Gunter was born November 14, 1936 in Coffeyville, Kansas.

He began recording in 1953 singing backup on Big Jay McNeelly’s “Nervous Man Nervous.” In 1957, he sang the title song for the movie “The Green Eyed Blonde.” From 1958 to 1961, Gunter performed as a member of The Coasters and they recorded “Yakety Yak” (1958), their only number one hit, “Charlie Brown” (1959), and “Poison Ivy” (1959). After leaving The Coasters, Gunter recorded several solo singles. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other members of The Coasters.

Hope was born June 2, 1868 in Augusta, Georgia. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1890 and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in 1894.

In 1898, Hope became professor of classics at Atlanta Baptist College (now Morehouse College) and in 1906 he was appointed the institution’s first black president. Hope also joined W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter as founders of the Niagara Movement. In 1928, Morehouse and Spelman College affiliated with Atlanta University and in 1929 Hope was chosen to be president, a position he held until his death.

In 1936, Hope was posthumously awarded the NAACP Spingarn Medal. Hope was awarded honorary degrees by several colleges and universities, including Brown University, Bates College, and Howard University. Hope’s biography, “The Story of John Hope,” was published in 1948 and “A Clashing of the Soul: John Hope and the Dilemma of African American Leadership and Black Higher Education in the Early Twentieth Century” was published in 1998.

Morgan was born July 10, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Morgan received his first trumpet at the age of 13 and at 18 joined Dizzy Gillespie’s big band where he was a member for 18 months.

In 1958, he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and was featured on a number of their albums. As a leader, Morgan recorded 30 albums, including “The Sidewinder” (1963), his most commercially successful album, “Cornbread” (1965), and “The Last Session” (1971). In the last two years of his life, he became more politically involved, becoming one of the leaders of the Jazz and People’s Movement which protested the lack of jazz artists as guest performers and members of the bands of television shows.

Morgan was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991. His biographies include “Lee Morgan: His Life, Music and Culture” (2006) and “Delightful Lee: The Life and Music of Lee Morgan” (2008).

Green played college football at Texas A&M University where he was a first team All-American and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1983.

Green was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins and over his 20 season professional career was a four-time All-Pro selection and two-time Super Bowl champion. In 1996, he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his volunteer and charity work and in 1997 he won the Bart Starr Award for outstanding character and leadership on the field and in the community.

In 1988, Green founded the Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation, a faith-based organization with the mission to “meet the needs of children, their families and the communities in which they live.” Green retired in 2002, was selected to serve as the chairman of President George W. Bush’s Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2003, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, and in 2008 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A section of State Route 28 in Loudoun County, Virginia is named Darrell Green Boulevard.

Garnet was born enslaved on December 23, 1815 in New Market, Maryland. In 1824, Garnet’s family escaped to freedom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They subsequently moved to New York City where from 1826 to 1833 Garnet attended the African Free School and the Phoenix High School for Colored Youth.

Garnet went on to graduate with honors in 1839 from the Oneida Theological Institute of Whitesboro. He later joined the American Anti-Slavery Society and frequently spoke at abolitionist conferences. He delivered one of his most famous speeches, “Call to Rebellion,” in August, 1843 to the National Negro Convention. In that speech, he called for the enslaved to act for themselves to achieve total emancipation.

By 1849, Garnet began to support emigration of blacks to Mexico, Liberia, or the West Indies and he founded the African Civilization Society. On February 12, 1865, he became the first black minister to preach to the United States House of Representatives when he spoke about the end of slavery. After the Civil War, Garnet was appointed president of Avery College in 1868 and in 1881 he was appointed U.S. Minister to Liberia.

The Henry Highland Garnet School for Success in Harlem, New York and the HHG Elementary School in Chestertown, Maryland are named in his honor. His biographies include “Henry Highland Garnet: A Voice of Black Radicalism in the Nineteenth Century” (1977) and “Rise Now and Fly to Arms: The Life of Henry Highland Garnet” (1995).

Johnson was born January 22, 1924 in Indianapolis, Indiana. At the age of nine, he started studying the piano, but decided to play the trombone at the age of 14. In 1941, Johnson started his professional career.

