Huey P. Newton (1942-1989)

Huey P. Newton (1942-1989)

Born in Monroe, Louisiana on February 17, 1942, Huey P. Newton was named after the populist governor Huey Long. His parents moved to Oakland, California during World War II seeking economic opportunities.  Newton attended Merritt College, where he joined Phi Beta...
George Foreman (1949- )

George Foreman (1949- )

George Edward Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas on January 10, 1949 and raised in Houston’s Fifth Ward.  He took up boxing in his teens while working in the Job Corps. A successful amateur career was capped with a gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City,...
Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897)

Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897)

Born into slavery in Edenton, North Carolina on February 11, 1813, Harriet Ann Jacobs was the daughter of slaves, Delilah and Daniel Jacobs.  Harriet Jacobs is best known for her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, edited by white abolitionist Lydia...
Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

On November 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas, Sarah and Andrew Parks welcomed their fifteenth child, Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks, into their home. Though struggling against poverty and racism in Fort Scott, young Gordon was nurtured there. His mother was...