Jesse Owens Born: 9-12-1913, Oakville, Alabama Died: 3-31-1980 Era: Freedom without Equality Married: Minnie Ruth Solomon Children: Three girls: Gloria, Marlene, and Beverley Education: Ohio State University

Olympic Track runner who proved that blacks were just as good as whites

Jesse Owens

James C. Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama on September 12, 1913. When he was little, he always loved running. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio at age 9. When the teacher asked what his name was, James replied, “J. C.” Because of his southern accent, it sounded like “Jesse”. For the rest of his life, he was called Jesse Owens. When Jesse went to high school, he met his first track coach, Charles Riley. Charles taught Jesse how to run. Jesse managed to break three world records and tie a fourth. In high school, he also met Minnie Ruth Solomon, his future wife. After high school, he graduated to Ohio State University. In 1936, Jesse qualified for the Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany would show the world that Hitler`s “pure” race (white, German, anti-Jew) was superhuman. Jesse Owens proved him wrong. He dominated the competition, but wasn`t snobby about it. He didn`t get punished, either. In fact, the Germans were actually cheering him on (except for Hitler and his royal Nazis). In the end, Jesse Owens received four gold medals. Even some German track runners became friends with Jesse Owens. Jesse proved that blacks were just as good as whites. James C. “Jesse” Owens died on March 31, 1980.

Jan Matzeliger Born: September 15, 1862 Died: August 24, 1889, only 37 years old Era: Civil War, Antebellum, and Reconstruction No wife No children No formal education

The first African American to build a shoe-lasting machine

Jan Matzeliger Jan Ernst Matzeliger, born September 15, 1862, was a boy when he started to love shoes. His dad would buy him shoes each time his old ones grew too old for him. He loved shoes and his dad had inspired him. And he dreamed that when he was older he could make his own shoe-machine for everyone. He fulfilled his dream. When he was 20 or 21 years old, Matzeliger tried looking for a job. No white man or woman accepted him because he was black. But when he showed one man his skills at handmaking shoes, he was hired and a worker in a shoe factory. When the shoe factory boss died, Jan took charge, and he owned a shoe factory. When his shoe factory employers and friends complained about how they need a shoe machine, Jan Matzeliger said he’d make a shoemachine. He spent all of his day in his den doing blueprints then trying to build it. If it fell apart, too bad. If it stayed together, good; and Jan would continue working on it. But there was always a way it would fall apart...until now. After years of working and working with shoes and machines, he built a prop. A shoe worker offered $50 in cash. Now Jan knew he was going in a great direction of shoes and shoemachines. A few years later, a woman asked if she could buy it for $100-$300. Matzeliger denied, waiting to finish his work and make the shoe machine that his friends thought he could not make. Then a long time passed and finally, yes . . . finally, a he made his shoe-making shoe-lasting shoe machine! Jan Ernst Matzeliger died August 24, 1889, he was only 37 years old. He died happy, knowing that he created something no black man has ever created before. He sold his machine to man who gave him $1,000-$5,000. Jan Matzeliger was the first black man to build a shoe-lasting shoe machine.

Bessie Smith Born: on April 15, 1894 in Chattooga Tennessee Died: September 26, 1937 in Clarksdale Mississippi during a car accident Era: Freedom without equality Education: Was discovered by Clarence Williams who helped create her first album called Downhearted Blues Family: Dad, and three brothers, Mom but two of her brothers and her dad died.

Famous African-American blues singer.

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith was known for being a fantastic all-around performer doing acts like comedy, acting, dancing, and most of all being a blues singer, which soon lead to the nickname ‘‘The Empress Of The Blues.’’ The fight for equality soon inspired Bessie to help fight poverty through her business and great preforming. But this was a very hard time for Bessie because her dad and two of her brothers died when she was young. Bessie and her brother Andrew sang and played the guitar on street corners for money. Soon all of this changed because at 17 Bessie finally started to become popular. When she joined the Moses Stokes traveling show, people cheered and came from all over just to see her perform. Bessie started her very own traveling show. Years later, Bessie Smith released her very first record called ‘’Downhearted Blues’’ which sold over 780,000 copies and became wildly popular in the black community. But this was not at all as easy as it seems. Bessie had to practice her heart out every day because she knew what was right for America and all future African American musicians. She worked for years and years before finally, a famous female singer named Ma Rainy set Bessie up with troupes of singers and dancers to perform with her. Bessie finally thought she would become famous. But sadly no!!! Bessie kept going and soon enough a pianist/composer named Clarence Williams discovered Bessie and helped her on the way to stardom. In about a year Bessie had finally released her first record leading the way for many modern musicians like Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, and Mahalia Jackson.

