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Shailyn Pierre-Dixon (born June 1, 2003) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as the young Aminata in The Book of Negroes, for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2016. She has appeared in the films The Best Man Holiday, Suicide Squad, and Jean of the Joneses, and she plays the character Frances in Between. Pierre-Dixon was in Caledon, Ontario to parents, Christina Dixon, a Canadian actress, writer, and producer, and Maurice Pierre. She is enrolled in the drama program at Mayfield Secondary School. She began her career as a child model, appearing in commercials and advertisements. Her first major role was in the 2013 Hollywood film, The Best Man Holiday. She had the honor of presenting at the Canadian Screen Awards, making her one of the youngest presenters in the Academy’s history at 11 years old. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Zazie Olivia Beetz (born June 1, 1991) is a German-born American actress. She is known for her role in Atlanta (2016–22), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She starred in Easy (2016–19) and voices Amber Bennett in Invincible (2021–present). She has appeared in the disaster film Geostorm and has played the Marvel Comics character Domino in the superhero film Deadpool 2 and Arthur Fleck/Joker’s neighbor in the psychological thriller Joker. She attended school in Berlin until moving with her family to New York City at age eight, speaking both German and English with her family at home. Growing up in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood, she became interested in acting while attending Muscota New School and performing in community theaters and on local stages. She graduated from the LaGuardia Arts High School and attended Skidmore College, graduating with a BA in French. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

WGPR-TV (Where God’s Presence Radiates) was the first television station in the US owned and operated by African Americans. The station, located in Detroit, was founded by Minister/Attorney/Free Mason William Venoid Banks on June 1, 1973. WGPR-TV marketed toward the urban audience in Detroit. The Masons owned the majority of stock in WGPR-TV. The station initially broadcasts religious shows, R&B music shows, off-network dramas, syndicated shows, and older cartoons. The station aired some locally-produced programming including Big City News, The Scene, and Arab Voice of Detroit. Big City News (1975-1992) was a Monday through Friday newscast that aimed to focus on community activities from the African American perspective, showcasing positive “success stories.” The Scene (1975-1987) was a nightly dance show that offered young Detroiters an opportunity to display their musical and dance talents. It still enjoys a cult following of viewers and former dancers. Arab Voice of Detroit was a public affairs show directed toward the significant Arab American population in the Detroit Area. After 1980, the station faced its most powerful competition with BET. With its 800,000-watt signal compared with 2 million watts for major Detroit TV stations, WGPR-TV never reached an audience beyond the city of Detroit. By the 1990s WGPR aired primarily reruns and infomercials. On July 25, 1995, WGPR-TV was sold to CBS amid controversy from the African American community, which felt that the station should remain under African American management. The Masons in particular were criticized for selling the station to a mainstream network. Two months later, CBS changed the television station name to WWJ-TV and targeted its programming for a general audience. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Marcus G. Curry (born June 1, 1961) known professionally as Mark Curry, is an actor, comedian, and television host. He is known for his role as Mark Cooper, the ex-basketball player turned teacher on Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper (1992-97). He served as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It’s Showtime at the Apollo during the early 1990s. He co-starred in all three seasons of See Dad Run (2012-15). Born in Oakland, He attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda and California State University, East Bay. He was a participant at the East Oakland Youth Development Center. His first role was in Talkin’ Dirty After Dark. He guest starred in Living Single. He made a guest appearance on Martin and was featured on two episodes of The Jamie Foxx Show. He made cameos in Switchback and Armageddon. He had a recurring role on The Drew Carey Show. He hosted the game show Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush and made a guest appearance on the sitcom For Your Love. He starred in One Love. He went on to play the lead role in The Poof Point. He was the host of Animal Tails and Coming to the Stage. He appeared on Celebrity Mole Yucatan. He was featured on an episode of Less Than Perfect and guest starred on Fat Actress. He guest appearance on House of Payne. He performed a stand-up comedy routine on The Comedy Festival Laffapalooza Special. He hosted FoxxHole Live, he was on the Royal Comedy Tour. He appeared in The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He starred in See Dad Run. He joined Sommore’s Standing Ovation Comedy Tour. He was a special guest on the Katt Williams 11:11 Tour. He has regularly performed stand-up comedy at the Hollywood Improv. He was featured in the music video for Too Short’s “I Ain’t Trippin’”. He appeared in the music video of Bow Wow’s “Take Ya Home.” He appeared in the 2002 song “Oakland Raiders” by Oakland rap group Luniz. He can be seen in the music video “Pull Up.” #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Lucia Kay McBath (née Holman; born June 1, 1960) is a politician who has served in the House of Representatives from a district in the suburbs of Atlanta since 2019. She represented Georgia’s 6th congressional district (2019-23) and has represented the neighboring 7th district since 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Her son, Jordan Davis, was murdered in November 2012. She became an advocate for gun control, joined other mothers of African American murder victims to form the Mothers of the Movement, and spoke at the 2016 DNC. She ran for the House of Representatives in 2018 and defeated the Republican incumbent. They faced each other again in the 2020 election, and she won. She attended Virginia State University and graduated with a BS in Political Science. She worked as an Intern for former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder. She became a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and relocated to Atlanta. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #deltasigmatheta @replucymcbath