He played in Benny Carter’s orchestra from 1942 to 1945, recording his first solo in 1943. In 1945, he joined the Count Basie Band, touring and recording with him until 1946. In 1947, Johnson began recording as the leader of small groups and in 1954 he joined with Kai Winding to set up the Jay and Kai Quintet which was musically and commercially successful. Starting in the early 1960s, Johnson dedicated more time to composing, writing a number of large scale works which incorporated elements of both classical and jazz music.

In 1970 he began to compose for film and television, scoring movies such as “Across 110th Street” (1972), “Cleopatra Jones” (1973), and “Willie Dynamite” (1974), as well as television series such as “Starsky & Hutch” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.” Johnson was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1995 and designated a NEA Jazz Master, the highest honor the United States bestows upon a jazz musician, by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1996. His autobiography, “The Musical World of J.J. Johnson,” was published in 2000.

On August 28, 1844, George Boyer Vashon graduated from Oberlin College. This was historically significant, because he was the first black student ever to graduate from Oberlin. He received valedictorian honors.

George Boyer Vashon was born on July 25, 1824 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He was the only son and youngest child of his parents, John Bathan and Anne Vashon. John Bathan Vashon was the son of a white man and a woman who was of mixed race. He was a prominent abolitionist who helped establish a school for black children in his community which had been deprived of a public education.

George Vashon attended this school and later went on to do so well in public school that his teacher asked him to help teach other students. He continued to be ambitious and, in 1838, became secretary of the first Juvenile Anti-Slavery Society in the United States.

Two years later, when he was just 16, his father spent a great deal of his fortune to enroll his son in Oberlin College. He was very active in college life and recognized as one of the finest minds in his class. He taught classes while attending college and was recognized by his students as an exceptional scholar and teacher. He was also recognized as a powerful orator.

Graduating from Oberlin was only the first step in Vashon’s long struggle for equality. He went on to study law under Judge Walter Forward – the 15th United States Secretary of the Treasury. Soon after, Frederick Douglass’ paper described George Vashon as one of the most “admirable, intelligent and gentlemanly” men its editors had met.

Yet, in spite of his character, experience and education, Vashon met with opposition when he applied for admission to the Bar in Pennsylvania. According to Frederick Douglass’ paper, “A majority of the committee refused to examine him, because his complexion was a shade darker than their own.”

This rejection caused Vashon to move to Haiti – but he did not give up on his fight to become a lawyer. He passed his bar examination in New York before his trip and became the first black Lawyer in the state. He spent a year in Haiti, before returning to New York.

In New York, he practiced law, paving the way for future black attorneys. He also helped pave the way for black educators in New York, becoming professor of belles-lettres and mathematics at New York Central College. He would go on to become Avery College’s second black president and Howard University’s first black professor and dean. He also represented Rhode Island in the national convention of Colored Men of America.

After a life of breaking down barriers and improving education in America, Vashon contracted yellow fever and died on October 5, 1878. While he was never admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in his lifetime, 163 years later, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court admitted him, in order to correct “a historical injustice.”

Ida’s mother, Elizabeth, was famous for her cooking. Ida’s father was a carpenter. His name was James. The nation’s slaves were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation six months after her birth. Both parents were able to read. They taught Ida to read at an early age. Ida’s father was on the first Rust College Board of Trustees. Education was a priority for his children. Wells received schooling early from Rust College.

Political activists surrounded Ida when she was growing up. She was hopeful about civil rights in American society. A yellow fever epidemic took the lives of her parents and an infant brother in 1878. Ida Wells was 16 years old at the time. Raising her younger sisters and brothers became her responsibility. When her parents died, she was forced to drop out of school. African Americans in Mississippi faced racial prejudice. They were restricted by discriminatory practices and rules.

To support the family, she became a teacher. She landed the teaching job by being resourceful. She convinced a school administrator nearby she was of age. Her life was changed forever during her teaching tenure. She was accustomed to riding in whatever seat she chose on the train. When she refused to move to the African American car, she was forcibly taken from the train. She filed suit against the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad for forbidding her to sit in the coach designated for ladies. She wrote about the experience in a subsequent article. Writing the article led to changing careers. She became an African American journalist.

Wells and her sisters moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1882 where they lived with an aunt. Her brothers became carpenter apprentices. Ida was able to continue her education in Nashville at Fisk University.