Booker T. Washington Born: Virginia in 1856 Died: 1915 Era: Freedom without Equality Married to know one Had no children Education: Principal developer of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial and went to school in Hampton West Virginia

Was the First President of

Tuskegee University

Booker T. Washington

In 1865 a boy was born. Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was only 9 when he was freed from being a slave these earlier years he was a slave. As he grew up he went to college In Hampton Virginia. He did leave his family but still was proud to go to school. He Graduated in 1872. He worked at a salt mine when he was a teenager. He worked for many years. He was taught how to read by his boss’s wife. After a couple of years he became a teacher of Tuskegee University He was the first president elected of Tuskegee University a school for black people. He was a powerful African American he became a principal because someone in Alabama helped him by a letter become a principal At Tuskegee university then he got accepted. Then later in his life he is still a teacher now. He gave the school speeches to the school about growing up and being a powerful African American just like him self When he is a little older he wrote a book about himself “Up from Slavery” and later on in his life He helped many black/ African American people earn equal rights. Still now he never retired from the school he loved in his life era he was in Freedom without Equality he changed many peoples life by giving speeches. He died in 1915

Charles Drew Born: June third 1904 Died: 1950 car accident Era: Freedom without equality Education: Graduated College Charles Drew was a member of the Red Cross and helped invent many ways to save injured men in world war two

Member of the Red Cross

Charles Drew Charles Drew was born on June 3, 1904 in Washington, DC. Charles Father, Richard Drew was a carpet layer and his mom was a homemaker. Although there was segregation Charles grew up fairly comfortable. Charles was a natural athlete he was especially good at football. Two years after World War one Charles watched his sister Elsie die of a disease called tuberculosis. Charles was a very hard worker. Charles got a partial scholarship at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Charles moved in to a mostly white school but still had plenty of friends. Charles focused more on sports than academics. Someone purposely injured Charles and before long Charles was in the hospital. This is what made Charles want to learn about the human body. In 1933 Charles graduated and got a degree being a doctor. He became fascinated with blood and started studying it.

Daniel Hale Williams Born: January 18 1856 Hollidaysburg Pennsylvania Died: August 4 1891 Era: slavery and abolition Married to Alice Johnsens No children Education: Finished college

Was first doctor to operate heart and change segregated hospitals

Daniel Hale Williams Life was hard in 1856 African Americans were not allowed to do anything. Hospitals were segregated. African American hospitals were terrible. Germs were everywhere and almost everybody died who came to a hospital. But this changed when Daniel hale Williams was born. He opened hearts and minds virtually and literally. Dr. Williams started his work when he met Dr. Palmer, a doctor and a surgeon going to patients in the middle of the night. If it was rain or snow hot or cold it did not matter to him. This inspired Daniel to become a doctor. He asked Dr. Palmer if he could be his assistant so Daniel could learn. In that time period surgery was usually done on the dinner table!! Doctors would wear street clothes. People did not know of bacteria and could what it could do to you. But in Daniels training he learned that bacteria cause infections. Infections kill you if they get to deep in you they will kill you. After a couple of weeks of training Dr. Palmer decided that Daniel was such a good student that Dr. Palmer sent him to a medical school in Chicago. This was a huge accomplishment because African Americans were not allowed to go to these types of schools. But because Dr. Palmer was a white person he was allowed to go. After collage Daniel Williams created a hospital called Provident Hospital in 1891. He trained African Americans to be in his hospital. His hospital was a great success. It was always very clean. 22 patients died in his hospital and 172 survived. This was a great accomplishment for that time. In 1889 Daniel got a patient that was stabbed in the heart. Daniel had to do surgery on the heart. This was never done before. He gave it a shot and the patient survived. He became famous all over the world. He was called to Washington to work for freedoms hospital but he didn’t like it there so he went back to Provident Hospital. When he came back there was a rumor that Daniel was not spending the money of the hospital well. When he decided that it was over he went back to his house and died at age 35.