Kay Coles James (born June 1, 1953) is a conservative political figure who has served in various government and executive roles. She was most notably the first African American president of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank. She was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from Hampton University. She is married to Charles E. James, Sr., who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. The couple has three children. While her public role is broad, she has stated that “Pro-life is the greatest civil rights issue of our day.” She was recruited into politics by future President George W. Bush. She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and reappointed by President George H. W. Bush as a member of the National Commission on Children. She served under President George H. W. Bush as Associate Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She has served as a board member of PNC Financial Services Group, the National Board of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, the Magellan Health Services Board, and Amerigroup Corporation. She is the founder and current board chair of the Gloucester Institute, an organization that trains and nurtures college-aged leaders in the Black community. The organization draws inspiration from the work of Dr. Robert Russa Moton, the successor to Booker T. Washington at the Tuskegee Institute. She has held prominent roles with conservative organizations, including serving as a board member of Focus on the Family, Senior Vice President of the Family Research Council, and Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for One-to-One Partnership, a national umbrella organization for mentoring programs. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Private First Class Robert Henry Jenkins Jr. (June 1, 1948 – March 5, 1969) was a US Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty in March 1969 during the Vietnam War. He was born in Interlachen, Florida. He attended Central Academy High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in Jacksonville, Florida on February 2, 1968, and received recruit training with the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He was promoted to private first class on April 1, 1968. He transferred to the Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, where he underwent individual combat training with the 2nd Infantry Training Battalion, 1st Infantry Training Regiment, and infantry special training with the 1st Infantry Training Battalion, completing the latter in May 1968. He was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam in July 1968, and assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. Later that month, he was reassigned as a scout and driver with Company C, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. While serving as a machine gunner with Company C at Fire Support Base Argonne, south of the Demilitarized Zone on March 5, 1969, he was killed in action. He was, along with his 12-man recon team, attacked by enemy fire – mortars, machine guns, and grenades. He and fellow Marine, Fred Ostrom, took up position in a two-man fighting emplacement. When a hand grenade was thrown into the emplacement, he leaped on top of Ostrom, shielding him from the explosion and absorbing the full impact of the grenade. He was mortally wounded and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic act and sacrifice of life. The Medal of Honor was presented to his family at the White House by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew on April 20, 1970. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O. (born June 1, 1942) is a physician, academic, and the first African-American woman to serve as dean of a US medical school; she is known as the sister of Diana Ross. She majored in Biology and Chemistry at Wayne State University. She entered Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. She opened her private family practice, taught as a professor, and held other positions within the medical community. In 1993, she was elected as the first woman dean of a medical school, at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has earned several awards and honors for her work and accomplishments. Her pre-medical advisor did not believe women should be physicians, and so she declined to authorize her request to study Human Anatomy as her major. She graduated with a BS in Biology and Chemistry and joined the National Teacher Corps, in which she could earn a degree while teaching in the Detroit public school system. After completing the program, a new educational opportunity arose when Michigan State University opened a School of Osteopathic Medicine in Pontiac. She remained in Detroit working at her private practice for ten years. She took a position with the Department of Health and Human Services where she worked on medical education and people of color in medicine. She was a community representative on the Governor’s Minority Health Advisory Committee for the state of Michigan. She was the first osteopathic physician to receive the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. She was awarded the “Magnificent 7” Award presented by Business and Professional Women. She has received the Women’s Health Award from Blackboard African-American National Bestsellers for her contributions to women’s health, the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and an honorary DS from the New York Institute of Technology. She was appointed the founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Minnesota College of Osteopathic Medicine. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was a stage, film, and television actor. He began his career in the late 1960s on the stage. He starred in the Broadway production of Purlie, for which he earned both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. His first leading television role was that of the irreverent Dr. Jerry Noland on Temperatures Rising. He was Sheriff Bart in Blazing Saddles. He continued to appear in stage productions, films, and in guest spots on television series. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his appearance on Dear John. He starred in True Colors. He was raised in San Diego and attended Kearny High School. He graduated from San Diego State College with a BA in Speech Therapy and appeared in A Raisin in the Sun at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. He worked his way through college as a janitor and gave Black poetry presentations to clubs and groups. He won a scholarship from the American Broadcasting Company to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He made his professional debut appearing off-Broadway at the Village Gate as the Muslim Witch in the MacBird. This was followed by the role of Foxtrot in Scuba Duba. He portrayed Hamlet during his days at schools and parks on behalf of the New York Shakespeare Festival. He made guest appearances on The Mod Squad, All in the Family, The Rookies, Police Story, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, ABC Afterschool Specials, The Fall Guy, MacGyver, and a special Christmas episode of ALF. Little played a supporting role to Pryor in the racing movie Greased Lightning. Other films included FM, Scavenger Hunt, The Salamander, High Risk, Jimmy the Kid, Surf II, Toy Soldiers, Once Bitten, The Gig, and Fletch Lives. His last appearance as an actor was in a guest role on Tales from the Crypt. He was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Airman First Class Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an actor and film narrator. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with Million Dollar Baby and has received Oscar nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, and Invictus. He has won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has appeared in many other box office hits, including Glory, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Seven, Deep Impact, The Sum of All Fears, Bruce Almighty, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Wanted, Red, Now You See Me, The Lego Movie, and Lucy. He rose to fame as part of the cast of the children’s program The Electric Company. Noted for his deep voice, he has served as a narrator, commentator, and voice actor for numerous programs, series, and television shows. He made his acting debut at age nine, playing the lead role in a school play. He then attended Broad Street High School, a building that serves today as Threadgill Elementary School, in Greenwood, Mississippi. He won a statewide drama competition, and while still at Broad Street High School, he performed in a radio show based in Nashville. He graduated from Broad Street, but turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, opting instead to enlist in the USAF and served as an Automatic Tracking Radar Repairman, rising to the rank of Airman 1st Class. He married twice Jeanette Adair Bradshaw (1967-79). He married Myrna Colley-Lee (1984-2007). He has four children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II (June 1, 1935 - July 28, 2009) known as Reverend Ike, was a minister and evangelist based in New York City. He was known for the slogan “You can’t lose with the stuff I use!” His preaching is considered a form of prosperity theology. He began his career as a teenage preacher and became an assistant pastor at Bible Way Church in Ridgeland, South Carolina. After serving a stint in the Air Force as a Chaplain Service Specialist, he founded the United Church of Jesus Christ for All People in Beaufort, South Carolina, the United Christian Evangelistic Association in Boston, his main corporate entity, and the Christ Community United Church in New York City. His ministry reached its peak in the mid-1970s when his weekly radio sermons were carried by hundreds of stations across the US. He was famous for his “Blessing Plan” – radio listeners sent him money and in return he blessed them. He said doing this would make radio listeners who did it more prosperous. He was criticized for his overt interest in financial remuneration. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Paul Raymond Jones (June 1, 1928 – January 26, 2010) was a collector of African American art. He returned to Alabama during high school and attended Alabama State University on scholarship. He was elected president of his freshman class and played on the Bulldogs football team. He transferred to Howard University to complete his undergraduate studies. His application to the University of Alabama Law School was discouraged based on race. He completed a year of graduate work at Howard before returning to Bessemer. He was part of the “Birmingham Interracial Committee” of the “Jefferson County Coordinating Council for Social Forces” and worked for the Department of Justice on Civil Rights issues and the Department of HUD, where he was recognized for his work on the Model Cities Program. He served as deputy director of the Peace Corps in Thailand. He was inspired by the annual African-American art shows organized by Hale Woodruff at Atlanta University. He began collecting works by African-American artists, befriending the younger artists from whom he purchased works. He hosted receptions at his home to encourage colleagues to purchase art and put pressure on galleries and museums to recognize African-American artwork. He amassed an important collection with over 2,000 pieces. A selection of his collection made its public debut in an exhibition at the University of Delaware. He donated hundreds of more valuable works to that University with several stipulations for how the school should leverage it to provide more opportunities for African American students and art professionals. He donated most of his remaining collection, 1,700 works to the University of Alabama. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Julia Ringwood Coston (January 1863 – June 1, 1931) was one of the first Black women to edit a magazine. While she was still an infant, she moved to DC with her family and attended public schools there. She had almost completed school when her mother died and she was forced to withdraw. She married William Hilary Coston (1886) he became a minister and writer. They had two children. The family settled in Cleveland, where William Coston was pastor of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church. William Coston was especially encouraging of her writing interests and gave her advice based on his experience as a writer. In 1891, realizing that white journals ignored Black interests and themes, decided to create her journal: Ringwood’s Afro-American Journal of Fashion. Concerned with the suffering and hopelessness of Black women in the South, she believed that press editorials could be effective in protesting their inhumane treatment. The twelve-page journal, which had a yearly subscription fee of $1.25, provided advice on homemaking, etiquette, and fashion. Her Afro-American Journal of Fashion carried illustrations of the latest Paris fashions along with articles, biographical compositions of outstanding Black women and promising young ladies, instructive articles for women and their daughters, as well as love stories. At the time, it was the only fashion magazine for Blacks in the world. She supported and encouraged women writers through her journal and allowed younger contributors to gain publication experience there. She believed these writers were good role models for the journal’s target audience. She published a second journal: Ringwood’s Home Magazine. It was not as successful as her fashion magazine though. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Kandake Amanirenas (60-50 BC - 10 BC) was a queen of the ancient African Kingdom of Kush who was known for skillfully defending her kingdom against the armies of the Roman Empire. She was the second of the eight Kandakes (Kandake or Candace meaning “great woman” and the equivalent of queen or queen mother) of the Kingdom of Kush (Cush) which was located in modern-day Sudan. During the early stage of the five-year conflict, her husband, King Teriteqas, perished in battle, leaving the responsibility to prosecute the war on her and her son, Prince Akinidad. From her throne in the capital city of Meroë, she led the Kushites north to engage the Romans. The Kushite triumph at Syene in 24 B.C. resulted in the city being sacked and statues of Roman Emperor Augustus vandalized. A bronze head of the emperor was transported to the royal palace where it was buried under the entrance, a contemptuous insult to a powerful, defeated foe. But the course of war reversed when the new Roman governor of Egypt, Gaius Petronius, led an expedition of 10,000 soldiers to reconquer territory and invade deep into Kush itself, pillaging, enslaving inhabitants, and establishing new borders for the Roman Empire. Having lost an eye in battle, Petronius referred to her as “One Eye Kandace.” By the end of 24 B.C., she had lost her son in the war to thwart Roman expansion and ensure Kush’s sovereignty. After defeats by Petronius who occupied and ravaged the city of Napata, Kush failed to overwhelm the Roman garrison at Primis. Peace negotiations began in 24 BC in Dakka. The peace agreement recognized a stalemate between Rome and Kush. Rome concluded a punitive military action against a formidable adversary on the southern border of its empire by reasserting its supremacy in that region. She had spared her people centuries of domination by successfully resisting complete conquest by Rome. Unlike other kingdoms on the edge of Roman Europe, Roman Africa, or Roman Asia, she did not cede large swaths of territory and never was forced to pay tribute or contribute material resources to Rome. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

WAXUP AFRICA AFRODYSSÉE 7TH EDITION - 31.05 || 02.06.2024 Designer: WAXUP AFRICA Category: Accessories Country: Ghana/Switzerland@waxupafrica #waxupafrica #fashion #africandesigners #africancraft #africanexcellence #africancreatives #fashionshow #fashionfair #accessories #ghana #switzerland #africa #geneva #afrodyssee

Let's make this June extraordinary with inspiring stories, innovative ideas, and boundless opportunities. Here's to growth, creativity, and success! #HappyNewMonth #AmplifiedMediaAfrica #June2024 #InspireAfrica #CreativeGrowth #SuccessStories #InnovationHub #AfricanExcellence #NewBeginnings #MediaMagic #StorytellingAfrica #Empowerment #AfricanCreatives #OpportunityKnocks #shapingfutures

🌟 "Unity in diversity, strength in harmony." 🌟 We stand together as one, embracing our uniqueness and celebrating our common goal. Proud to be part of this amazing community! #TogetherWeRise #UnityInDiversity #SchoolSpirit #CommunityLove #FutureLeaders #YouthEmpowerment #AfricanExcellence #SecondarySchoolLife

