Kay Coles James (1949- )

Kay Coles James (1949- )

Kay Coles James is a conservative political figure who has served in various government and executive roles. She was most notably the first African American president of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank. James was born June 1, 1949, and...
Matthew T. Whittico (1866-1939)

Matthew T. Whittico (1866-1939)

Prominent West Virginia newspaper publisher and politician Matthew Thomas Whittico was born near Martinsville, in Henry County, Virginia, on September 25, 1866. His father, Hezekiah J. Whittico, was a farmer and was the son of Thomas and Catherine Whittico. Under a...
Anténor Firmin (1850-1911)

Anténor Firmin (1850-1911)

Joseph Auguste Anténor Firmin was a Haitian scholar, politician and civil servant who is best known for his anthropological text published in 1885, De l’égalité des races Humaines (On the Equality of Human Races). Born in Cap-Haitien to a working-class family on...
John Hanson (1791-1860)

John Hanson (1791-1860)

John Hanson was a Liberian senator during the mid-19th century who has been erroneously claimed as the first Black president of the United States. Not much is known about Hanson’s early life. He was born into slavery in Baltimore, Maryland, around 1791. According to...