Frederick Douglass Born: February 1818 near Easton Maryland Died: February 20, 1895 Era: Slavery & Abolition Married to Anna Murray He had 1 daughter and 3 sons. Education: None He was a slave

Helped slaves get their freedom

Frederick Douglass Frederick was born in February 1818 near Easton Maryland. He was born as a slave. Frederick Douglass learned how to read and write on one of the plantations when he was a slave. Then he was moved to another plantation. His master was really mean. Frederick escaped with the help of Anna Murray. He married Anna Murray. He was named Frederick Bailey when he was born, but he changed his name to Frederick Douglass after he escaped from his master’s plantation His master couldn't find him because he changed his name. He always liked to read and write. He never had kids. After he escaped, he wanted helped other slaves to get their freedom back. He wrote letters to President Abraham Lincoln telling him how unfair slavery was. He asked President Lincoln to make slavery illegal. Frederick also gave speeches against slavery. He also talked about women getting the same rights as men. He wanted everyone to be equal. He gave speeches all around the United States He helped a lot of people be equal. He was very brave because he said many things that were against the law. Most people did not agree with Frederick. The things he said could have gotten him killed. In 1965, the 13th Amendment was passed. This law said that slavery was illegal. He helped all slaves to get their freedom. He died in February 20, 1895 in Washington, D.C.

Garrett Morgan Born: March 4, 1887 Paris Kentucky Died: July 27, 1963 Era: Freedom without equality Married Madge Nelson in1896, although divorced after 2 years then married Mary Anne, they had three sons Education: left school after 5th grade

Inventor of the traffic light, Gas mask and the improved sewing machine

Garrett Morgan Garrett Augustus Morgan, 7th out of 11 children, left school after 5th grade. It was time for him to earn some money. At age 14 he went to Cincinnati, Ohio and received a job as a hand man at a rich man’s farm. When Garrett turned 18 in 1895 he moved to Cleveland, Ohio and found a job sweeping and doing odd stuff at Roots and McBride (a clothing factory.) When he was there he saw that the sewing machines would always snap when they were being used. He was inspired by this and wanted to make a new, improved and more efficient sewing machine. Once he successfully finished inventing the improved sewing machine the factory paid him $150 for his invention. He started to visit other factories and fix their sewing machines as well. Soon he had made enough money to buy a home. The improved sewing machine was not the only thing that Garrett invented; he made life safer with his Gas masks (or Safety hoods.) When people were trapped in smoke tunnels Garrett and his Gas masks saved the day. The key thing to his Gas masks was the tubes hat inhaled air closer to the ground where the air was fresher to breathe. In 1914 Garrett received a patent for his Gas mask. With his invention Garrett saved more than 20 lives. Since his Gas masks became a success he started to travel from state to state to sell them. Although some people wouldn’t buy his Gas masks because he was African American, but this didn’t stop Garrett from inventing. Besides saving people’s lives with his Gas masks he also saved people’s lives with his traffic light system. One day Garrett experienced watching a car and horse drawn carriage crash in to each other, this effect was caused by the bad traffic signal signs saying stop and go. These signs were meant to be controlling the streets. He wanted to stop the crashing incidents, so he invented a better traffic light system. Although his traffic lights are not the same as the ones we have today. In 1923 Garrett received a patent for his traffic light system. Garrett believed in equal rights for African Americans. He believed that everyone should be treated fairly and not by the color of their skin and he believed that everyone should have a nice home, a job and follow their dreams

George Washington Carver Born: 1864 and he was born a slave on a Missouri farm. Death: 1943 Era: Slavery and Abolition Never Married Education: Went to college in Iowa

Taught farmers to grow peanuts and sweet potatoes

George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver was born in 1864 as a slave on a Missouri farm. He never married. During his life, he worked as a scientist and a teacher. Some of his hobbies and interests included farming and teaching Saturday school. George taught farmers to grow peanuts and sweet potatoes and to turn them into other things such as glue and cheese and ink and rubber. His jobs were being a scientist and teaching people how to farm. He lived during the era of Freedom Without Equality. He no longer was a slave but white people still treated him badly. It was hard for him because he was the first black teacher and scientist in the country. He was not like other people because of his skin color and white people were angry at him for being a black teacher. He was the first African American to graduate from college. He died in 1943.

Granville T. Woods Born: April 23, 1856 Columbus, Ohio Died: January 30, 1910 Era: Slavery Not married Education: educated until 10 years old

Invented tools and machines to help with daily lives.

Granville T. Woods Every time you hear trains goes by, or pass a chicken farm, remember Granville Woods, who invented great tools and machines to help make trains safer and chicken farms easier to manage. Granville T. Woods was born on April 23, 1856, the Slavery era, in Columbus, Ohio and died January 30, 1910. He was 54 years old. Granville was educated until 10 years old then worked in a machine shop in New York City. When he was 16, Granville started to work on the Iron Mountain Railroad. He loved railroads and trains and electricity fascinated him. Granville worked on a lot of railroads (i.e. D&S Railroads) and a British steamship, the Ironsides. As Granville grew up, he became a steam loco motive engineer. He started his own machine shop called the Woods Railway Telegraph Company with his brother. Together, they made the shop famous in 1884. In 1884 his first invention was the Steam Boiler Furnace. In 1887, he invented the Induction Telegraph System. In 1890, he invented the Third Rail System. In 1900, Granville invented the Incubator. In 1902, he invented the Automatic Air Brake. Granville’s invention had a huge impact on people everywhere who rides the train or manages a chicken farm. He lived in the north all of his life and was not punished for his work. Granville Woods was a truly extraordinary man.

