20th Century (1900-1999)
James Robert Ford (1925-2017)
James Robert Ford was a politician, businessman, and the first African American mayor of Tallahassee, Florida. That election also made...
Savannah Valentine Churchill (1920-1974)
Rhythm and Blues singer Savannah Valentine Churchill surged to national prominence in 1945 with her hit song, “Daddy, Daddy.” Churchill...
James Perkins Jr. (1953- )
James Perkins Jr. became the first African American mayor of Selma, Alabama on September 13, 2000. Perkins was born on...
Elizabeth Mason Harden Gilmore (1910-1986)
Elizabeth Mason Harden Gilmore was a trailblazing figure, a distinguished entrepreneur, and a significant civil rights leader. She was the...
Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim (1989- )
Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim is a Nigerian director, screenwriter and producer extoled for her depiction of LGBTQ+ lives in a humane light....
Hobart Sidney Jarrett (1915-2005)
Dr. Hobart Sidney Jarrett (1915-2005) was a respected scholar, educator, and leader in Black community organizations. His contributions to African...
Douglas Palmer (1951- )
Douglas Palmer, the first Black mayor of Trenton, New Jersey, was born Douglas Harold Palmer on October 19, 1951, in...
James Young (1955- )
James Young is the first African American mayor of the small town of Philadelphia, Mississippi, a considerable achievement considering Philadelphia’s...
Kenneth E. Reeves (1951- )
Kenneth E. Reeves, the first African American Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was born Kenneth Errol Reeves in Detroit, Michigan, on...