Bon début de mois de Juin #iub #universitylife #AfricanExcellence #June2024

Princess Offiong Ekanem Ejindu (May 21, 1962) is a Nigerian architect, philanthropist, and businesswoman born in Ibadan, Nigeria to Professor Sylvester Joseph Una and Obonganwan Ekpa Una. She is an influential philanthropist, “ranked as one of the African female pioneers in the fields of Architecture and Business,” as well as the great-granddaughter of King James Ekpo Bassey. She attended the Senior Staff Primary School of the University of Ibadan and continued at Queens College, Yaba in Lagos. She attended UNC Charlotte. She graduated from Pratt Institute School of Architecture, becoming the first African woman awarded the institution’s Bachelor of Architecture. She took courses at MIT before working at Grant Associates. She received her MS in Urban Planning from Pratt Institute. She founded numerous now-prominent businesses including StarCrest. These businesses specialize in real estate, business construction, oil, gas, and investments across Nigeria. She founded Building Support Systems and Hope Centres. She established the African Arts and Fashion Initiative which has provided a platform for showcasing the vibrant culture of Africa as well as providing support and opportunities to African youth. Her professional success has resulted in numerous honors and awards including the title, Her Highness Obonganwan King James. She received the Patriotic Women of Integrity International Award, African Female Economic Champion Award, African Achievers African Arts and Fashion Lifetime Achievement Award, African Child Nobel Prize, Diaspora Excellence Award, Nigerian Golden Book Professional Icon Award, and the African International Achievers Merit Award for Excellence. She is the Grand Patron of the Prestigious Icons Club of Dubai and a member of the Nigerian National Heritage Council. She was inducted into the Global Women Leaders Hall of Fame – African Charter, as one of Africa’s top 20 Women of Influence and she was featured in the Famous African Women Architect Magazine. She is married to Amechi Ejindu, who is her business partner. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Normani Kordei Hamilton (born May 31, 1996) is a singer and dancer. She auditioned as a solo act for the television series The X Factor, after which she became a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. While in Fifth Harmony, she competed in Dancing with the Stars and released the song “Love Lies”, a duet with Khalid, which peaked in the top ten in the US and was certified quadruple platinum by RIAA. Following Fifth Harmony’s indefinite hiatus, she collaborated with several artists and released a two-song EP with Calvin Harris, Normani x Calvin Harris. She released the single “Waves” featuring 6lack. Her duet with Sam Smith, “Dancing with a Stranger”, reached the top ten in the UK and the US. She released her first solo single, “Motivation”, which peaked in the Top 40. She followed that with a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj on the Charlie’s Angels Soundtrack, and “Diamonds” with Megan Thee Stallion for the soundtrack of the film Birds of Prey. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Curtis Williams (born May 31, 1987) is an actor. He played Nicholas Peterson on the sitcom The Parent Hood. He was a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has appeared over 12 times on the late-night talk show. Too young to drive at the time, Jay Leno gave him his first Go-Kart on live television. He was featured on the “Hottest Child Stars of TV and Movies” cover of Jet Magazine. He won the Young Artist Award, and the Young Artist Award for best performance in a Comedy/Drama, and was nominated for the Best Artist Award for Comedy/Drama. He signed a deal with Reebok, which included wearing their merchandise and apparel. He graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BS in Cinema-Television. He lives in Los Angeles and works for NBC Univeral. He appeared in That’s So Raven, Malcolm in the Middle, 7th Heaven, Corrina, Corrina, Moesha, Dear God, and Beverly Hills Cop III. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986) known as Waka Flocka Flame, is a rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles “O Let’s Do It”, “Hard in da Paint”, and “No Hands”, with the latter peaking at #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. His debut studio album Flockaveli was released. His second studio album Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family was released and was preceded by the lead single “Round of Applause”. He came to fame with his breakthrough single “O Let’s Do It”, which peaked at #62 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He is a member of 1017 Brick Squad with Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, Frenchie, and Wooh Da Kid. His debut album, Flockaveli, was released. The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200. The album was inspired by Tupac Shakur, whose final stage name and pseudonym before his death was Makaveli. He was named the eighth hottest MC by MTV. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence @wakaflocka

Merle Dandridge (born May 31, 1975) is an actress and singer who performed in several stage productions, including Broadway musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, Spamalot, and Rent. She is known for her role as Alyx Vance in the Half-Life series. She is known for her recurring role on television series such as Sons of Anarchy and The Night Shift. She began starring in Greenleaf. She played Papa Ge in the revival of Once on This Island. She began her career appearing in Chicago theatre productions. She has gained a wider audience as the voice of Alyx Vance in the award-winning action game Half-Life 2 and its sequels, Episode One and Episode Two, and Marlene in The Last of Us. She was cast as Kala in the original Broadway production of Tarzan. She earned a BAFTA Award for her voiceover performance in the game Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. On television, she guest-starred on NCIS, 24, Criminal Minds, The Newsroom, and Drop Dead Diva. She has been cast in a series regular role as Chief of Chicago Fire. She had recurring roles in Sons of Anarchy and Star-Crossed. She co-starred in the second season of The Night Shift as Gwen Gaskin. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

David Ray “Doc” Roberts (born May 31, 1972) is a baseball manager and former outfielder. He was born to Waymon Roberts, a Marine, and Eiko Roberts, a Japanese woman. He and his family lived at military bases in Okinawa, California, North Carolina, and Hawaii before settling in San Diego. He attended Vista High School in Vista, California, where he joined the junior varsity baseball team, becoming the MVP. He transferred to Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, California, where he became a star football, baseball, and basketball player. He led the football team to the San Diego Section Class 3A Championship during his senior year and graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School. He was recruited to play quarterback for the Air Force Academy football team but declined because he wanted to play baseball. He attended UCLA) and joined the baseball as a walk-on outfielder. During his sophomore year, his batting average was .331, with 36 stolen bases. His batting average was .296 the following year, with 28 stolen bases. He graduated with a BA in History. The Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 28th round in the 1994 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians and he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox. That season, the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. He played with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants before retiring. He began his coaching and managing career. He became the first base coach of the San Diego Padres and was named a bench coach. He was named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He became National League Manager of the Year. In 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series. He became the second African American manager to win a World Series and the first manager of partial Asian heritage to win a World Series. He married Tricia Roberts (1997). The couple has two children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is a jazz bassist, composer, and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman and is a six-time Grammy Award winner. He has performed and recorded with several jazz musicians and ensembles, including Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, Diana Krall, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Joshua Redman, and Ray Brown’s “SuperBass” with John Clayton, as well as with pop, hip-hop, soul and classical musicians like Sting, Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Isaac Hayes, The Roots, Queen Latifah, Kathleen Battle, Renee Fleming, Carly Simon, Bruce Hornsby, and James Brown. He primarily plays double bass, but he is equally adept on bass guitar. He played both on the album The Philadelphia Experiment, which included keyboardist Uri Caine and hip-hop drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Other projects have included tours and recordings with the Pat Metheny Trio, the Bruce Hornsby Trio, and Queen Latifah. Like Paul Chambers, he can solo by playing his bass arco style. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Liberty Bank was Washington State’s first primarily Black-owned bank. It opened on May 31, 1968, in Seattle’s Central District. It grew out of the desperate need for a Black-owned bank that would lend to African American homeowners and white and Black business owners in the CD. Mainstream banks adhered to redlining practices, refusing to provide mortgages or business loans in communities of color. Eight prominent Black leaders including Rev. Samuel Kinney, Dr. James Jackson, James and Mardine Purnell, and Holbrook Garrett worked with George Tokuda and Jack Richlen, Japanese and Jewish business owners, to pool their resources and apply for a State Charter to open Liberty Bank. The bank was a community-based bank with 518 stockholders; 80% were Blacks of modest means. It fulfilled the Prince Hall Grand Lodge’s dream of going beyond the Black-owned Sentinel Credit Union in the CD that could not give mortgages or loans. The State closed the bank in 1988 due to its deficits and uneven profits in the mid-1980s. The bank was reopened as the Emerald City Bank and acquired by Key Bank. Key Bank closed the bank and sold the property in 2015 to Capital Hill Housing which pledged to continue the legacy of Liberty Bank by developing the Liberty Bank Building to provide affordable housing to 115 families. Black community leaders were concerned about the demolition of the Liberty Bank building and the Liberty Bank Building project as continuing the displacement and disenfranchisement of the African American community. CHH partnered with African Town Central District, Byrd Barr Place, and Black Community Impact Alliance. They established an MOU focused on strengthening Black businesses, increasing local and minority construction hiring, reducing housing displacement of Blacks in the CD, designing a building that connects with the bank’s CD’s history, and diversifying CHH’s Board and staff. To help reduce displacement CHH convened a community advisory board to ensure that the building design honors its history. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Fredricka Whitfield (born May 31, 1965) is a journalist and news anchor. She anchors the weekend edition of CNN Newsroom from CNN’s world headquarters and she is also a fill-in and substitute anchor for CNN’s At This Hour With Kate Bolduan. She is the daughter of American middle-distance runner and Olympian Mal Whitfield. She earned a BA in journalism from Howard University’s School of Communications. She served as a news anchor for the campus radio station WHUR. In 2002, she was selected as the Howard University School of Communications Alumna of the Year. She worked at WPLG-TV in Miami, NewsChannel 8 in DC, KTVT-TV in Dallas, WTNH in New Haven, and WCIV in Charleston, South Carolina. She became a correspondent for NBC News, serving as an Atlanta-based correspondent for NBC Nightly News. She worked for other news programs at NBC including Today; she was a morning and afternoon anchor as well as an assignment reporter. She joined CNN in 2002 and has covered several major stories. She was the first anchor to break the news of the death of Ronald Reagan. She has reported the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. She reported from the Persian Gulf region during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was the first CNN anchor to break the news of the death of Kobe Bryant. Her televised interview with comedian Joan Rivers to discuss her new book of comedy came to an abrupt end after she commented that Rivers’ work on the Fashion Police shows and Casey Anthony's jokes were mean-spirited and criticized her for wearing vintage fur despite her wearing animal leather. She acknowledged the controversy during a subsequent broadcast. On June 13, 2015, she described the gunman who attacked police in Dallas as “courageous and brave” on air, when she thought he might be part of a coordinated terrorist attack. The next day she claimed she misspoke but made no formal apology for the initial statement. She issued a formal on-air apology, saying she misused those words. She married John Glenn (1999) the director of photography at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They have three children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

