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. […]

Andre Shelby is a United States Paralympic archer. He was born on December 8, 1966, to Lee and Etta Shelby in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Growing up, Shelby attended Jeffersonville High School, where he played on both the football and basketball teams. He graduated from the school in 1985. After high school, Shelby served in the United States Navy for 18 years […]

Born on May 9, 1943, in Medellín, Colombia, Teresita Gómez emerged as a legendary pianist renowned for her mastery of Colombian classical music. Her life journey began with a remarkable twist of fate, as she was left at the Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul by her biological mother. Fortunately, she was embraced by Valerio Gómez and Teresa Artega, devoted […]

Omaha, Nebraska, the largest city in the state, made history on May 13, 2025, by electing its first African American mayor, Democrat John Ewing Jr. This significant event marked the end of a three-term Republican leadership under Jean Stothert, who was the first female mayor of Omaha. Ewing won the general election with 45,336 or 55.5%, based on unofficial results […]

Lucean Arthur Headen was an African American inventor, entrepreneur, and aviator, born on August 26, 1879, in Carthage, North Carolina, to Jerry Headen, a sawmill owner, and an unnamed mother. Headen was born on his grandparents’ farm, where his grandfather, Adam Tyson, worked as a wheelwright. His great-uncle, Joseph Tyson, was a toolmaker. These influences sparked Headen’s early interest in […]

Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim was a towering figure in Sudanese politics and a pioneering advocate for women’s rights. Born in Khartoum, her exact birth year varies in sources, ranging from 1928 to 1933. She was part of an educated and politically conscious family; her grandfather was a headmaster and imam, and her father, a teacher, was dismissed for refusing to teach […]

James Jacob Williams was an African American fugitive slave and soldier who fought for freedom on two continents. He first served in the US Navy during the Second Barbary War (1815) and later joined the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829), supporting the Greek struggle to liberate themselves from Ottoman rule. Severely wounded while fighting for the Greek cause, Williams was […]