Alonzo (Pookie) Johnson (Oct. 5, 1927-Sept. 3, 2005). Alonzo Ernest Johnson, known as “Pookie,” was born in Indianapolis. He grew up downtown, attending… Read More »Alonzo (Pookie) Johnson
James Louis (J. J.) Johnson (Jan. 22, 1924 -Feb. 4, 2001). James Louis (J. J.) Johnson entered the world of music at nine years old.… Read More »James Louis (J. J.) Johnson
Mingo Jones (Dec. 16, 1928-Apr. 3, 2017). Mingo Jones was born and raised in Missouri. His father and uncle played the trumpet… Read More »Mingo Jones
Sam H. Jones Sr. (Mar. 3, 1928-Mar. 26, 2006). Sam Jones was born in Heidelberg, Mississippi, the son of Henry and Sallie Belle Jones.… Read More »Sam H. Jones Sr.
William George Ryder Jr. (Feb. 25, 1935-May 5, 2017). William George Ryder Jr. was born in Baskett, Kentucky, to William George Ryder Sr. and… Read More »William George Ryder Jr.
Etheridge Knight (Apr. 19, 1931-Mar. 10, 1991). Born in Corinth, Mississippi, Etheridge Knight was the son of Belzora Cozart Knight and Etheridge… Read More »Etheridge Knight
George L. Knox (Sept. 16, 1841-Aug. 24, 1927). African American publisher George L. Knox embodied Booker T. Washington’s values of economic uplift and… Read More »George L. Knox
Henry Jackson Lewis (ca. 1830s-Apr. 10, 1891). Henry Jackson Lewis was born enslaved near Water Valley, Mississippi in the late 1830s, although some… Read More »Henry Jackson Lewis
Violet Temple Lewis (May 27, 1897-Mar. 22, 1968). Violet Temple Lewis was born in Lima, Ohio, to William David Harrison and Eva Brown… Read More »Violet Temple Lewis
Cheney Lively (ca. 1790s-1858). Cheney Lively (also spelled Chaney, Chany, China, or Chinny) may have been the city’s first permanent African American… Read More »Cheney Lively