William Perry Jr. (May 31, 1965 – August 7, 2023) known as DJ Casper (known as Mr. C The Slide Man), was a DJ, hype man, and songwriter. Born and raised in Chicago, he was known as “Casper” due to frequently being clad in all-white attire on stage. His first hit record, “Casper Slide Pt. 1”, known as “Cha Cha Slide” – was created by him for his nephew, who worked as a personal trainer at Bally Total Fitness. After the song grew in popularity as an aerobic exercise at fitness clubs and PE in schools, he created a second song in 2000, titled “Casper Slide Pt. 2”, which was picked up by Elroy Smith at Chicago’s radio station, WGCI-FM. The song became a hit in Chicago when the city’s M.O.B. Records record label became involved as well, helping him create a whole compilation album with other Chicago-based artists to promote the dance. “Cha Cha Slide” was picked up by Universal Records. He made an appearance as a DJ in a season 6 episode of Orange Is the New Black, in Crazy Eyes’ hallucination of the prisoners and guards line dancing to the Cha Cha Slide. In January 2016, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and neuroendocrine cancer. After unsuccessful surgery the same month, he began chemotherapy. In an interview in July 2018, he stated he was in remission. In 2019, he stated that he beat his liver and kidney cancers and said he was a changed man, stating “That was God’s way of just slowing me down just a little bit.” #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Darryl Matthews McDaniels (born May 31, 1964) known by his stage name DMC, is a musician and rapper. He is a founding member of the hip-hop group Run–D.M.C. and is considered one of the pioneers of hip-hop culture. He grew up in Hollis, Queens. He attended Rice High School in Manhattan and enrolled at St. John’s University. He first became interested in hip-hop music after listening to recordings of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He taught himself to DJ in the basement of his parent’s home, using turntables and a mixer that he bought with his older brother, Alford, after having a comic book sale in their neighborhood. He adopted the stage name “Grandmaster Get High”. He sold his DJ equipment after his friend Joseph “Run” Simmons acquired his turntables and mixer. After Jam-Master Jay – who had a reputation as the best young DJ in Hollis – joined the group, Run encouraged him to rap rather than DJ. Gradually, he came to prefer rapping to mix records and adopted the nickname “Easy D”. In 1981, he dropped the “Easy D” moniker in favor of “DMcD”, the way he signed his work in school, and then the shorter “D.M.C.”. This new nickname alternately stood for “Devastating Mic Control” or “Darryl Mac”, his nickname since childhood as referenced in the lyrics of the song “King of Rock”. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Bebe Drake (sometimes credited as Bebe Drake-Hooks or Bebe Drake-Massey; born May 31, 1954) is an actress and producer, who rose to fame with her roles in Wild Hogs, Friday After Next, and Space Jam. She hails from Sacramento. She made guest appearances on Good Times; first, as Savannah Jones, the girlfriend of Sweet Daddy Williams, and as Mrs. Baker, the mother of Larry Baker. A veteran TV/film character actress, she has made numerous guest TV show appearances dating back to the mid-1970s, which include appearances on such shows as Welcome Back Kotter. The Wayans Bros., The Jeffersons, What’s Happening Now, A Different World, The Steve Harvey Show. and recurring roles on Martin (as Myra), and A Different World (as Velma Gaines). Her many film appearances include Which Way Is Up?, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, How To Be A Player, Space Jam, Boomerang, Bebe’s Kids, House Party, Friday After Next, and Ailen Nation. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Judge Ronnie Lee White (born May 31, 1953) became the first Black justice to serve on the Missouri Supreme Court (1995-07). He was the court’s Chief Justice (2003-05). He has been a public defender, an attorney, a city council member in St. Louis, a representative in the Missouri House of Representatives, an adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law, and a partner at a law firm. He was born in St. Louis. He earned his AA from St. Louis Community College and his BA in Political Science from Saint Louis University. He earned his JD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He joined the Army Reserve (1969-80). His law career began when he became a trial attorney for the Office of the Public Defender in St. Louis. He became an attorney for the Office of the Special Public Defender in St. Louis. He was in private practice with Young, Russell, Crawford & Black, and Cahill, White & Hemphill. He served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. He became a member of the St. Louis City Council before becoming a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals. He retired from the court to become a partner at the private law firm, Holloran, White, Schwartz & Gaertner LLP. He is now a District Judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri after being nominated by President Obama in 2013. He received the Distinguished Lawyer Award from the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; an Honorary Doctorate of Law from both Saint Louis University and Harris-Stowe State Community College, St. Louis; the Outstanding Public Service Award from Harris-Stowe; the Distinguished Non-Alumni Award from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law; the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission Distinguished Statesman Award; and the MOKAN Legacy Award. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Judge Glenda A. Hatchett (born May 31, 1951) is the star of the former court show, Judge Hatchett and current day The Verdict with Judge Hatchett, and founding partner at the national law firm, The Hatchett Firm. She was born in Atlanta. She received her BA in Political Science from Mount Holyoke College. She has been recognized as a distinguished alumna and awarded an honorary degree by the college. She then attended Emory University School of Law and received her JD. She completed a coveted federal clerkship in the US District Court in the Northern District of Georgia, followed by a position at Delta Air Lines. At Delta, she became the airline’s highest-ranking woman of color worldwide, serving both as a senior attorney and public relations manager. She litigated cases in federal courts throughout the country, and as Manager of Public Relations, she supervised global crisis management, and media relations for all of Europe, Asia, and the US. Her outstanding contributions were recognized by Ebony Magazine, which named her one of the “100 Best and Brightest Black Women in Corporate America”. She was awarded the Emory Medal, the highest award given to an alum by the university. She accepted an appointment as Chief Presiding Judge of the Fulton County, Georgia Juvenile Court. She became Georgia’s first African-American Chief Presiding Judge of a state court and the department head of one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country. She began presiding over the nationally syndicated television show, Judge Hatchett which taped regular episodes for eight seasons. She authored the national best-seller, “Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say” and released “Dare to Take Charge: How to Live Your Life on Purpose”, which became a #1 National Bestseller. She has served on the Board of Directors of Gap, Inc. the Hospital Corporation of America, and The Service Master Company. She has been a board member of the Atlanta Falcons Football Organization since 2004 and serves on the Board of Advisors for Play Pumps International. She serves on the Boys and Girls Clubs of America National Board of Governors. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Julius Edward McCullough was (born May 31, 1943) composer, clarinetist, conductor, political activist, and educator who was born in Norfolk to Julius Arthur McCullough and Bettye Frances Farmer McCullough. They had two children. He graduated from Norfolk Division of Virginia State College with a BS. He studied Instrumental Musthe ic Education as his principal instruments were clarinet and piano. He was a Charter Member of Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He took a series of teaching positions in North Carolina and Virginia. He studied Music Supervision in the Temple University Graduate Program. He was Band Director at Hine Junior High School and was a Union Representative to the Washington Teacher’s Union. He resumed graduate studies in Music Education at Virginia State College. He married Laureese Shepherd Ebron. She died in 2011. There were no children. He toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra as a singer in the performance of his Sacred Concerts while serving as a Band Director with the Philadelphia School District. He became the first African American theater manager of a major American professional theater, The Valley Forge Music Fair, the sister theater to the Westbury Music Fair. He was a Resident Composer and Artistic Consultant for Bushfire Theater Company, Charisma One Modeling Studio, and the Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia. He conducted the Pit Stop Orchestra, Center City Nightlife Orchestra, The Family Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Story Band. He was the Music Director in the Performing Arts Department of the Franklin Learning Center High School for Creative and Performing Arts. He retired from the Philadelphia School District He was a professor of music at St. Paul’s Episcopal College. He became the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Boys Choir of Hampton Roads. His compositions focus on religious music. They include “The Lord’s Prayer”, “The Lord is My Shepherd”, and “My Lord, What A Morning.” He is a member of Life Member of the NAACP and serves on the Executive Board of the Norfolk Branch. He is president of the Tidewater Branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931 – November 5, 2010) was an operatic mezzo-soprano who successfully transitioned into soprano roles, i.e. soprano sfogato. She enjoyed great fame from the late 1960s through the 1990s, well-known for singing the works of Verdi and Donizetti. She made her operatic debut in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. She made her New York City Opera debut as Irina in Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars. She made her European debut in Cologne, Germany in Nicolas Nabokov’s Rasputins Tod. She received critical acclaim for her Carmen in Spoleto and repeated the role at the Bolshoi Theatre and the NY City Opera. She first appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Mercer Cook (May 31, 1930 - January 4, 2018) was born in DC he was an accomplished attorney in public and private practice with an interesting family story. His great-grandfather John Hartwell Cook graduated from Oberlin College during the Civil War and was reportedly the first Dean of Howard University Law School. His grandfather, classically trained composer Will Marion (Mercer) Cook collaborated on Broadway musicals with Paul Laurence Dunbar and Bert Williams. His father, (Will) Mercer Cook was a noted scholar and translator from Howard University who served as Ambassador to Senegal and Nigeria. He grew up in Atlanta, attending Oglethorpe Elementary School. He graduated from Dunbar High School in DC. He earned a BA from Amherst College. He spent time in Europe before returning to finish his JD from the University of Chicago. His brother, Jacques was an attorney. He was in private practice. He was hired by the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He switched to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He was Assistant State’s Attorney and Deputy State’s Attorney. He worked for the legal firm Gordon and Pikarski. He has remained in private practice since 1996. He had three children with his wife, Edwina. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #omegapsiphi