Harriet Tubman Born: 1820 in Maryland Died: 1913 in New York Era: Slavery & Abolition Never Married Slave

Helped slaves escape on the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 in Maryland. She died in 1913. Harriet escaped slavery in 1849.she was in the time period of Slavery & Abolition. Harriet Tubman did not get married or have any children She was a slave. cook and scout nurse during the Civil War. She helped slaves escape. Harriet wanted to help slaves escape because it was horrible because slaves were treated badly. She was a cook, nurse, scout helping slaves. She escaped to the north in 1849. Helped 300 other people escaped with the Underground Railroad. Help slaves get out she wanted the slaves have a better life. She didn't want to get caught. She was caught and her master threw something at her.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett Born: June 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi Died: March 25, 1931 Chicago, Illinois Era: Slavery and Abolition Married to Ferdinand WellsBarnett on June 27, 1895 Children: Charles, Herman, Ida and Alfreda Education: Went to school and started teaching at fourteen years old

Journalist for freedom

Ida B. Wells-Barnett Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a brave woman that wanted freedom. She turned out to have 4 jobs! First, she was a teacher in Holly Springs, Mississippi after that, she got transferred to another teaching job in Memphis, Tennessee. That wasn’t all! She also got a job as a journalist in Memphis, The Living World. But then got transferred again to another newspaper office in New York, The New York Age. In June 27, 1895 she got married to Ferdinand l. Barnett, a newspaper man from Chicago. With him, she had four children Charles, Herman, Ida and Alfreda. She had a very happy family. Many people thought she would stop what she was doing, fighting for freedom, but she never did. She even spoke to the president! But not many people liked what she was doing. Some people try to kill her or hurt her. One day people even tried to burn down her office. In her time it was hard for her to write about freedom, she was living in the time of slavery and abolition. Sadly, her articles weren’t published all over the world. After a long time she died March 25, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois. Did her articles work? Well some people did relies how important freedom were, but some still ignored her. She worked so long to get freedom and more and more people tried to get freedom just like her.

Jackie Robinson Born in Cairo, Georgia January 31, 1919

Died October 24, 1972

Era: Freedom without equality

Married to Rachel Isum and had 3 children

First African American to play Major League Baseball

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson is mostly known for being the first African American to play Major League Baseball, but did you know that he fought for our country in World War 2 and played in the Negro league before he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers? Jackie would not step down for a white person, in fact when he was young he had a fight with girl next door, so the girl’s dad came out and soon the dad and Jackie were throwing rocks at each other. He was one of the best athletes in the school for sports like Basketball, Track, Football, and Baseball. For money he fought in World War 2 and still didn’t get much respect even though he was fighting for his country. When he came back from the war he played Baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs because he wasn’t allowed to play for the major league teams. One day he was asked to try out for the Brooklyn a major league team! Jackie made the team and played his first game in 1947. That year he was the first Rookie of the Year and later was the in the Hall of fame.

Langston Hughes Born: February 1st, 1902 Died: May 22nd, 1967 Era: Civil Rights Did not marry Had no children Education: Colombia University, Lincoln University

Famous African American Poet

Langston Hughes James Langston Hughes was born on February 1st, 1902. His parents divorced when he was a baby. His father moved to Mexico and his mother stayed in Joplin, Missouri. His mother was going through some trouble finding a job, so Hughes was sent to live with his grandmother. Hughes loved his grandmother very much, especially her stories. One of his favorite stories was about his grandfather, who fought for a stop to segregation. After a few years of living with his grandmother, Hughes’ father wanted Hughes to spend some time over in Mexico with him. On his way there, Hughes wrote his first famous poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers. After a year in Mexico, Hughes was happy to be home with his mom. He went to school at Colombia University and Lincoln University. One day, Hughes ran into a famous publisher. Before he left, Hughes slipped a few pieces of his work under the man’s plate. A few months later, Hughes’ work was published throughout Missouri, then the whole USA! He was mostly famous for writing inspiring poems for colored people worldwide. His goal was to change the meaning of poetry and the thoughts of people about black poets. Hughes was not punished for the work he did, but he still had trouble changing people’s minds. He died on the 22nd of May, 1967 and did not marry and had no children.

