker was a catcher who played for the Toledo Blue Stockings in […]
Honoring those we lost on May 10 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Belle da Costa Greene Born November 26, 1879 — Died May 10, 1950 Field: Library History / Art History / Manuscripts / Racial Passing Belle da Costa Greene was a librarian, bibliographer, and the longtime force […]
Honoring those we lost on May 9 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Lena Horne Born June 30, 1917 — Died May 9, 2010 Field: Music / Film / Theater / Civil Rights Lena Horne was a singer, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist whose career crossed Hollywood, Broadway, […]
Honoring those we lost on May 8 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Henry McNeal Turner Born February 1, 1834 — Died May 8, 1915 Field: Religion / Reconstruction Politics / Black Nationalism / AME Church Henry McNeal Turner was an AME bishop, minister, politician, writer, and one of […]
Honoring those we lost on May 7 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Rev. George W. Lee Born December 25, 1903 — Died May 7, 1955 Field: Civil Rights / Voting Rights / Mississippi Freedom Struggle Rev. George Washington Lee was a minister, businessman, NAACP leader, and voting rights […]
Honoring those we lost on May 6 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Otis Blackwell Born February 16, 1931 — Died May 6, 2002 Field: Songwriting / Rock and Roll / R&B / Popular Music Otis Blackwell was a Brooklyn-born songwriter whose work helped shape early rock and roll. […]
Honoring those we lost on May 5 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Caroline Bond Day Born August 18, 1889 — Died May 5, 1948 Field: Anthropology / Education / Race Studies / Black Identity Caroline Bond Day was an anthropologist, writer, and educator whose work challenged racist assumptions […]
Honoring those we lost on May 4 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. James Presley Ball Born 1825 — Died May 4, 1904 Field: Photography / Abolition / Black Business / Visual History James Presley Ball was a photographer, daguerreotypist, abolitionist, and businessman whose work helped document Black life […]