Secretary Patricia Roberts Harris (May 31, 1924 – March 23, 1985) served in the administration of President Jimmy Carter as Secretary of HUD and US Secretary of HHS. She was the first African American woman to serve in the US Cabinet, and the first to enter the line of succession to the Presidency. She served as US Ambassador to Luxembourg under President Lyndon B. Johnson and was the first African-American woman to represent the US as an ambassador. She graduated summa cum laude from Howard University. She was elected Phi Beta Kappa and served as Vice Chairman of the Howard University chapter of the NAACP. She participated in one of the nation’s first lunch counter sit-ins. She did postgraduate work in industrial relations at the University of Chicago and American University. She worked as the Assistant Director of the American Council on Human Rights. She was the first National Executive Director of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, of which she was a member. She was beginning to pursue a career in education but saw limited opportunities because of segregation. She received her JD from the George Washington University National Law Center, ranking #1 out of a class of ninety-four students. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #deltasigmatheta #phibetakappa

Captain Frederick Clinton Branch (May 31, 1922 – April 10, 2005) was the first African-American officer of the US Marine Corps. He was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, the fourth son of an African Methodist Episcopal Zion minister. He attended Johnson C. Smith University, where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He transferred to Temple University. After receiving a draft notice from the Army in May 1943, he reported for induction to Fort Bragg, where he was chosen to become a Marine. In June 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Marine Corps to African Americans through Executive Order 8802, which prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency. African Americans had been barred from the Marine Corps. He underwent training at Montford Point, along with other African-Americans (who became known as the “Montford Point Marines”). He applied for Officer Candidate School but was denied. While serving with a supply unit in the Pacific, his performance earned him the recommendation of his commanding officer. He received his officer’s training in the Navy V-12 program at Purdue University, the only African-American in a class of 250. He made the dean’s list. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on November 10, 1945. He went into the Marine Corps Reserve. (In 1948, John E. Rudder would become the first African-American officer in the regular Marine Corps). He was re-activated during the Korean War, serving at Camp Pendleton in command of an antiaircraft training platoon. He was discharged from active duty in 1952, returning to the Reserve, reaching the rank of captain. He left the Marine Corps in 1955. Having received a BS in physics from Temple, he taught at Dobbins High School in Philadelphia until he retired in 1988. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi

The Tulsa race massacre (also called the Tulsa race riot, the Greenwood Massacre, or the Black Wall Street Massacre) of 1921 took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents attacked African American residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa. It was called “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.” The attack carried out on the ground and from private aircraft, destroyed more than 35 square blocks of the district – at that time the wealthiest African American community in the US, known as “Black Wall Street”. More than 800 people were admitted to hospitals and as many as 6,000 African American residents were interned at large facilities, many for several days. The Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Statistics officially recorded 36 dead, but the American Red Cross declined to provide an estimate. A 2001 state commission examination of events was able to confirm 39 dead, 26 African American, and 13 white, based on contemporary autopsy reports, death certificates, and other records. The commission gave overall estimates from 75–100 to 150–300 dead. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Reece “Goose” Tatum (May 31, 1921 - January 16, 1967) was a baseball and basketball player. He was born in El Dorado, Arkansas to Ben Tatum, a farmer and part-time preacher, and Alice Tatum, a domestic cook. He was the fifth of seven children. He attended Booker T. Washington High School in El Dorado where he played baseball, football, and basketball but didn’t graduate. He worked at a sawmill and started to play baseball. By the time he was 16 years old, he was playing professional baseball among Negro league teams. He played for the Louisville Black Colonels (1937), Memphis Red Sox (1941), Birmingham Black Barons (1942), and Indianapolis Clowns twice in 1943 (1946-49). He acquired the nickname “Goose” while playing baseball in Forrester in the 1930s. He had a professional basketball career beginning in 1942 when he signed with the Harlem Globetrotters. He played for the Globetrotters for two years (1941-42). He was drafted into the Army Air Corps during WWII. He was stationed at the Lincoln Army Airfield where he was an entertainer to the troops. He resumed playing basketball with the Globetrotters. He was nicknamed Clown Prince because of his comedic routines on the courts. He was credited with being one of the first professional basketball players to perfect the hook shot and to score more than 50 points in a game. He would continue to play for the Globetrotters until he retired (1954). He was the highest-paid athlete in professional basketball. He created his touring basketball teams that included Goose Tatum Clowns, Goose Tatum’s Harlem Stars, and the Harlem Red Kings. He was introduced to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. His #50 jersey was retired by the Harlem Globetrotters and entered into the Globetrotters “Legends” Ring at Madison Square Garden. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was married to Nona Alford Tatum. The couple had two children. He was married to burlesque dancer Lottie “The Body” Groves. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Lloyd Albert Quarterman (May 31, 1918 - July 1982) a chemist, was one of the few African American scientists and technicians to work on the Manhattan Project, the top-secret effort to design and build the atomic bomb during WWII. He was born in Philadelphia. He graduated from St. Augustine’s College with a BA, he developed a reputation as a scholar and star football player. He was recruited by the War Department to work on the Manhattan Project. He was only a junior chemist on the project, he had the opportunity to work with Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago and with Albert Einstein at Columbia University. He was a member of the team of scientists who isolated the isotope of uranium (U 238) necessary for the fission process, which was essential to the creation of the atom bomb. He worked at the University of Chicago’s laboratory hidden beneath the campus football stadium during the war and rebuilt in a Chicago suburb and renamed the Argonne National Laboratory. He earned an MS from Northwestern University. He returned to Argonne and remained for thirty years. He worked with fluoride solutions to create new chemical compounds and new molecules. He was skilled at purifying hydrogen fluoride, a highly corrosive gas. He developed a corrosive-resistant “window” made of diamonds to better study hydrogen fluoride. His innovation was called the “diamond window.” He created a xenon compound which surprised the world of chemistry because it was believed that xenon was an “inert” gas and could not be combined with other atoms. He had initiated work on a project to develop “synthetic blood” but encountered ethical and political opposition to his research. He was a member of Sigma Xi, the American Chemistry Society, the Society of Applied Spectroscopy, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Scientific Research Society of America, and the Chicago branch of the NAACP. He spoke to young African Americans urging them to pursue careers in science. He had instructed that his body be used for scientific research. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Lucinda Todd (May 31, 1903 - July 17, 1996) was a NAACP activist in Topeka, Kansas who fought for school integration. She was born in Litchfield, Kansas to parents who were part of the 1879 mass movement of Black farmers from Louisiana and Mississippi to Kansas, which would be popularly known as the Kansas Exodus. She graduated with a BS in Education from Pittsburgh Kansas State Teachers College. She taught in an integrated one-room school in Joplin, Missouri. She was assigned to teach in all-Black Buchanan Elementary School in which her daughter would be a pupil. She became the Secretary of the NAACP Topeka branch. The local NAACP had long been involved in the fight to abolish all racially segregated elementary schools. She was among thirteen parent petitioners representing twenty children. They attempted to enroll their children into all-white public schools and were rebuffed various times. As a teacher in the school district that maintained segregation, was vulnerable to economic reprisals. She was told she could be fired for her activities with the NAACP. She contacted NAACP Executive Secretary Walter White to initiate a lawsuit against school segregation. She and other Black parents in Topeka became the petitioners in what would become the Brown v. Board of Education case. The Brown case reached the SCOTUS, which on May 17, 1954, declared the separate but equal doctrine in public schools unconstitutional. The Topeka Board of Education chose to integrate Black and white students after the SCOTUS decision although other communities across the nation engaged in various protracted, bitter, and often violent resistance to the decision for decades. She continued as a schoolteacher in Topeka until her retirement in 1966. She was a dedicated mother, teacher, and civil rights activist whose efforts helped mount one of the most important constitutional cases of the 20th Century. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Ambassador Jesse Dwight Locker (May 31, 1891 – April 10, 1955) was an attorney and politician, and, when he was appointed the ambassador to Liberia, the second African American appointed as ambassador. His father, Laban Locker, was the first African American minister in Ohio to be ordained in the Christian Church. He graduated valedictorian of his class at College Hill High School and graduated from Howard University with a JD. He returned to Cincinnati and spent 35 years practicing law. He was elected to the Cincinnati City Council, on the Republican ticket, serving almost 12 years. He was the first African American elected to the council. He was elected its president. He was president of the segregated Hamilton County Bar Association for Negro Lawyers. While ambassador, he led “the multi-faceted negotiations between the private sector (Pan American and US Airlines), the government of Liberia, and the US, about the operations of the Roberts Field airport, the first international airport in Liberia.” #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Pastor Anthony Burns (May 31, 1834 - July 17, 1862) was born enslaved in Virginia. His family was owned by John Suttle. After Suttle died, financial problems prompted his widow to sell five of his siblings. She hired out the remaining siblings, including him. He performed a variety of jobs, including personal servant, sawmill worker, and tavern employee. He was given the responsibility of managing four other enslaved owned by Mrs. Suttle; he was allowed this freedom as long as he paid his master a fee from his earnings. In March 1854, he escaped Virginia and boarded a ship to Boston. He found employment with a clothing store operated by Lewis Hayden, an abolitionist. On May 24, 1854, he was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act. African American and white Boston abolitionists who opposed the Fugitive Slave Act seized upon his arrest as a way to demonstrate their disapproval of the federal statute. He went to trial where he was represented by Richard Henry Dana, Jr., a prominent white Boston attorney who stepped forward to defend him without charge, and African American attorney, Robert Morris. Despite their spirited defense, Judge Edward G. Loring ruled in favor of Suttle, citing the Fugitive Slave Act. Boston Baptist preacher Leonard A. Grimes led supporters in raising money to purchase his freedom. On February 22, 1855, their efforts succeeded, and he returned to Massachusetts a free man. He attended Oberlin College and then spent time as a pastor of an African American Baptist church in Indianapolis. He moved to Canada where he became the pastor of St. Catharine’s Ontario Baptist Church. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Retired Air Force Colonel Merryl Tengesdal (born May 30, 1971) is the first African American female U-2 pilot in history and the first African American woman to fly the Air Force’s U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane. She is the only African American woman alongside five white women and two African American men to fly spy planes. She was born in the Bronx. She graduated from the University of New Haven in Connecticut with a BS in Electrical Engineering. She completed the Navy’s Officer Candidate School. She flew the SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, a derivative of the Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk. The SH-60B Seahawk is used for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, anti-ship warfare, drug interdiction, cargo lift, and special operations. She participated in combat operations for the Navy (1997-2000) in the Caribbean, South America, and the Middle East. She became an instructor pilot on the T-6 Texan II for the Joint Student Undergraduate Pilot Training program at Moody Air Force Base. She cross-commissioned in the Air Force and after undergoing the rigorous U-2 pilot training program for nine months and conducting training missions aboard the TU-2S, she emerged as one of few to qualify to fly the Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady at Beale Air Force Base. She was the 9th Reconnaissance Wing Chief of Flight Safety and 9th Physiological Support Squadron Director of Operations. She served as Commander of Detachment 2 WR/ALC where she was in charge of flight test and Program Depot Maintenance for the U-2S aircraft. She worked at the North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northern Command J8 staff. She became the Deputy Operations Group Commander and then Inspector General of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing. She was the Director of Inspections for the Inspector General of the Air Force at the Pentagon before retiring from the Air Force in 2017 as a Colonel. She broke racial and gender barriers as a U-2 pilot in a field that is still dominated by white males. As such she is an inspiration to young women and particularly young Black women. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Kevin Timothy Frazier (born May 20, 1964) is a television host, known as co-host of Entertainment Tonight and the founder and owner of the urban entertainment website HipHollywood.com. His first media job was as a news and sports reporter/photographer at WCBD-TV in Charleston, South Carolina. When his boss took a job at WBFF-TV in Baltimore he followed. He joined another upstart news operation, at WXIX-TV in Cincinnati, serving as both weekend sports anchor and as a play-by-play commentator for the station’s coverage of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team. He became a sideline reporter for the newly-launched NFL on Fox. He joined Prime Sports as one of the rotating anchors of their national sports news program, Press Box Jim Rome. He anchored the very first broadcast and remained one of the many anchors until the program was canceled. He co-hosted College Football Saturday and served as an anchor and sideline reporter for other Fox Sports coverage. He joined ESPN, where he hosted SportsCenter and a multitude of NBA-themed programming (including NBA Shootaround, NBA Fastbreak, and NBA Fastbreak Tuesday). He was a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight as well as a fill-in host. He was a co-host of The Insider. He returned to ET and continues as co-anchor to the present day. He is the host of Game Changers on the weekly CBS Dream Team. He has made guest appearances in movies and TV shows, including Rat Race, One on One, and Empire. He appeared on Inside Schwartz. He has been a forum guest on Jim Rome Is Burning. He founded HipHollywood.com. The company is a content partner for ET Online and The Insider and offers news, pop culture information, photos, and interviews with celebrities in music, sports, television, and film. He hosted a game show pilot called The Money Pump based on an Israeli format. He was the moderator for Season 2 of Little Women: Atlanta. He went on to Morgan State University. He and his wife Yasmin Cader have two sons, and a son from a previous relationship. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

It’s #MMF and we’re celebrating a king in the creative industry - @kingcokes This award-winning publicist, PR mastermind, and creative is the driving force behind Scream Media Africa, Scream All Youth Awards, and Scream Magazine. Recently recognized as Africa’s Creative Publicist of the Year at the Maya Awards, he continues to redefine excellence in the industry. #BetamindsAfrica #MadeMenFriday #KingCokes #ScreamMediaAfrica #ScreamAllYouthAwards #ScreamMagazine #CreativePublicist #PR #TalentManagement #AfricanExcellence #Inspiration

Glamorous and stunning 🤩🤩❤️ Repost from @drea_knowsbest • Best believe I arrived in style to the Afroball to recieve my African Excellence award for outstanding achievement in the field of Media and Entertainment 🫶🏽 what an incredible honorrrr !!! 🥹🙏🏾 👗Custom Ankara Dress SLAYED by @gege_couture 💄MakeUp ATEE by @jjulesbeauty 💆🏽‍♀️Hair LAID by @jah.cherise 📸 @jondailey_ #africanexcellence #naijanodeycarrylast #nigeria #entrepreneur #media #ball #gala #blackexcellence #ankarastyles #ankaraoutfit

🌟 An iconic moment captured last year @billiejeankingcup 📸✨ Africa's Continental No.1 ranked Action Sports Photographer, @no.brucetagoe and Africa's No.1 female tennis player, @angella_okutoyi together in one frame. 🎾🌍 Their dedication and excellence are an inspiration to us all. Keep shining and breaking boundaries! 💪🏿🏆 #africanexcellence #actionsportsphotography #tennischampion #Inspiration #sportsphotography #tennisstar @tenniskenya @officialteamkenya @tennisfoundationghana @interrecruit_foundation @aipsawards @europeinghana @serenawilliams @rogerfederer @rogercrawfordtennis @elmoda_sportsweargh @tennischannel @tennis_rwanda @confederation_african_tennis @billiejeankingcup

Congratulations to "BamideleFarinre" who was presented with our #Women4Africa 2024 'Inspirational Trailblazer Recognition Award' on Saturday 11th May at our 10th Annual Awards Celebration. 🏆👏👏 Women4africa is committed to Celebrating and Elevating Women who are doing extraordinary things, making significant contributions, influencing their communities, and serving as an inspiration through their endeavors and beyond. 🌍 The 10th Annual Awards Night was a true celebration of African Excellence 👏👏👏👏 #Africa #Women #Awards #Recognition #Celebration #EmpoweringWomen #CelebratingWomen #CelebratingAfricanExcellence #AfricanWomen #AfricanExcellence #AfricaIsOne

. REPOSTED • @afrodyssee AFRODYSSÉE 7TH EDITION - 31.05 || 02.06.2024 Designer: THE FIA FACTORY Category: Clothing Country: Nigeria @thefiafactory// #thefiafactory #fashion #africandesigners #africancraft #africanexcellence #africancreatives #fashionshow #fashionfair # #nigeria #africa #geneva #afrodyssee