Mae Jemison Born: October 17, 1956 Decatur Alabama Still living Era: civil rights Family: 1 brother, 1 sister, did not marry, and had no children Education: She attended Stanford. She earned her medical degree at Cornell University

First African American Woman in Space

Mae Jemison Ever since Mae was little she knew what she wanted to do with her life. From a young age Mae wanted to be a scientist. This was an unheard of job at the time for black girls like Mae because of segregation-the discrimination of colored people. Colored people didn’t get to go to the same schools, drink from the same fountains and were considered less intelligent than whites. So having a job that required smarts was not “available” for blacks, only whites. But Mae went on to be just that and more. Mae Jemison grew up to be a scientist, teacher, and astronaut. She also enjoyed anthropology, (the study of men’s health, culture and social life) archeology, (the science of how humans lived in the past), and astronomy (the science of space). As a child she liked dancing and dinosaurs and was terrified of heights and the dark. These two fears were hard to conquer especially for an astronaut because they fly high in dark outer space. She is most famous for her 8 day trip on the Endeavor becoming the first African American woman ever to be in space. On the ship Mae conducted experiments on herself and her shipmates because of her position s mission specialist. Her experiments were mostly directed towards health being a doctor. She studied herself and her shipmate’s health as they rocketed through outer space and took note of the lack of gravity effected welfare of humans and animals. In her later years Mae founded a company and was on discovery Chanel. She even started a science camp because of her love of kids. However she did not marry and had no children. She also wrote and autobiography called Where the Wind Goes Moment of my Life. She proved to the world that blacks were just as smart as whites and helped along the Civil Rights Movement. Without her many lives in America may not be as they are currently. She is still living today and is renowned as the first African American woman in space and the changer of many segregated minds.

Marian Anderson

Born: February 27, 1897 Death: April 8, 1993 Era: Freedom without Equality Family: Single Education: Took private music lessons

First black person to sing at a famous opera house

Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was a famous black singer. Her most famous concert was at the Lincoln Memorial. She wanted to sing at a famous opera house but the owners would not let black people sing there so she sang at the Lincoln Memorial instead. Once she sang at the Lincoln Memorial people’s minds were changed. When she was little the thing that got her on the road to singing was when she sang everyone said she had a beautiful voice. Also when she was little she wanted to go to music school but the owners would not teach black people so she took private lessons instead. She worked for freedom too. She won a Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work. In 1965 she sang her last concerted and spent the rest of her life helping poor people.

Martin Luther King Jr. Born: Jan 15, 1929 Atlanta, Georgia Died: April 4, 1968 Era: civil rights Family: Married Coretta Scott no Children Education: he won a big speech in high school. He went to Morehouse collage

First African America Leader

Martin Luther King Jr.

One day there was a man one of the America’s Great leaders was Martin Luther king Jr. He was a powerful speaker that everyone can hear him. When he was a kid his favorite hobbies are sports and he is very good at church singing. While he was enjoying with his friends he can’t come cause they were white skin and he is black skin so he cried and try to change things in white only stuff. When he finished collage he began as a minster before he got a job. Martin led a march of people to Montgomery he also won the Nobel peace prize. In 1968 Martin went back to Memphis, Tennessee while he was there some guy killed with a gun because Martin was setting black people free so that is why he shot him. People liked Martin Luther King Jr. and that is why they decided to celebrated Martin Luther king Jr. Day each year in January to thank him for what he did for us. Also the statue said on Martin’s last words “I am free free at last”.

Mary McLeod Bethune Born: July 10, 1875 in Mayesville, SC Died: She was 79, 1955 Era: Freedom without Equality Married to Albertus Bethune Had one child Education: elementary school, Moody Bible Institute (college)

The Founder of the National Council of Negro Women and A member of the Black Cabinet

Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune was a teacher and a college president. She provided education for African Americans even if they couldn’t pay. She opened the Bethune-Cookman institute so she could give education to more people. Life wasn’t good for African Americans there were segregation laws and they didn’t have equal rights. Mary’s parents were freed slaves and were poor; she grew up in a family of 17 kids on a farm. Her parents could only send one child to school and they sent Mary. She was a good student but there were no more schools for her to go to after elementary school because of segregation. Mary did get to go to college; she attended the Moody Bible Institute. Mary’s first job was teaching at her local church. Mary opened a school and it started out small it had only five students. It got bigger and bigger so they added a high school and merged with Cookman College. The school provided skills for jobs and gave the students a good education. President Roosevelt asked her to found of the national Council of Negro Women. Because African Americans didn’t have equal opportunities the council helped them get an education and find jobs. Mary was also the director of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration. She was one of the most influential African Americans in the Black Cabinet. In 1974 Mary was the first African American to have a monument in DC. Unfortunately she passed away in 1955 of a heart attack, she was 79. Today the National Council of Negro Women has helped four million women and the Bethune-Cookman Institute has graduated almost thirteen thousand people.

Matthew Henson Born: August 8, 1866 in Charles County, Maryland

Died: March 9, 1955

Era: Freedom without Equality

Married to Eva Helen Flint (1891-1897) and then Lucy Jane Ross (1908-End of life)

1 Child: Anaquak Henson Education: Stopped attending school at age 13

First person to sail to the North Pole

Matthew Henson

Matthew Henson was born on August 8, 1866 in Charles County, Maryland. Matthew Henson was raised by his uncle because his Mom and Dad both died while Matthew was very young. Also while Matthew Henson was young he stopped attending school and got a job washing dishes at a restaurant called Janeys Home Cooked-Meal Café. Then at age 13 Matthew met a sailor named Captain Childs who told him about his adventures which inspired Matthew Henson to become a sailor. So Matthew worked for Captain Childs as a cabin boy and then a valet who are people who help the captain of the ship by doing laundry, cleaning the ship, taking care of captain’s needs, etc. During that time Matthew gained a lot of experience and sailed to China, Japan, Philippians, France, Africa, and Russia. Then in 1877, Matthew met a man named Robert Peary who was an engineer for the U.S. Navy. Peary wanted Matthew Henson to be his Personal Assistant on Peary’s journey to the North Pole. Back then the North Pole couldn’t be shown on maps because it had never been explored but Peary wanted to change that and he wanted Matthew to join him. They left for the North Pole in 1908 on the Roosevelt. After a long expedition Peary, Matthew, and the rest of the crew arrived at the North Pole on August 6, 1909. Matthew wrote about his adventures in his autobiography A Negro Explorer at the North Pole. Then Matthew Henson died on March 9, 1955 at age 88 and definitely left his mark on the world.

Maya Angelou Born: April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri Still alive Era: Civil Rights Married to Tosh Angelos Children: Clyde Bailey Johnson Education: High School

An African American writer who wrote about the obstacles of being black, Poor, and female

Maya Angelou When Maya Angelou was a child she moved a lot. Most of her life she lived in Stamps, Arkansas with her grandmother and her brother Baily. She got an education there and was a great student. She loved to read and she loved music. She even got a scholarship to the California Labor School when she was four-teen. She was inspired by Langston Hues when she was a child. Maya had many jobs before she was a writer. She was a theater director, singer, dancer, cook, teacher, and a cocktail waitress. She also moved a lot as an adult to do all these jobs. In around 1946 she had a son named Clyde but was not married. Maya tried to make a living as a single mother. She struggled to make enough money. After being a cook and a waitress she decided to be a musician. Shortly after she met Tosh Angelos and got married to him. She changed her last name to Angelou because she thought it would be a better stage name. She moved to Africa but then moved back to America. In the 1970s she moved to New York to become to writer. It was hard for her because most people like her were supposed to become maids. Her first book was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It was about her hard life in Stamps as a poor black child. She wrote many books and poems. Most of them were about what it what it was like to be poor, black, and female. She wasn’t treated well because of the color of her skin and her gender. She offered people a message of hope in her writing. Maya Angelou became an example of the American dream. Later in life she became a professor of American studies at Wake Forest University. She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Nat Turner Born: October 2, 1800 on Benjamin Turner’s plantation in Southampton, Virginia Died: November 11, 1831 at Southampton County Gallows Era: Slave/Abolition No children or wife Education: Mother

First Slave to Lead First Successful Slave Rebellion

Nat Turner

Nat Turner was born into slavery. His mother taught young Nat about Africa and how the white people were very cruel. Nat Turner’s mother taught Nat that he is a descendant of kings and Nat’s mom also naught Nat to be proud of his African background. Nat was very smart at a young age. He would tell stories to the other slave children about Africa. Nat became known to be a prophet. At age 20 Nat Turner ran away from his master because the new overseer worked the slaves to hard. Nat later came back saying that he had a message from God. God said that Nat had to free all slaves. From then on it was Nat’s duty to free all slaves. Nat looked for opportunities, but the white people put him under close watch. On August 21, 1831 Nat and nine other slaves led the first slave rebellion. This event killed 51 whites! On November 11, 1931 Nat Turner was hanged for treason. When the executer asked Nat if he was ready, Nat said yes. When the executer put the rope around Nat’s neck, Nat did not even flinch. This performance awed the audience and told the white people that Nat’s goal was achieved and there was nothing they could do about it. Nat Turner’s impact on the black people was enormous and it gave the black people hope of freedom because freedom is all that matters

Paul Robeson April 9th 1898 Princeton, New Jersey Died: January 23rd 1976 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Era: Freedom without Equality Married to Eslanda Goode Son: Paul Robeson Jr.

