Glenn Cunningham (1943-2004)

Glenn Dale Cunningham was the first African American mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. He was born in Jersey City on September 16, 1943, reared in Jersey City, and attended Henry Snyder High School. Years later in 2018 he was inducted into the school’s first group of Hall of Fame honorees. After high school Cunningham joined the Marines, serving during […]

George W. Draper III (1953- )

The Honorable George W. Draper, the first African American to serve as Chief Judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, was born on August 5, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Morehouse College, completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1977, then received his Juris Doctorate from Howard University, an HBCU, in 1981. Judge Draper built […]

Thomas Bailey Shropshire (1925-2003)

Thomas Bailey Shropshire, a Past Grand Sire Archon of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boulé), was a transformative figure in the brewing industry. He played a critical role in establishing Miller Brewing Company as one of the top brewers in the world. Shropshire was born on October 15, 1925, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to William Shropshire, a railroad worker, […]

Huel Davis Perkins (1924-2013)

Huel Davis Perkins, a distinguished composer, pianist, professor, administrator, and orator, was born on December 27, 1924, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From 1943 to 1946, Perkins served in the U.S. Navy as a Musician First Class. After being honorably discharged, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge in 1947, where he became a member […]

The Webster Telephone Exchange Building (1906- )

Located at 2213 Lake Street in North Omaha, Nebraska, the Webster Telephone Exchange Building is an important Black heritage site in Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1906 by the Nebraska Telephone Company, the neighborhood around the building included people of varying socioeconomic backgrounds, including African Americans, European immigrants, white Americans, and Eastern European Jews. The Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913 obliterated […]

Zoë Saldaña (1978- )

Zoë Saldaña is an accomplished actress and dancer known for her roles in four of the six highest-grossing films produced by Hollywood. Born Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario on June 19, 1978, in Passaic, New Jersey, she is the daughter of Aridio Saldaña from the Dominican Republic and Asalia Nazario from Puerto Rico. Zoë has two sisters, Cisely and Mariel Saldaña […]

Zoë Saldaña (1978- )

Zoë Saldaña is an accomplished actress and dancer known for her roles in four of the six highest-grossing films produced by Hollywood. Born Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario on June 19, 1978, in Passaic, New Jersey, she is the daughter of Aridio Saldaña from the Dominican Republic and Asalia Nazario from Puerto Rico. Zoë has two sisters, Cisely and Mariel Saldaña […]

The Webster Telephone Exchange Building (1906- )

Located at 2213 Lake Street in North Omaha, Nebraska, the Webster Telephone Exchange Building is an important Black heritage site in Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1906 by the Nebraska Telephone Company, the neighborhood around the building included people of varying socioeconomic backgrounds, including African Americans, European immigrants, white Americans, and eastern European Jews. The Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913 obliterated […]