In 1890, individuals from three different Baptist congregations in Tennessee moved to the newly opened Oklahoma Territory. After undergoing two name changes and a merger, Calvary Baptist Church was formed in 1900. The church was established in a part of Oklahoma City that would later become known as “Deep Deuce,” a historic African American neighborhood and the birthplace of famed […]

Mahmoud Mohammed Taha was a Sudanese religious thinker, engineer, and political leader who dedicated his life to an innovative reinterpretation of Islam, advocating for a modern, progressive vision for Sudan and the wider Muslim world. Known to his followers as “Ustadh” (the Teacher), Taha’s radical ideas on human rights, democracy, and gender equality ultimately led to his execution for apostasy, […]

Chief Oladipo “Ladi” Jadesimi is a prominent Nigerian oil businessman and the founder of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), where he currently serves as the executive chairman. His journey to becoming a key figure in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is marked by a strong educational foundation and diverse professional experiences. Born in Nigeria in 1945, Oladipo Jadesimi […]

Alzenia Lynn Hamilton was an American actress. She was born on April 25, 1930, to Nancy and Louis Hamilton in Yazoo City, Mississippi. When she was twelve years old, her family moved to Chicago Heights, Illinois. Hamilton attended Bloom High School in Chicago Heights and later studied at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. After completing her education, Hamilton began her […]

Edith Irby Jones was a pioneering American physician and a trailblazer in both medicine and civil rights. She achieved numerous historic firsts throughout her life: she was the first woman to serve as president of the National Medical Association (NMA) and a founding member of the Association of Black Cardiologists. Among her many accolades, Dr. Jones was inducted into the […]

“Bombingham” refers to a period of racially motivated bombings that occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, between 1947 and 1965. The city earned this nickname because more than 50 dynamite explosions took place during this time. These attacks primarily targeted African American residents who attempted to move into white neighborhoods or who participated in civil rights activities. Many of the bombings were […]

Abigail Hubbell, a multi-talented actress and theater owner, was born as Abigail Calachaly Hubbell on September 18, 1940, in Manhattan, New York. Her parents, William Warner Hubbell III, a subway conductor, and Helen Johnson Hubbell, a celebrated Harlem Renaissance writer, instilled in Abigail her love of the Lively Arts. Abigail was raised in Brooklyn but graduated from Washington Irving High […]

In the article below, writer Leslie Budewitz works to separate fact from fiction in the story of Mary Fields, one of the most famous Black women in the 19th Century West. Leslie’s short story collection, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, is a finalist for the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards; the title story […]

Prince was one of the most popular musical artists of the 1980s. During a prolific 38-year career, Prince released 39 albums and a total of 900 songs. He displayed boundless talent, energy, and determination as a magnetic and sensuous live performer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, film director, and actor. Born in Minneapolis on June 7, 1958, Prince Rogers Nelson began playing […]

Samuel Tanner Stafford was born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the first child and son of Dr. Samuel P. Stafford, a practicing physician, and his wife, Bertha Tanner Stafford, the daughter of the presiding Bishop of the A.M.E. Church, Reverend Benjamin T. Tanner. A product of the St. Louis public school system, he later graduated with a B.S. […]