I originally posted this list on my teen site earlier this week. AA Book Reading List Suggestions List compiled by Shelia M. Goss Below is a list of books either by or about African-American pioneers. The books can be found at your local library or from an online retailer. The early black history movement, Carter [...]
I’m highlighting Mary Eliza Mahoney today for two reasons. #1 She was the first African-American registered nurse and #2 Our past might be entwined as her name comes up when I trace my family history on my Dad’s side. Her exact date of birth is questionable. Some sources say she was born in April and [...]
Social activist Dorothy Height was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 24, 1912. At an early age, she moved with her family to Rankin, Pennsylvania. While in high school, Height was awarded a scholarship to New York University for her oratory skills, where she studied and earned her master’s degree. Height began her career working [...]
In the 1948 summer Olympics, Alice Coachman became the first African American woman to win a gold medal. According to the New Georgia Encylopedia, Few athletes have dominated a sport as thoroughly as Alice Coachman dominated the high jump. Named to five All-American teams, she won a gold medal in the 1948 Olympics, becoming the [...]
My nephew’s mom was named after the woman I’m highlighting today–Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987). I found out a few weeks ago that Septima’s mother communicated with Ms. Clark on numerous occasions and that’s how she ended up with the unique name. Who is Septima Poinsette Clark? She was an American educator and civil rights activist. [...]
According to BlackAmericaWeb, Sarah Rector, a former slave, became one of the richest little girls in America in 1914. The headlines would read: “Oil Made Pickaninny Rich – Oklahoma Girl With $15,000 A Month Gets Many Proposals – Four White Men in Germany Want to Marry the Negro Child That They Might Share Her Fortune.” [...]
Norma Sklarek became the first black woman to be licensed as an architect in New York and California. According to the African-American Registry website: From New York City she graduated from Barnard College (part of Columbia University) with a degree in architecture in 1950. Sklarek became the first African-American woman to be licensed as an [...]
