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 […]

Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, born Jennifer Simons on September 5, 1953, in Paramaribo, Suriname, is a prominent Surinamese politician and a medical doctor. Her extensive political career has been mostly marked by a significant tenure in the National Assembly and most recently by her ascent to the presidency. Geerlings-Simons began her political journey in 1996 when she was first elected as a […]

Kamla Susheila Persad-Bissessar, often referred to by her initials, KPB, is a prominent Trinidadian lawyer, politician, and educator who has twice served as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. She holds that post today and is head of state of that nation. Persad was born on April 22, 1952, in rural Siparia in southern Trinidad. Her early education took […]

Historian and curator Lonnie Griffith Bunch III, born on November 18, 1952, in Newark, New Jersey, is a distinguished scholar with a significant academic background. He was reared in Belleville, New Jersey, and graduated from Belleville High School in 1970. Bunch attended Howard University before transferring to American University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1974, a Master […]

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the current President of Nigeria, was born into a Yoruba family in Osun State on March 29, 1952. After early schooling in Nigeria, he pursued higher education in the United States, studying at Richard J. Daley College and subsequently Chicago State University, where he excelled academically, graduating with honors in Accounting in 1979. His professional life in […]

Dr. Robert L. Morris is a composer, arranger, and conductor of African American music, including spirituals, jazz, and original compositions. He is the sole child of the late Robert Morris, a cabdriver, and Ella Wilkerson Morris, a domestic worker in Chicago, Illinois. Morris earned his B.A. from DePaul University in 1964, a Master’s degree from Indiana University in 1970, and […]