Throughout the South, brutal suppression and intimidation was being waged against blacks. Ida Well’s quest for justice and sense of indignation were fueled. She used the power of the written word to expose motives causing the violence. Lynching was her crusade’s target. Lynching was the main tactic used in the strategy of terrorizing blacks. Three male friends of Well’s were successful, law-abiding businessmen who were competing with white businessmen. The outstanding trio were lynched for a crime they had not committed. Wells told of the situation in such a clear, forceful manner that drew attention from both whites and blacks. She contended that lynching was an inflammatory systematic attempt to make the black community subordinate.

In the mid-1880s, Ida went to Chicago. There she met and married fellow crusader, Ferdinand Barnett. The widower was a well-known lawyer and founder of the newspaper, The Conservator. Barnett had two children from the first marriage. Ida raised them and the four children she and Barnett had in the first eight years of their marriage. The added responsibility did not deter Well’s continued, relentless battle for social justice. Along with periodical and newspaper contributions, she founded an institution to assist African American immigrants find homes and jobs. She was one of the NAACP founders. She also helped found the NACW (National Association for Colored Women). She was a suffrage movement activist. She died March 25, 1931. Ida Wells left a formidable legacy in the fight for civil rights. Her undaunted tenacity and courage helped in the battles against sexism and racism in America.

Wells was more outspoken and courageous than few Americans have ever been. She denounced discrimination and exploitation at a time that was literally life-threatening. The committed African American journalist and crusader attacked all fronts of social wrongs. She exposed oppressive African American living conditions and investigated race riots.

On June 21, 1927, Carl Stokes was born. One reason we celebrate his birthday is the fact he was the first major American city mayor to be black.

Being the first black mayor of a major city in the U.S. is not the only accomplishment that deserves recognition. He was a US Ambassador, an Ohio House of Representatives member, a lawyer, soldier, and a father.
Carl B Stokes was born to Charles and Louise Stokes in Cleveland, Ohio. He was their second son. His working class parents were originally from Georgia. The “Great Migration” found them traveling north in pursuit of better economic and social opportunities. Stokes’ father died when he was two. As a single mother, Louise raised the boys in a housing project called Outhwaite Homes.

Carl was an initial high school dropout. Trying to escape poverty, he went to work for Thompson Products. He enlisted in the army in 1945. Stokes served for one year. Returning to Cleveland, he went to high school to graduate. With GI Bill funds, he was able to graduate from both the University of Minnesota and Cleveland Marshal Law School.

Carl worked in the office of the Cleveland prosecutor. That is where his political career began. Beginning in 1962, he was elected to serve in the Ohio House of Representatives. He held the position for three terms. His first attempt at becoming mayor of Cleveland ended in a narrow defeat in 1965. The following mayoral race was also won by a narrow margin. This time, Carl Stokes was victorious. A black political power era in the US came of age.

When Stokes came to office, Cleveland was racially polarized. The majority of blacks lived on the Cuyahoga River’s east side. The neighborhoods were old and crowded. City income tax was increased, and with voter approval, city projects that included schools, housing, and a zoo were initiated. Community needs were addressed by a privately funded program created by Mayor Stokes called “Cleveland Now!”

Carl served two terms as mayor. There was turmoil during his administration. People who had received “Cleveland Now!” funds organized riots that caused Stokes to lose credibility. Their actions caused fund donations to cease. The riots were likely instrumental in his decision not to seek a third term.

We celebrate another first by Carl Stokes. He moved to New York City, and became the first black anchorman for the city. That happened in 1972.

Marriage was not his most successful endeavor. Each of his three marriages ended in divorce. From 1958 to 1972, Stokes was married to Shirley Edwards. He married and divorced his second wife twice. Carl and Raija Kostadinov were married in 1981. They were divorced in 1993 and 1996. The four children belonging to Stokes all have names that begin with the letter “C.” They were Cynthia, Cordell, Cordi, and Carl Jr.

Other family members had civic and political interests. His brother, Louis Stokes, was a former US Congressman. A niece, Angela Stokes, was a Cleveland judge. Lori Stokes, another niece, was a broadcast journalist.

Carl B Stokes died April 3, 1996. He had been stationed in the Seychelles. While there, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Stokes chose the Cleveland Clinic for treatment. A grave marker at the Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland reads. “Ambassador Carl B. Stokes.” That was the job for which he had the most pride. On the date of his birth, a group from Cleveland gather at his grave site to celebrate his life.

