Houston Black History: Hon. Albert Ely Edwards
State Representative, Hon. Albert Ely Edwards was born in Houston, Texas on March 19, 1937. Edwards is the sixth child out of the 16 children born to Reverend E. L. Edwards, Sr. and Josephine Radford Edwards. He graduated from Phyllis Wheatley High School and attended Texas Southern University, earning his B.A. degree in 1966. At […]
A Lifelong Businessman: Mack Hannah Jr.
By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D. Mack Henry Hannah Jr. was born into an enterprising family on February 8, 1904, and grew up in Brenham, TX. His father was known as “Daddy Mack,” and was involved in many business ventures like saloons, a barbershop, a drug store, poolhalls, and a restaurant. In 1920, his family opened the […]
Know Your History: Pastor William “Bill” Lawson
William A. “Bill” Lawson was born in St. Louis, Mo., reared in Kansas City, Kansas, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Tennessee A & I State University of Nashville in 1950. He returned to Kansas City to attend Central Baptist Theological Seminary, which conferred upon Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology […]
Know Your History: Jack Yates
By: Jeniece Thompson John Henry (Jack) Yates was born into slavery in Gloucester County, Virginia on July 11, 1828. Even though it was illegal, he learned how to read. As a young person, he participated in slaves’ religious gatherings. He married Harriet Willis, and in this union, they had eleven children. In 1863, Harriet’s master […]
Know Your History: Mickey Leland
By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D. Mickey Leland was a person who believed in helping others. He once stated, “I am as much of a citizen of this world as I am of this country. To hell with those people who are critical of what I am able to do to help save people’s lives. I don’t […]
2021 Notable Deaths
We’ve lost a lot of the greats this year. With respect, we pay homage to all of those pioneers, trailblazers and notable figures who left such an invaluable mark in our lives and history. Cicely Tyson Cicely Tyson, one of the most iconic actresses in Black history and Hollywood, died at the age of 96. […]
Know Your History: George T. Ruby
There are so many African Americans who fought for our advancement in the Texas political arena, and we won’t stop until you get to know them all. Learn about George Thompson Ruby in this week’s “Know Your History.” Ruby (1841-1882) was a prominent black Republican leader in Reconstruction-era Texas. Born in New York and raised […]
Know Your History: Harris County political leader Richard Allen
As we approach yet another round of voting, we want to highlight a little known politician who made major strides as an African American right here in Harris County. In this week’s “Know Your History,” we introduce you to political and civic leader Richard Allen. Allen was born a slave in Richmond, Virginia on June […]
Know your history: Samuel McCulloch Jr.
As we all know, Blacks have been fighting for their freedom and recognition since being brought to this country. Many, who lived right here in Texas, were on the forefront of those battles. In this week’s “Know Your History,” we salute Samuel McCulloch Jr. McCulloch was a free Negro soldier who became known as the […]
Shining A Spotlight On Resistance Among Young African Women
By: NNPA The #SudanWomenProtest, which began in 2019, targeted the leadership of Omar al Bashir (former Sudan head of state). Thousands of women united in rejecting policies that gave credence to sexist and discriminatory laws. The revolt was a shock to many despite the years of resistance from Sudanese women. Social media provided them with […]
