Honoring those we lost on August 5 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Ernest Whitman Born Feb 21, 1893 — died Aug 5, 1954 Stage and screen actor, vaudeville performer, radio personality, and minister. Whitman moved from ministry and vaudeville into Broadway, radio, and Hollywood during an era when […]
Honoring those we lost on August 4 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Anna Murray Douglass Birth name: Anna Murray Born Mar 8, 1813 — died Aug 4, 1882 Abolitionist, Underground Railroad worker, organizer, and partner in the Douglass family’s freedom work. Murray helped finance and plan Frederick Douglass’s […]
Honoring those we lost on August 3 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Letitia Woods Brown Full name: Letitia Christine Woods Brown Born Oct 24, 1915 — died Aug 3, 1976 Historian, educator, researcher, community activist, and Black academic pioneer. Brown became the first Black woman to earn a […]
Honoring those we lost on August 2 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. James Jamerson Full name: James Lee Jamerson Born Jan 29, 1936 — died Aug 2, 1983 Bassist, Funk Brothers member, Motown session musician, and modern bass innovator. Jamerson’s melodic, deeply rhythmic bass lines helped create the […]
Honoring those we lost on August 1 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Joseph Rainey Full name: Joseph Hayne Rainey Born Jun 21, 1832 — died Aug 1, 1887 Reconstruction-era congressman, barber, businessman, and political trailblazer. Rainey became the first Black person to serve in the United States House […]
Honoring those we lost on July 31 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Bill Russell Full name: William Felton Russell Born February 12, 1934 — died July 31, 2022 Basketball Hall of Famer, civil rights activist, NBA champion, coach, and sports icon. Russell became one of the greatest winners […]
Honoring those we lost on July 30 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Nichelle Nichols Birth name: Grace Dell Nichols Born December 28, 1932 — died July 30, 2022 Actress, singer, dancer, NASA recruiter, and television trailblazer. Nichols changed television history as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, one of […]
Honoring those we lost on July 29 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Claudia Tate Born December 14, 1946 — died July 29, 2002 Literary scholar, professor, critic, and African American literature specialist. Tate became a respected scholar of Black women’s writing, African American literature, and psychoanalytic literary criticism. […]
Honoring those we lost on July 28 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Harold Bethuel Evans Born October 31, 1907 — died July 28, 1995 Research chemist, Manhattan Project scientist, educator, and nuclear chemistry figure. Evans was one of the few African American scientists connected to the Manhattan Project […]
Honoring those we lost on July 27 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind. Garrett Morgan Full name: Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr. Born March 4, 1877 — died July 27, 1963 Inventor, businessman, newspaper publisher, and public safety innovator. Morgan became one of the most important Black inventors of the […]