. . CHEF BAGNOLOK ET SES GRILLADES D’AFRIK grillades_dafrik (Cameroun) participera au “Village des saveurs” d’AFRODYSSÉE @afrodyssee Découvrez un Village des Saveurs, où quatre stands vous transportent au cœur de l'Afrique avec des spécialités culinaires surprenantes et délicieuses. Laissez - vous envoûter par les arômes exotiques, les épices enivrantes et les recettes traditionnelles qui éveillent vos papilles à de nouvelles sensations gustatives. Des grillades succulentes aux plats épicés, chaque stand vous offre une expérience culinaire authentique et mémorable. Rejoignez - nous pour un voyage gastronomique inoubliable, où la diversité et la richesse de la cuisine africaine vous attendent à chaque coin. Bienvenue dans notre Village des Saveurs, où l'Afrique vous dévoile ses trésors culinaires avec passion et générosité #africandesigners #africanexcellence #africancraft #africa #Geneva #Switzerland #chanel #dior #louisvuitton #chefbagnolok #grilladesdafrik #wax #porsche #audi #mercedes #rolex #audemarspiguet #patekphilippe #morysacko #omega #cartier

Join us for an elegant evening at the Rotary Club of Limbe’s 2024-2025 Presidential Induction Dinner. 🗓️ Date: June 29, 2024 ⏰ Time: 18:30hrs - 22:00hrs 📍 Venue: Amaryllis Hotel (Iris Room) 🎉 Celebrate the magic of Rotary with our President Elect, @reuby_tuesday Dress in your finest African Excellence attire. 🎩✨ 🎟️ Secure your tickets now for MK30,000.00! Call 0999 604 454 or 0886 365 613 to reserve yours. 🎊🥂 #RotaryClubofLimbe #PresidentialDinner #africanexcellence

Best believe I arrived in style to the Afroball to recieve my African Excellence award for outstanding achievement in the field of Media and Entertainment 🫶🏽 what an incredible honorrrr !!! 🥹🙏🏾 Young Drea would be freakinnnnggg out to see that she’s being recognized for just being herself and spreading love for her African culture online. I am so grateful that I get to play a part in bringing joy to millions of people through my content 🤎 I love you guysssss 🦋 Big thank you to @timiadeyeba @damikujembola of @amplifyafrica for this recognition & for a fun night of African Excellence at #AfroBall 👗Custom Ankara Dress SLAYED by @gege_couture 💄MakeUp ATEE by @jjulesbeauty 💆🏽‍♀️Hair LAID by @jah.cherise 📸 @jondailey_ #africanexcellence #naijanodeycarrylast #nigeria #entrepreneur #media #ball #gala #blackexcellence #ankarastyles #ankaraoutfit

AFRODYSSÉE 7TH EDITION - 31.05 || 02.06.2024 Designer: THE FIA FACTORY Category: Clothing Country: Nigeria @thefiafactory// #thefiafactory #fashion #africandesigners #africancraft #africanexcellence #africancreatives #fashionshow #fashionfair # #nigeria #africa #geneva #afrodyssee

AFRODYSSÉE 7TH EDITION - 31.05 || 02.06.2024 Designer: IKAMA Category: Interior design Country: KENYA @ikama_art_deco/ #ikama #fashion #africandesigners #africancraft #africanexcellence #africancreatives #fashionshow #fashionfair #interiordesign #kenya #africa #geneva #afrodyssee

The esteemed South African singer, actress, radio personality, and television host @unathi.co is set to add another impressive accomplishment to her already illustrious career: she is hosting the 2024 edition of the @basadiinmusicawards_sa ! https://www.mjazzmagonline.co.za/unathi-nkayi-to-host-2024-basadi-awards/ #unathinkayi #BasadiAwards2024 #womeninentertainment #southafricantalent #hostwiththemost #celebratingwomen #saentertainment #africanexcellence #trailblazer #starhost #empoweringwomen #iconicmoments #mjazzmagonline #basadiawards

Reminisce Mackie (Smith; May 30, 1980) known professionally as Remy Ma, is a rapper. She was discovered by Big Pun and came to prominence for her work as a member of Fat Joe’s group, Terror Squad. She released her debut studio album There’s Something About Remy: Based on a True Story, which was a modest success, peaking at #33 on the Billboard 200 chart. She is one of only six female rappers to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart (as a member of Terror Squad on “Lean Back”) and one of only four multiple winners of the BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Her most successful songs include “Ante Up (Remix)”, “Lean Back”, “Conceited”, and “All the Way Up”. She is the recipient of two Vibe awards, and two Source awards, and has been nominated for three Grammy awards. She has starred in Love & Hip Hop: New York. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

The Mozambican Civil War was a 15-year conflict that occurred between May 30, 1977, and October 4, 1992, in the southern African country of Mozambique. The conflict was a proxy war between the Soviet Union which backed the Mozambican government and the US which supported the insurgents. The main belligerents were the Mozambique Liberation Front led by President Samora Machel which controlled the central government and the Mozambican National Resistance led by André Matsangaissa. FRELIMO was strongest in the cities and major towns of Mozambique during much of the civil war while RENAMO operated mainly in the countryside. It continued the fight against the Mozambique central government even after the white minority regime in Rhodesia was replaced by Robert Mugabe who renamed the country Zimbabwe. Mugabe and his government now supported FRELIMO but RENAMO gained the support of Kenya and South Africa. The war continued into the 1980s with FRELIMO losing most of Mozambique’s territory although keeping control in the urban areas. FRELIMO got support and aid from the Soviet Union, France, and the UK while RENAMO got its aid from South Africa, Kenya, and covertly from the US. On October 19, 1986, President Samora Machel died when his plane crashed near South Africa’s border. It was unclear how and why the plane crashed or whether RENAMO or even South Africa was responsible. Joaquim Alberto Chissano succeeded Machel as president of the country where, because of the nine-year conflict, hundreds of thousands of Mozambicans were dying from famine which was caused by both FRELIMO and RENAMO. By 1990 South Africa was moving toward a Black majority-controlled nation and the Soviet Union had fallen. FRELIMO and RENAMO were losing their major supporters and arms suppliers. In 1990, Mozambique adopted a new constitution that included multiparty elections. In 1992, a peace accord was signed in Rome, which allowed UN peacekeepers to enter the country. In 1994, the first free elections were held in the country. Despite FRELIMO winning the majority, a portion of the population voted for RENAMO candidates. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Javicia Leslie Walker (born May 30, 1975) in Augsburg, Germany. She moved to Maryland at a young age and was raised in Upper Marlboro. She will work professionally as Javicia Leslie. Her first stream of work will begin as the lead for the television film, Killer Coach. She will continue to work ties with series such as MacGyver, Chef Julian, and Prototype. She will film a role as one of the leads in the film - “ The Family Business”, based on the NY Times best-selling author, Carl Weber. She will land her first series regular role as Ali Finer in “God Friended Me” as the sister to Brandon Michael Hall. Along with film, television, and commercials, she will perform in many plays. These plays include August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls, and Bob Fosse’s Chicago. She trains in Muay Thai, Boxing, Weapons, Dance, Track, and Swimming and regularly trains in an extensive Fitness Bootcamp. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is a singer, rapper, composer, record producer, and actor. He is known for his work in soul music, including the hit singles” Crazy” and “Fuck You”. Born in Atlanta, he came to initial prominence as a member of the Southern hip-hop group Goodie Mob. He began a solo career, releasing two albums on Arista Records: Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections and Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine. His next project was Gnarls Barkley, a collaboration with DJ Danger Mouse. The duo scored a worldwide hit with “Crazy”, which reached the top five in twenty countries, including the US and UK. He released two albums: platinum-selling St. Elsewhere and The Odd Couple. He continued his solo career with the album The Lady Killer, which spawned his biggest solo hit, “Fuck You”. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 in thirteen countries. He has released two solo albums, Cee Lo’s Magic Moment and Heart Blanche, as well as a reunion album with Goodie Mob, Age Against the Machine. He was a judge and coach on The Voice, appearing in four of its seasons. He voiced Murray the Mummy in the film Hotel Transylvania and appeared in a few television programs and films including his show, CeeLo Green’s The Good Life. He has appeared in commercials, including 7 Up, Duracell, M&M’s, and sake brand TYKU. His work has earned numerous awards and accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a BET Award, a Billboard Award, and a Brit Award. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

