Page Overview

In 1926, the first Black History Month was recognized. This page is a tribute to African–American men and women past and present, whose accomplishments are great and historical. We included biographies of social rights activists, leaders, scientists, actors/actresses, athletes and writers. There is also a Civil Rights timeline and links to resources on African–American history.

Social Rights Activist:
Mary McLeod Bethune (1975–1955)

Born in Mayesville, South Carolina, Mary McLeod Bethune was a child of former slaves and began her life picking cotton. She was awarded a scholarship in 1888 to Scotia Seminary that started her distinguished career as an educator and activist. She served in the Roosevelt administration as advisor to the President on Minority Affairs and was the Director of the Division of Negro Affairs within the National Youth Administration from 1936–1944.

Her home in Daytona Beach is a National Historic Landmark, her house in Washington, D.C. in Logan Circle is preserved by the National Park Service as a National Historic Site, and a sculpture of her is located in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C.

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Leader:
William Edward Bughardt (W.E.B.) DuBois (1868–:1963)

Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, W.E.B. DuBois graduated from high school as valedictorian in 1884 and went on to receive his bachelor's degree from Fisk University in Nashville Tennessee. In 1888 he entered Harvard and graduated cum laude in 1890 and was one of six commencement speakers. He was among the founders of the NAACP and wrote 21 books, edited 15 and published over 100 essays and articles.

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Scientist:
Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806)

Benjamin Banneker was born near Baltimore, Maryland. While attending elementary school Banneker showed a great talent for mathematics and science. Apparently using as a model a pocket watch that he had borrowed from a merchant or traveler, Banneker carved wooden replicas of each piece and used the parts to make a clock that struck hourly. He completed the clock in 1753, at the age of 21. The clock continued to work until his death.He published an almanac from 1792 until 1802 and was hired by Thomas Jefferson to assist the surveyors laying out the new capital and the District of Columbia.

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Actress:
Josephine Baker (1906–1975)

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker was a great lover of life and humanity. She was sometimes referred to as the glamorous "Josephine". When she was 13, she joined a group of street performers and her first appearance was at the Booker T. Washington Theater. In 1925, she performed in La Revue Negre, which opened in Paris, where she would live for many years. By the fall of 1926, "Josephine" dolls and other merchandise were made and Baker was adored and famous throughout Europe. In 1942, she performed for French, British and American soldiers and became a sub–lieutenant in the Women's Auxiliary of the French Air Force.

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Athlete:
Hank Aaron (Born in 1934)

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Aaron was brought up during the Great Depression and grew up without plumbing and electricity. Aaron made a name for himself in high school and played for local amateur and semi–pro leagues. In 1952 Aaron joined the Milwaukee Braves and was sent to the minor leagues. He was voted League Most Valuable Player in 1953 and joined the Braves in 1954. In 1970, Aaron became the first player to combine 3000 career hits and 500 home runs. He retired in 1976 with a record of 755 home runs and 2,297 runs batted in. He soon became the Director of Player Development for the Braves and later became Senior Vice President.

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Literature:
Zora Neale Hurston (1903–1960)

Born January 7, 1903, Zora Neale Hurston was a talented, energetic young woman with a powerful desire to learn. At the age of 16, she left home to perform with a theatrical company and attended Howard University from 1921–1925. She went to New York City and became a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Her first novel, Jonah's Gourd Vine was published in 1935. She also published Their Eyes Were Watching God in 1937. Hurston worked for Warner Brothers movie studio and was on the staff of the Library of Congress. In 1960 she had published more books than any other black woman in America.

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President of the United States:
Barack Obama (Born in 1961)

With a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. He was raised with help from his grandfather, who served in Patton's army, and his grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management at a bank. After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants. He went on to attend law school, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. President Obama's years of public service are based around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. In the Illinois State Senate, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. As a United States Senator, he reached across the aisle to pass groundbreaking lobbying reform, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by putting federal spending online. He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. He and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters, Malia, 12, and Sasha, 9.

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Social Rights Activist:
Julian Bond (Born in 1940)

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Julian Bond led a relatively sheltered life from discrimination throughout his childhood. In 1960, as a student at Morehouse College, Bond participated in a sit–in at an Atlanta cafeteria and was arrested. In 1960, he helped to found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives (1965). He was denied his seat because of his objections to the US involvement in the Vietnam War, but in 1966, the Supreme Court ruled that he must be seated. He served from 1966–1976 and then served in the Georgia Senate from 1975 to 1987. He helped found the Southern Poverty Law Center in 1971 and hosted a television program, America's Black Forum.

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Leader:
Colin Powell (Born in 1937)

Born in Harlem, New York City, Colin Powell attended the City College of New York and jointed the ROTC. Powell graduated in 1958 and served in West Germany in 1962 and then in South Vietnam where he was wounded in action. He received his Master's degree in Business Administration at George Washington University in 1971 while rehabilitating and became the Secretary of Defense in 1983 during the Ronald Reagan administration. In 1987, Powell became the National Security Advisor under the same administration and was nominated by President Bush in 1989 to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first black officer to hold this position. Powell was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his part in the Persian Gulf War and in 2000, President George W. Bush nominated Powell to become the 65th Secretary of State, a position from which he retired in 2005.

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Scientist:
Mae Jemison (Born in 1956)

Born in Decatur, Alabama, Mae Jemison later moved to Chicago, Illinois and spent considerable time in her school library reading about science, especially astronomy. In high school she decided to pursue a career in biomedical engineering and after graduation, she entered Stanford University on a National Achievement Scholarship. In 1977 Jemison received a B.S. in chemical engineering and a B.A. in African and African–American Studies. She entered Cornell University Medical College and received her MD in 1981. Jemison was chosen in 1987 to become the first African–American woman ever admitted into the NASA astronaut training program. She flew into space on the Endeavour mission STS47. In 1988, she was awarded the Essence Science and Technology Award and in 1992 an alternative public school in Detroit Michigan, the Mae C. Jemison Academy was named after her.

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Actor:
Morgan Freeman (Born in 1937)

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Morgan Freeman was raised in Chicago and Mississippi and lived with his grandparents while his parents worked in Chicago. His favorite thing to do as a little boy was to go to the movies, and he enjoyed films with airplanes. Freeman joined the air force and thought about becoming a fighter pilot but stuck with acting and moved to LA to pursue his dream. He attended Los Angeles College and made his acting debut in 1967 in the hit Broadway show Hello, Dolly. Later he moved to New York City and played characters in movies such as Street Smart, Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, Robin Hood, The Shawshank Redemption, Seven, Kiss the Girls, The Sum of All Fears and many more.

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Athlete:
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (Born in 1972)

Nicknamed "Shaq," he is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics. Standing 7ft. 1 in. (2.16 m) tall and weighing 325 pounds (147 kg), he is one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. Throughout his 18-year career, O'Neal has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. After the retirement of Lindsey Hunter on March 5, 2010, O'Neal became the oldest active player in the NBA. Following a standout career at Louisiana State University, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. He quickly became one of the top centers in the league, winning Rookie of the year in 1992-93 and later leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. After four years with the Magic, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won three consecutive championships, playing alongside Kobe Bryant, in 2000, 2001, and 2002. O'Neal's relationship with Bryant eventually declined into a feud, leading to O'Neal's trade to the Miami Heat in 2004. He won his fourth NBA championship in 2006, but was traded midway through the season a year and a half later to the Phoenix Suns. After a season-and-a-half with the Suns, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played alongside LeBron James in the 2009'10 season. O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999-00 MVP award, the 1992-93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 5th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 12th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum. He has also appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaq's Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.

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Literature:
Maya Angelou (Born in 1928)

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maya Angelou was a victim of sexual abuse, which led her to stop speaking when she was seven years old. Five years later, she began to study writing, literature and music. She began speaking again and won a scholarship in dance and drama to the California Labor School. In the 1950s, Angelou worked as a dancer in a touring production of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. She started attending meetings of the Harlem Writers Guild in 1957 and began developing an interest in politics and civil rights. Later, Angelou moved to Europe and worked as an editor at an English–language publication, the Arab Observer. She published her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her first volume of verse, entitled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie. In 1997, Angelou had three books on the New York Times bestseller lists for ten consecutive weeks with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sins, The Heart of a Woman and Even the Stars Look Lonesome.

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Politics:
Condoleezza Rice (Born in 1954)

Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama. The only child of a Presbyterian minister and a teacher, Rice grew up surrounded by racism in the segregated South. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Denver in 1974; her master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. She joined Stanford University as a political science professor in 1981. In 1993, she was the first woman and first African American to become a Stanford provost, a post she held for six years. In 1989, she became director of Soviet and East European affairs with the National Security Council and special assistant to George Bush during the dissolution of the Soviet Union and German reunification. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender-Integrated Training in the Military. She was appointed National Security Adviser by George W. Bush in 2001, and became Secretary of State in 2004 after Colin Powell's resignation. As Secretary of State, Rice has dedicated her department to "Transformational Diplomacy" with a mission of building and sustaining democratic, well-governed states around the world and the Middle East in particular. To that end, she has relocated American diplomats to such hardship locations as Iraq, Afghanistan and Angola and required them to become fluent in two foreign languages. She also created a high-level position to de-fragment U.S. foreign aid. Rice's books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984).

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Philanthropist:
Oprah Winfrey (Born in 1954)

She is an American television host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was once the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, including being raped at the age of nine and becoming pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated. Credited with creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication, she is thought to have popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue, which a Yale study claims broke 20th century taboos and allowed LGBT people to enter the mainstream. By the mid 1990s, she had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality. Though criticized for unleashing confession culture and promoting controversial self-help aids, she is often praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others. From 2006 to 2008, her support of Barack Obama, by one estimate, delivered over a million votes in the close 2008 Democratic primary race.

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Civil Rights Timeline

December 6, 1865:

Ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially abolished slavery in the United States.

February 3, 1870:

The 15^th Amendment was ratified by Congress. It declared the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by any state on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

August 18, 1920:

The 19^th Amendment was enacted declaring the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied because of ones gender.

May 17, 1954:

The Supreme Court rules on the case Brown vs. Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas, unanimously agreeing that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

December 1, 1954:

Rosa Park, a member of the NAACP, refuses to give up her seat at the front of the "colored section" of a bus to a white passenger and was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama.

August 28, 1963:

Over 200,000 people join the March on Washington in Washington, D.C. and listen to Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech.

July 2, 1964:

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made racial discrimination in public places such as theaters, restaurants and hotels illegal and required employers to provide equal employment opportunities. The legislation stated that uniform standards must prevail for establishing the right to vote everywhere, specifically in the South.

August 6, 1965:

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 allowed the federal government to oversee voter registration and elections in counties that had used tests to determine voter eligibility. The law also banned discriminatory literacy tests.

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