Those We Lost
Those We Lost — May 7
May
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 activist in Mississippi. He was assassinated after refusing to remove his name from the voting rolls and continuing voter registration work.
Why it matters: Lee’s death belongs in the voting rights story before the more widely remembered 1960s movement. His murder shows that the fight for the vote was deadly long before the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Alexander Miles
Born May 18, 1838 — Died May 7, 1918
Field: Invention / Elevator Safety / Black Enterprise
Alexander Miles was an inventor known for improvements to elevator door mechanisms.
Why it matters: Miles belongs in the Black inventor lane because his work helped improve elevator safety and contributed to the everyday infrastructure of modern buildings.
Louise Fulton
Born date uncertain — Died May 7, 1988
Field: Theater / Playwriting / Pittsburgh Arts
Louise Fulton was a Pittsburgh playwright and theater figure.
Why it matters: Her entry adds a local arts-history lane and helps preserve Black theater work beyond the most nationally recognized names.
Wear the history: Alexander Miles — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.