President Andry Nirina Rajoelina (born May 30, 1974) in Antsirabe, Madagascar. His father, Roger Yves Rajoelina, was an army colonel. No information is available on his mother. He decided not to pursue higher education but instead to become an entrepreneur. He became an event organizer and promoter. He launched Injet, a digital printing company. He purchased a television and radio station and became a well-known disc jockey. He decided to enter politics. He was elected mayor of Antananarivo (2007). He and the President of Madagascar became political competitors. In 2009, street demonstrations broke out against President Ravalomanan. He supported the demonstrators and accused the central government of the misappropriation of funds. He described the government as a dictatorship and used his control of many media outlets to broadcast his views. A group of the military organized a coup and he was made President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar (2009-14). In 2014, a presidential election was held. He was barred by the new constitution from running but the candidate he endorsed won the election. He was on the ballot in the 2018 presidential election along with 47 other candidates. He won having garnered 55% of the votes cast after the second vote. Over 75% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day. Madagascar has the 4thhighest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and food insecurity is a major issue. In 2021, a famine impacted one million of the 29 million in the nation. On July 22, 2021, an unsuccessful assassination attempt was made on his life and in February 2022 cyclone Batsira swept over the island displacing 120,000 people and damaging 124,000 homes. He has been criticized for spending government funds on vanity projects such as sports stadiums. Illegal logging of rosewood and other rare trees has occurred in some parts of the country. COVID-19 has negatively impacted the tourist industry and resulted in increased poverty in the country. He married Mialy Razakandisa and they have two sons and a daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

The Nigerian Civil War, known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, was a three-year bloody conflict with a death toll numbering more than one million people. The war began with the secession of the southeastern region of the nation on May 30, 1967, when it declared itself the independent Republic of Biafra. Nigeria has often experienced an uncertain peace. Following decades of ethnic tension in colonial Nigeria, political instability reached a critical mass among independent Nigeria’s three dominant ethnic groups: the Hausa-Fulani in the north, Yoruba in the southwest, and Igbo in the southeast. On January 15, 1966, the Igbo launched a coup d’état under the command of Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi in an attempt to save the country from what Igbo leaders feared would be political disintegration. Less than two months after Biafra declared its independence, diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis fell apart. On July 6, 1967, the federal government in Lagos launched a full-scale invasion into Biafra. The Nigerian army surrounded and buffeted Biafra with aerial and artillery bombardment that led to large-scale losses among Biafran civilians. The Nigerian Navy established a sea blockade that denied food, medical supplies, and weapons, again impacting Biafran soldiers and civilians alike. Biafra stood firm refusing to surrender in the face of overwhelming Nigerian military superiority. The Nigerian Army continued to slowly take territory, and on January 15, 1970, Biafra surrendered when its military commander General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu fled to Cote d’Ivoire. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people died daily in Biafra from starvation as a result of the naval blockade. The international reaction to the military conflict helped define how the world now views and responds to similar #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Antoine Fuqua (born May 30, 1965) is a film director, producer, and actor. He was known for directing music videos for Toni Braxton, Coolio, Stevie Wonder, and Prince including the music video for “Gangsta’s Paradise”. He earned a name in Hollywood after directing Training Day. He has made action, crime, thriller, and drama films as well as documentaries, including Shooter, Brooklyn’s Finest, the Equalizer films, Southpaw, the remake of The Magnificent Seven, Olympus Has Fallen, as well as What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali. His first feature films were The Replacement Killers and Bait. His next films were Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter, Brooklyn’s Finest, Olympus Has Fallen, and The Equalizer. He directed Exit Strategy. He co-created the comic book miniseries After Dark. He worked as one of the executive producers on The Resident. His thriller sequel The Equalizer 2 was released as well as Infinite. On December 3, 2021, he inked a first-look deal with Netflix. He renamed his production company Fuqua Films to Hill District Media. He signed an overall television deal with Paramount Television Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios. He is married to actress Lela Rochon. They have two sons and he has a son from a previous relationship. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Ralph David Carter (born May 30, 1961) is an actor and singer best remembered as Michael Evans, the youngest child of Florida, and James Evans, Sr., on Good Times. Before joining Good Times, he appeared in the Broadway musical Raisin, based on the Lorraine Hansberry drama A Raisin in the Sun; as was noted in the credits during the first season. He started on Broadway at just nine years old in the musical The Me Nobody Knows. After runs in Tough To Get Help, Dude, and Via Galactica, he landed his breakout role as Travis Younger in Raisin. For this, he won the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer as well as the Theatre World Award and a nomination for the Tony Award in the category for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Alice Marie Johnson (born May 30, 1955) is a criminal justice reform advocate and former federal prisoner. She was convicted in 1996 for her involvement in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization and sentenced to life imprisonment. In June 2018, she was released from the Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville, after President Donald Trump granted her clemency. She was born in Mississippi, and her memoirs recount growing up as one of nine children of sharecroppers, becoming pregnant as a sophomore in high school, and working as a secretary. She had become involved in the drug trade after she had lost her job at FedEx, where she had worked for ten years, due to a gambling addiction; this was followed by a divorce and the loss of her youngest son in a motorcycle accident. She filed for bankruptcy in 1991, and foreclosure of her house followed. She was arrested in 1993 and convicted in 1996 of eight federal criminal counts. She was convicted of money laundering and structuring. The indictment, which named 16 defendants, described her as a leader in a multi-million dollar cocaine ring, and detailed dozens of drug transactions and deliveries. Evidence presented at trial showed that the Memphis operation was connected to Colombian drug dealers. US District Judge Julia Gibbons said she was “the quintessential entrepreneur” in an operation that dealt in 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine, with a “very significant” impact on the community. Co-defendants Curtis McDonald and Jerlean McNeil were sentenced to life and 19 years in federal prison, respectively. Several other co-defendants who testified against her received sentences between probation and 10 years. She acknowledged that she was an intermediary in the drug trafficking organization. She has become an advocate for criminal justice reform. She called for an end to mandatory sentencing. She met with Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee to promote greater access to expungement and prisoner education and reduction in barriers to reentry, and to express concerns about the cash bail system. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Lydell Douglas Mitchell (born May 30, 1949) is a former football player who was a running back in the NFL. He played for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers, and Los Angeles Rams. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He established himself as one of the best all-around running backs in the NFL. He, along with teammate Bert Jones, propelled the Baltimore Colts to three consecutive AFC East Division titles, unseating a powerhouse Miami Dolphins team that had topped the division for four straight years. He topped the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in three consecutive seasons earning Pro Bowl honors each year. He twice led the NFL in pass receptions. He was named 2nd Team All-Pro as well as being named 2nd Team All-AFC. He was dealt with by the San Diego Chargers after the 1977 season. He turned in a solid season in 1978 with the Chargers and finished his career in 1980 appearing in two games with the Los Angeles Rams. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #omegapsiphi

Gladys Catherine Horton (May 30, 1945 – January 26, 2011) was an R&B and pop singer, notable for being the founder and lead singer of the all-female vocal group the Marvelettes, the first successful Motown girl group. Born in Gainesville, Florida, she was raised in Inkster, Michigan by foster parents. She joined the high school glee club. In 1960, she formed a group with her former high school glee club members Georgeanna Tillman, Katherine Anderson, and Juanita Cowart. She invited Georgia Dobbins to join the new group. Formerly calling themselves The Casinyets, the group auditioned for Motown after a talent show, the group was requested to give a musical composition. After Dobbins created the composition “Please Mr. Postman”, Dobbins left the group, leaving her to be the lead vocalist, a spot she was not comfortable with in the beginning. The group changed their name to the Marvelettes after Motown signed the act, and Dobbins was replaced by Wanda Young. The group released “Please Mr. Postman”. The single would top the charts, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Motown’s first #1 Pop hit. She would sing lead on singles such as “Playboy”, “Beechwood 4-5789” and “Too Many Fish in the Sea”. Her position as lead vocalist ended with Wanda Young, who had replaced Dobbins, taking over as lead vocalist. She left the group to get married and was replaced by Ann Bogan. She and Young reunited to collaborate on the 1990 Marvelettes album titled The Marvelettes...Now!, though Young didn’t take part in the group’s performances. The Marvelettes released the single “Holding On With Both Hands” in 1990, which was sung on record by Young but performed by Horton in public due to Young’s severe personal problems. She would continue to perform Marvelettes songs with various members, and this would continue with other Marvelettes ensembles following the years. She married trumpeter Sammie Coleman (1967). She was a mother to three children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943 - September 23, 2020) was a former football player who earned acclaim both as a halfback and return specialist in the NFL. He spent seven seasons with the Chicago Bears, though multiple injuries effectively limited him to five seasons of play. He was known for his elusiveness and agility and was regarded by his peers as one of the most difficult players to tackle. Nicknamed the “Kansas Comet”, he played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he compiled 4,020 all-purpose yards over three seasons and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He set a league record by scoring 22 touchdowns, including a record-tying six in one game, and gained 2,272 all-purpose yards en route to being named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year. He continued this production through his first five seasons, earning four Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro selections. A right knee injury forced him to miss the final five games, but he returned to lead the NFL in rushing yards and be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. An injury to his left knee, as well as subsequent injuries, kept him sidelined for most of his final two seasons. His friendship with Bears teammate Brian Piccolo inspired him to write his autobiography, I Am Third, which in turn was the basis for the movie Brian’s Song. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and remains the youngest person to receive the honor. He was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team as a halfback and kick returner, the only player to occupy two positions on the team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame the same year. His jersey number (40/48, respectively) is retired by both the Bears and the University of Kansas. He began a career in sports administration and business and served as the athletic director of Southern Illinois University. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi