People, Locations, Episodes

Robert C. Weaver, Economist born

This date marks the birth of Robert Clifton Weaver in 1907. An African American economist and administrator, he was the first Black to serve in the U.S. Cabinet.

John Thomas, Administrator born

*On this date in 1908, John Frederick Thomas was born. He was an African American diplomat and administrator.

Jane Bolin, Lawyer, and Judge born

On this date in 1908, Jane M. Bolin was born. She was an African American lawyer who became the first Black female judge in America.

Thurgood Marshall, Lawyer, and Judge born

*On this date, Thurgood Marshall was born in 1908. He was an African American lawyer and Supreme Court Justice.

Lyndon Johnson, Politician born

*Lyndon Johnson was born on this date in 1908.  Often referred to by his initials LBJ, he was a white-American politician and former teacher. Lyndon Baines Johnson was born in a farmhouse in Stonewall, Texas; Johnson was the oldest of Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. and Rebekah Baines Johnson’s five children. The Johnson family, known for farming and ranching, […]

Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Politician born

This date marks the 1908 birth of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He was an African American minister, publisher, businessman, and politician.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Powell moved to New York City where his father administered the Abyssinian Baptist Church. After attending public schools, he graduated from Colgate University and received his M. A. in religious education from Columbia University.

Harriet Pickens, Naval Officer born

*Harriet Pickens was born on this date in 1909.  She was a Black administrator and Naval officer.  Harriet Ida Pickens, the daughter of William Pickens, one of the founders of the NAACP, was from New York City. She graduated from Wadleigh High School in 1926 and then from Smith College in 1930. Returning to New […]

E. Frederick Morrow, Administrator born

E. Frederic Morrow was born on this date in 1909. He is an African American businessman and politician.

G. J. Sutton, Civic Leader born

*G.J. Sutton was born on this date in 1909.  He was a Black civil leader and politician.   His birth name was Garlington Jerome (G.J.). He was the eighth of fifteen children. His parents, Samuel and Lillian, were both educators in Bexar County. He also served as principal of three high schools. All of his siblings graduated from college. […]

George Crockett, Lawyer, Judge, and Congressman born

*On this date in 1909, George Crockett was born. He was an African American lawyer, State Judge, and a U. S. Representative from Michigan.

Luther T. Glanton Jr., Judge born

*Luther T. Glanton was born on this date in 1910.  He was a Black attorney, judge, and civil rights, activist. Luther T. Glanton Jr. was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the fourth of nine children of Luther T. Glanton Sr., a teacher and custodian at a local bank, and Katherine (Leigh) Glanton, a midwife and homemaker. […]

Hamid Awate, Military Commander born.

*Hamid Awate was born on this date in 1910. He was a Black Eritrean guerrilla commander. Idris Hamid Awate was born in Gerset, in southwestern Italian Eritrea. His father, a peasant, trained him as early as childhood in the use of guns. Hamid was of Tigre and Nara descent. In 1935, Hamid was drafted and […]

Govan Mbeki, Activist, and Politician born

*Govan Mbeki was born on this date in 1910. He was a Black South African politician, journalist, Communist, and activist. Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki, who belongs to the Xhosa ethnic group, was born in the Nqamakwe district of the Transkei region. He was the son of Chief Sikelewu Mbeki and Johanna Mahala and the father […]

Frances Wills, Naval Officer born

*This date in 1910 is celebrated as the birth date of Frances Wills, a Black writer and naval officer.  Frances Eliza Wills was born in Philadelphia; after high school, she attended Hunter College in New York City.  She was a Hunter College graduate who had worked with poet Langston Hughes while pursuing her MA in […]

Martin A. Martin, Attorney born

*Martin A. Martin was born on this date in 1910. He was a Black criminal and civil rights attorney. Martin Armstrong Martin was born to Romey Orlando Martin and his wife Hattie Inge in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. The family included older sisters Costello Beatrice Martin and Willie Gladys Martin, older brothers, former Tuskegee Airmen pilot […]