This date is notable because he made history as both the first African American and the youngest Masters champion. Most golfers can only dream of winning the Masters; yet, Tiger Woods, on this date in 1997, did so in only his second season playing as a professional.

Throughout his distinguished athletic career, Woods has been one of the most successful players in golf history. Fans can usually find Tiger ranked the top player in the world. The child of an African American father and Thai mother, Tiger Woods dominates a sport that has traditionally lacked racial diversity.

Such a high profile comes at a price. During 2009 and 2010, a marriage infidelity scandal caused several major corporations to rescind their sponsorship agreements with Tiger Woods. Nevertheless, the seemingly intrepid Woods regained form after a brief hiatus from the sport to become the number one golfer again by March 2013.

Early Life

Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods was born on December 30, 1975 to Earl and Kultida Woods in Cypress, California. Earl and Kultida met in Thailand in 1968. At the time, Earl was a commissioned Army officer serving on duty in the Vietnam War. The couple gave their son the nickname “Tiger” in honor of a close friend Earl had during his military service.

After graduating high school, Tiger Woods chose to attend Stanford University on a golf scholarship. He joined the Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour in 1996 following graduation.

The 1997 Masters Golf Tournament

Tiger Woods’ victory in the 1997 Masters Golf Tournament solidified his role as one of the top players in the history of the sport. He was able to dominate the field, finishing play with a twelve-stroke advantage over the closest competitor. For the African American community, the Woods Masters championship had added significance. The tournament site, the elite Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, has a long history of racial segregation, admitting its first black member only in 1990. With this win, Tiger Woods symbolized the changing complexion of the PGA Tour and golf in general.

Woods has been the source of much publicity, some negative. For example, some African Americans took offense to his claim to being of “Cablinasian,” ethnicity in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. By employing this term, he intended to honor his mixed-race, Caucasian, Black and Asian heritages. Perhaps more prominent were the 2009 revelations of extramarital affairs that eventually led to a divorce with his then-wife of six years, Elin Nordegren.

Despite the few downfalls, Tiger Woods today has maintained a perennial spot as the top golfer on the PGA Tour. He is undoubtedly the PGA’s most recognizable member.

It was sponsored by the American Baptist Women’s Home Mission Society. Spelman ultimately became the nation’s African-American women’s premiere educational institution. U.S. News and World Report has ranked the school among top liberal arts institutions. Spelman Seminary is part of the Atlanta University Center complex. Forbes magazine listed the country’s best colleges for women and placed Spelman in the top 10. John D. Rockefeller’s family gave substantial support to the college. The oldest campus building was built with money donated by the Rockefeller family.

Among colleges and universities that produce Fulbright Scholars, Spelman ranks in the top 50. It produces the second largest number of African-American graduates who go on to medical school. There are some prestigious alumni of the college. The list includes Children Defense Fund founder, Marion Wright Edelman; opera singer, Mattiwilda Dobbs; Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist; and actress Esther Rolle.

The first two teachers of the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary were Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Guiles. The two met when Ms. Packard was the New Salem Academy preceptress, and Ms. Giles was a student there. They became lifelong friends. Together they traveled to Atlanta for the specific purpose of founding a school for black women. Friendship Baptist Church pastor, Frank Quarles, was very supportive.

There were 11 African-American women in the first class. The founders had been given $100 from the Medford, Massachusetts First Baptist Church. They also had a promise of future support from a group they were affiliated with in Boston. The group was the Women’s American Baptist Home Missionary Society. Though many of their first students were illiterate, the vision the women had for the school’s curriculum included evidences of Christianity, moral philosophy, zoology, astronomy, Constitution of the United States, botany, chemistry, psychology (then called mental philosophy), political economy, geometry, rhetoric, Latin essay, physiology, and algebra. More students were attracted to the seminary. By the end of the first term, the enrollment had increased to 80 students. The missionary society made a down payment for a site in Atlanta that was near the church where the school began. It was a nine-acre plot having five buildings to be used as classrooms and a residence hall.

The two founders went to Massachusetts in 1882 to bid for revenue. That is where they met the wealthy businessman, John D. Rockefeller. He was particularly impressed with the vision that Ms. Packard held for the school. The school grew quickly. In 1884, there were 16 faculty members and 600 students. That was also the year Rockefeller visited the school. Atlanta’s black community’s generous donations were helping the school survive. Teachers were volunteering and supplies were being donated. Black community groups, philanthropists, and many of Atlanta’s black churches donated and raised money to settle the property debt that remained. Mr. Rockefeller, being impressed with their efforts, settled the property debt for them. Rockefeller’s wife and in-laws were also supporters of the school. Rockefeller’s wife’s family name was Spelman. The Spelmans were long time abolition activists. In appreciation of their support, the name of the school was renamed to the Spelman Seminary in 1924.

Spelman College founded in 1881, has undergone many changes over the years. Over 2100 students comprise today’s student body. Fifteen foreign countries and 41 states are represented. Spelman continues to inspire commitment through service to bring about positive social change. The school is dedicated to leadership development. Intellect, creativity, and ethics are fostered. Students gain academic excellence in the sciences and liberal arts.

Carey was born August 25, 1868 in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Atlanta University in 1888 and became a licensed preacher.

In 1898, Carey moved to Chicago, Illinois to pastor Quinn Chapel AME, the oldest black church in the city. He built a strong reputation as a powerful and talented preacher and maintained political connections with the Republican Party. In 1915, he was appointed to head Illinois’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation. Carey also served as chaplain of the all-black Illinois 8th Regiment during World War I. Carey later served as the Chief Examiner of Claims for the City of Chicago and on the Chicago Civil Service Commission where he used his influence to promote the hiring of African American police officers.

His invention was a brush that produced a brighter finish. Dorticus also received patent number 537,442 on April 16, 1895 for a method of mounting and embossing photographs, patent number 537,968 on April 23, 1895 for a photographic print or negative washer, and patent number 629,315 on July 18, 1899 for a hose lead stop. Other than the fact that he was born in Cuba, little else is known of Dorticus’ life.

In 1955, Pickett moved to Detroit, Michigan where he joined a gospel group and developed his forceful, passionate style of singing.

In 1959, he joined The Falcons who’s biggest success was “I Found a Love” (1962). Soon after, Pickett went solo and in 1963 had his first success as a solo artist with “It’s Too Late.” Over the next few years, he had a number of hits, including “In the Midnight Hour” (1965), “Mustang Sally” (1966), “Funky Broadway” (1967), “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You” (1970), and “Don’t Knock My Love” (1971).

In 1999, Pickett was nominated for a Grammy Award for his album “It’s Harder Now.” In 1991, Pickett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1993 he received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Pickett died January 19, 2006.

Bruce was born enslaved on March 1, 1841 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Because his father was white, he was able to legally free Bruce and arrange for a trade apprenticeship.

In 1864, Bruce moved to Missouri where he established a school for blacks and during the Reconstruction Period became a wealthy landowner in the Mississippi Delta. Over the years, he won elections in Bolivar County, Mississippi to sheriff, tax collector, and supervisor of education. In 1874, he was elected by the state legislature to the United States Senate where he served until 1881.

In 1881, Bruce was appointed by President James Garfield to be Register of the Treasury, making him the first African American whose signature appeared on United States paper currency. Bruce served on the Board of Trustees of Howard University from 1894 to his death. Bruce’s home in Washington, D.C. was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975 and a number of schools around the country are named in his honor, including the Blanche Kelso Bruce Academy School District in Detroit, Michigan. An account of Bruce’s political life and that of his descendents is given in “The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America’s First Black Dynasty” (2006).

Bronson was born enslaved in 1838 in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.

After gaining his freedom, he enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 as a private in Company D of the 5th Colored Infantry Regiment. By September 29, 1864, he had risen to the rank of first sergeant. On that date, he was among a division of black troops assigned to attack the Confederates at New Market Heights.

The attack was met with intense fire and many of the regiment’s officers were killed or wounded in the charge, including the regimental commander and all of Company D’s officers. Bronson took command of Company D and led a renewed attack which successfully captured the Confederate positions. For his actions, Bronson was awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration, on April 6, 1865.

Hopkins developed a deep appreciation of the blues at the age of eight, but did not make his first recording until 1946.

