Browse Items (378 total)

Civil rights pioneer Olivia Ferguson McQueen successfully challenged school segregation in 1959, but did not receive her diploma for another fifty-four years.

Charlottesville

James Heyward Blackwell advanced the cause of African American public education in Richmond for more than forty years.

Richmond

Born into slavery, Lott Cary purchased his own freedom and became an early leader in the new West African colony of Liberia.

Charles City County

Seamstress and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln, former slave Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly wrote a book detailing her life and experiences in the White House.

Dinwiddie County

Born into slavery, Jennie Serepta Dean founded a school at a time when segregation limited educational opportunities for African American students.

Manassas

Peter Jacob Carter rose from slavery to be an influential member of the General Assembly and sought-after political speaker during the 1870s and 1880s.

Northampton County

For his bravery during battle in the American Civil War, Sergeant William H. Carney was the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Norfolk

After a decorated career as a military and commercial pilot, William E. Bailey continues to work for increased diversity in the aviation profession and to expand educational opportunities for African Americans.

Accomack County

A nationally celebrated Baptist minister, Wyatt Tee Walker was a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement.

Petersburg

Throughout her pioneering career in science, Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert has encouraged and inspired women and minorities to choose careers in math and science.

Suffolk