Lee Roy Young Jr. grew up in Texas hoping to join the elite Rangers Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Young’s boyhood dream came true on this day in 1988 when he was sworn in as a Texas Ranger. Young was born January 8, 1947 in Del Rio, Texas. Raised by his grandparents […]
Guion “Guy” Bluford made his dreams of flying among the stars a reality on this day in 1983, becoming the first African-American astronaut in space. Bluford logged well over 600 hours in space before retiring, and still managed to accomplish goals even beyond his historic achievement. Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. was born November 22, 1942 […]
Malvin R. Goode was a pioneer in broadcast journalism, becoming the first African-American news correspondent for a major television network on this day in 1962. Goode arrived at the pinnacle of his career later in life, but his accomplishment serves as a testament to the work ethic he developed in the steel mills of Pittsburgh. […]
Nick Gabaldon has been recognized by California’s surf historians as the first surfer of color to emerge from the tight-knit community. Gabaldon has been hailed for breaking barriers in the sport, and serves as an inspiration for other Black and Latino surfers around the world. Nicolás Rolando Gabaldón was born February 23, 1927 in Los […]
Mark C. Alexander, a longtime legal professor and scholar, was named the dean of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law last Friday. The position makes Alexander the first African-American to hold a post at the prestigious law school. Alexander, 51, is known in the law community as an expert of the First Amendment, penning […]
Samuel L. Gravely Jr. was named the first Black admiral for the U.S. Navy on April 28, 1971. It was just one of several milestones…
Emmett Ashford broke a significant color barrier in Major League Baseball by becoming the league’s first Black umpire 50 years ago this week. Ashford was…
Dr. Homer E. Harris Jr. made history twice – as the first Black football captain of his high school team in Seattle, Washington, and later…
Lt. Commander John W. Lee Jr. was the first Black commissioned Navy officer, achieving the historic feat on this day in 1947. The late Navy…
The federal space agency NASA ushered in a new era by integrating workplaces across several regions in the Deep South. Morgan Watson, considered NASA’s first…
Erroll M. Brown was named the U.S. Coast Guard’s first admiral in 1998, completing a long journey that began when he was a high school…
While most history books point to Shirley Chisholm as the first Black person to run for the office of the President of the United States,…