By 1960, Hopkins had cemented his reputation as one of the most compelling blues performers and he made his debut at Carnegie Hall in October of that year. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Hopkins released one or more albums a year and toured, playing at major folk festivals in the United States and internationally. His recordings include “Last Night Blues” (1960), “Lightnin’ Strikes” (1965), “My Life in the Blues” (1967), and “Freeform Patterns” (1968).

It is estimated that Hopkins recorded between 800 and 1000 songs during his career and recorded more albums than any other bluesman. His informal lifestyle was captured in the 1967 documentary “The Blues According to Lightnin’ Hopkins.” Hopkins died January 30, 1982 and there is a statute of him in Crockett, Texas. A state historical marker was dedicated to him in 2010 in Houston, Texas. Biographies of Hopkins include “Lightnin’ Hopkins: Blues Guitar Legend” (1995), “Deep Down Hard Blues: Tribute to Lightnin’” (1995), and “Lightnin’ Hopkins: His Life and Blues” (2010).

In 1951, Jones won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, but abandoned his studies when he received an offer to play in the band of Lionel Hampton.

In 1956, he toured the Middle East and South America as musical director of the Dizzy Gillespie Band and upon his return to the United States began his recording career as the leader of his own band. In 1964, Jones composed the first of his 33 motion picture scores for the film “The Pawnbroker.” Other film compositions include “In Cold Blood” (1967), “In The Heat of the Night” (1967), “The Italian Job” (1969), and “The Color Purple” (1985). Jones’s recordings also garnered acclaim, including “Walking In Space” (1969), “Smackwater Jack” (1971), “The Dude” (1981), and “Q’s Jook Joint” (1995).

In 1985, Jones produced and conducted “We Are the World” to raise money for the victims of Ethiopia’s famine. Jones also produced “Off The Wall” (1979), “Thriller” (1982), and “Bad” (1987) for Michael Jackson. In 1971, Jones became the first African American to be named musical director/conductor of the Academy Awards ceremony and in 1995 he was the first African American to win the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Additionally, Jones has earned a record 79 Grammy Award nominations and 27 Grammy Awards, including the 1991 Grammy Legend Award. In 2008, Jones was designated a NEA Jazz Master, the highest honor bestowed by the United States on a Jazz musician, by the National Endowment of the Arts.

Jones is one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music which is raising funds for a national library of African American art and music and he is the founder of the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation which connects youth with technology, education, culture, and music. In 2000, Harvard University endowed the Quincy Jones Professorship of Afro-American Music, in 2007 Jones received the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, and in 2009 he received the Clinton Global Citizen Award for Leadership in Philanthropy.

In 2010, Jones was presented with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor bestowed on an individual artist by the United States, by President Barack Obama. “The Autobiography of Quincy Jones” was published in 2001.

Burgess earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in social work from the University of Michigan in 1930 and 1931, respectively.

He earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Episcopal Theological School in 1934. Burgess was ordained to the priesthood in 1935 and later put in charge of a church outside of Cincinnati that he described as “the poorest of the poor.” There he administered a social service center, medical clinic, and day school in an effort to make the church a place that ministered to the whole person. From 1951 to 1956, Burgess served at the Washington National Cathedral where he used the national pulpit to heighten the social conscience of the Episcopal Church.

In 1962, Burgess was elected an assisting bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and in 1970 he was installed as the diocese’s bishop, making him the first African American to head a diocese. After retiring in 1975, Bishop Burgess taught at Yale University’s Berkeley Divinity School and served as board chairman at St. Augustine’s College. He published his autobiography, “The Reminiscences of an American Scholar,” in 1966 and died August 24, 2003.

A successful businessman, Dahmer owned a store, sawmill, and a 200 acre farm. He served several terms as president of the Forrest County Chapter of the NAACP and led voter registration drives during the 1960s.

He also helped other African Americans pay their poll tax for the right to vote. On the night of January 10, 1966, his home was firebombed. His wife and children escaped, but he was severely burned and died the following day. Authorities indicted 14 men, most with Ku Klux Klan connections, for the attack on Dahmer’s home. Four were convicted and one entered a guilty plea. In 1998, Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard Sam Bowers was convicted for his involvement in the crime and sentenced to life in prison. He died in prison in 2006. Vernon Dahmer Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi is named in his honor.