Education: Rutgers University

One of the first African Americans to act in the primarily white theater

Paul Robeson Paul Robeson was an actor, a singer, and a political activist. He graduated from Rutgers University with top grades in his class. He became a Lawyer but he was not treated fairly so he quit. Then, when he married Eslanda Goode, she thought he should sing. They put on a show and Paul quickly became famous for his voice. But not only was he good at singing, he was good at acting. In fact, he was so good at acting that he was one of the first African Americans to perform in the Primarily White Theater. But lots of people didn’t honor his acting; they just thought it was wrong for him to be acting with white people. And Paul thought this was wrong, just like when he was lawyer, and he wanted equal rights. Afterwards, he and Eslanda were punished, and they weren’t allowed to leave America. Luckily, later on, they won a court case saying that they could leave and they took off headed for London. There he resumed his singing and acting career but came back to America because he was sick. Many more African Americans started getting accepted to act in the theater because of Paul. He died January 23 1976 in Philadelphia.

Philip Randolph Born: April 15th 1889 crescent city Florida Died: May 16 1979 Era: civil rights and freedom without equality Married to Lucille Campbell green No children Education: City College New York City

He led the 1963 march on Washington and led and/or made many organizations to help black laborers get better paying jobs.

Philip Randolph

Introduction 1889 was a time when there was much discrimination against African Americans and the government was not doing much about it. But then on April 15th 1889 along came a man who would change the future for many African Americans to come.

Early life Born in crescent city Florida Philip Randolph lived with discrimination on a day to day basis. Philip Randolph was originally inspired by the book The Souls of Black Folk but before he was defeating discrimination where ever it was Philip Randolph was a preachers son going to city college as an actor. He stopped acting though because his father did not approve.

Amazing achievements Philip Randolph lead the march on Washington dc and spoke on the Lincoln memorial right before martin Luther king. He also organized many organizations that helped African Americans get jobs on the rail road project although some crumbled due to pressure from the government. He won the humanist of the year and medal of freedom.

Phillis Wheatley Born: 1754 in Senegambia, West Africa Died: December 5, 1784

Era: Slavery and Abolition

Married to John Peters in 1774

3 children, all died in infancy

Education: Susannah Wheatley, Phillis’s owner and teacher

Slave Poet

Phillis Wheatley In 1761, when she was just 7 years old, Phillis Wheatley was carried away from her hut in Senegambia, West Africa to be put on a slave ship to Boston, Massachusetts. She was on the ship for 6 weeks, with little food and water. When she got to Boston, people laughed and pointed at her. No one wanted her as a slave. Finally, Phillis was purchased by a tailor, John Wheatley, for around 3 dollars. After 2 ½ years of living in Boston, Susannah Wheatley, Phillis’s co-owner, taught Phillis how to read and write. Phillis was not allowed in a school house because she was colored. Just days after Phillis’s final lesson, at the age of 10, she wrote her first poem. Year after year, Phillis wrote in secrecy, afraid of what people would say when they found out about her poetry. But when she did tell people, men and woman all over Boston loved Phillis’s work, and in 1767, her first poem was published in the Boston News. But some people still thought that having a girl slave write poetry was wrong. At that time, there was a lot of segregation, so some people were very unhappy with Phillis’s work. They wrote letters to Phillis’s owners, demanding Phillis stop and her poetry burned. But Phillis did not stop, she wrote on everything she could find. That’s when she broke the first color barrier. Word got out about Phillis’s writing. Even people in Europe where talking about the brave young slave who wrote poetry. In 1773, Phillis published her 1st and only book, being the second African American to so. After her book was out, in 1773, she was freed from slavery. At the age of 22, Phillis met John Peters and married him. A year later, Phillis had 3 children, but all of them died in infancy. Even though Phillis was freed from slavery and had a husband, she was still very poor and had little food. On December 5th, 1784, Phillis Wheatley died in a Boston boardinghouse. People will always remember her, and how she inspired slaves all over the world to read and write, no matter how much they were discriminated.

Ruby Bridges Born: 1954 Tylertown, Mississippi Era: Civil rights Ruby Bridges is still living. She lives in New Orleans. Education: She was one of the first African American kids to go to school with white kids Life Time: She is married and has four sons.

She was one of the first African American kids to go to school with white kids

Ruby Bridges Ruby Bridges lived in the Civil Rights era. She is a business woman. She wrote a book about her life and was inspired by God. She is still living. She lives in New Orleans. She volunteered at her childhood elementary school. Ruby is one of the first African American children to go to school with white kids. White people did not like ruby going to school with white kids. Ruby Bridges is married. She has four sons. She started the Foundation which continued to help school children. She wants all children to feel accepted and to get a good education. Her impact was in America. She helped change everyone.

Sarah Walker Born: December 23, 1867 Grand View Plantation, Louisiana Died: May 25, 1919 Irvington-on-Hudson, New York Era: Freedom without Equality Family: Married to Moses Williams Married again then divorced Charles Joseph 1 child Education: NO

The first self-made millionaire and hair product maker

Sarah Walker

Sarah Walker also known as Madam C.J. Walker was born on December 23, 1867 in Grand View Plantation, Louisiana. She had a hard time growing up because white people were burning down schools so she could not get an education. Also

her parents were slaves to a white family. A couple years later her parents died of yellow fever. When Sarah Walker was 14 years old she married Moses Williams. She stared to work for a laundry business. shehad one child her name was Leia she was born on January 6 1885.Two years later Moses died. Sarah Walker at the age of 20 remarried a guy named Charles Joseph and changed her name to Madam C.J Walker. Sarah stared to make a product to make black woman’s hair healthy and grow long because white hair products made their hair fall out. She stared to sell her products in the drug store but not a lot of people bought her products so she stared to sell the product door to door. That way she would get a little bit more money. Then she set a goal for herself she would become famous. She was right. In 1910 she opened her own factory. She earned 4.3 million dollars a year. She became the first self-made millionaire. Her product went across the U.S. Sarah Walker died at the age of 51 on May 25, 1919 in Irvington-on- Hudson New York. She hoped that her factory would stay alive.

Thurgood Marshall Born: July 2, 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland Died: January 4, 1993 Era: Civil Rights Family: married Vivian Burey. Vivian died in 1954. Married Cecilia Stuart. Had two sons. Education: went to Lincoln University. Wanted to go to Maryland but was not accepted. Went to Howard University.

First African American Supreme Court Justice

Thurgood Marshall Thurgood Marshall was a lawyer and the first African American Supreme Court Justice. Thurgood Marshall was born July 2, 1908 in Baltimore Maryland. He and his dad were very interested in court and went to watch trials often when he was a kid. He later said “my dad never told me to be a lawyer, but he made me into one”. Thurgood Marshall wanted to go to Maryland University, but wasn’t allowed to because of the color of his skin. He later helped a client who had colored skin get into Maryland. Instead of going to Maryland he went to Howard University to study law. At college he met Vivian Burey. They became good friends and soon married. Thurgood Marshall went to work with NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) where he became their chief lawyer. Thurgood later opened up his own law firm. In 1954 Thurgood’s wife, Vivian, Died of cancer. In 1955 He married Cecilia Stuart and had two kids. Thurgood was appointed to Supreme Court Justice June 13, 1967 by President Johnson. He retired in 1990 of old age. He died on January 4, 1993.

Wilma Rudolph Born: June 23rd, 1940 in Clarksville, Tennessee Died: November 12th, 1994 Era: Freedom without Equality and Civil Rights Education: Collage Tennessee State University

Fastest women in the world

Wilma Rudolph Wilma Rudolph was always getting sick; she was the sickliest child in Tennessee. When Wilma was almost 5 she got sicker than ever. She had a disease called polio where her leg turned in and it wouldn’t go back to normal. People thought that Wilma Rudolph would never walk again. What hurt Wilma the most was that the local school wouldn’t let her in because she couldn’t walk. All Wilma could manage was hopping around small parts of her house. Wilma did the doctor’s exercises every day even when it really hurt. When she was 8 Wilma was ready for a brace. She got to do everything besides the recess games where she sat on the sidelines. Wilma also got made fun of because of her brace. When Wilma was 11 she finally got her brace off she couldn’t wait to be a normal kid again. Everyone was amazed that Wilma Rudolph had found a cure for polio and was walking again. When Wilma was 16, in 1956, she got on a track and field team. Right before the Olympic 100 meter race in Rome she twisted her ankle but when they yelled GO she ran, she forgot about her ankle and everything else and ran. She did it she won and she was the first American women to win 3 gold medals at one Olympics. She moved on and became a teacher and a track coach. Her story inspired people all around to work hard and achieve their dreams.