Trailblazers
The African American Trailblazers DVD features 12 legendary African-American men and women who changed Virginia and our nation.
Anthony Johnson, Jamestown, VA
Indentured servant turned landowner
Date of birth unknown – 1680
(photo is an actor as there are no known photographs of Anthony Johnson)
In the early seventeenth century, Anthony Johnson arrived in Jamestown, VA in 1621 as an indentured servant. Defying all odds, Johnson eventually purchased his freedom, and went on to own over 250 acres of land and his own herd of cattle. Johnson’s extraordinary success was a tribute to his hard work and economic resourcefulness.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
James Lafayette, New Kent County, VA
Revolutionary spy for the Americans
December 10, 1748 – August 9, 1830
James Lafayette’s espionage intelligence reports were instrumental in helping to defeat the British at Yorktown. On January 9, 1786, the Virginia State Legislature granted the slave known only as "James" his freedom for services rendered and for his bravery as a spy during the siege of Yorktown.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
John Mercer Langston, Louisa County, VA
First elected African American Congressman from Virginia
December 14, 1829 – November 15, 1897
John Mercer Langston was the first African American elected to public office. Langston became the first black lawyer in Ohio after passing the Bar Exam in 1854. Langston played a significant role in advancing the cause of abolition and civil rights both legally and politically, and was elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia during Reconstruction.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Booker T. Washington, Franklin, VA
Educator and Founder of Tuskegee Institute
April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915
Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in Franklin, Virginia. At the age of 16, Washington attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, now Hampton University, to train as a teacher. Although labeled by some black activists as an "accommodator", his cooperative work with white people and wealthy philanthropists, helped raise funds to establish and operate hundreds of small community schools and institutions of higher education for the betterment of black persons throughout the South.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Maggie L. Walker, Richmond, VA
First female bank president in United States
July 15, 1867 – December 15, 1934
Maggie L. Walker achieved national prominence as a businesswoman and community leader. Most notably, she was the first African American female bank founder in the United States.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Carter G. Woodson, Buckingham County, VA
Father of Black History Month, Author and Historian
December 19, 1875 – April 3, 1950
Carter Woodson was an African American historian, author, journalist and the founder of Black History Month. Woodson’s life mission became popularizing the value of black history. He recognized and acted upon the importance of a people having an awareness and knowledge of their contributions to humanity.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Anne Spencer, Henry County, VA
Harlem Renaissance Poet and influential Civil Rights leader
February 6, 1882 – July 27, 1975
Anne Spencer was an accomplished poet whose poems conveyed a romantic concern with the human search for beauty and meaning during the Harlem Renaissance period. Spencer’s work later influenced Maya Angelou, Alice Walker and others.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Roger Arliner Young, Clifton Forge, VA
First African American woman with PhD in zoology
April 18, 1889 – November 9, 1964
Dr. Roger Arliner Young was a scientist who worked in the fields of zoology, biology, and marine biology. She is distinguished as the first black woman to conduct and publish research in her field. Young was also the first black woman to receive a doctorate degree in zoology.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Ella Josephine Baker, Norfolk, VA
Civil Rights Leader
December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986
Ella Baker was an activist who was instrumental in founding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Baker led the fight to desegregate New York City public schools and was also the first woman to head the New York branch of the NAACP.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Ella Fitzgerald, Newport News, VA
Grammy winning Singer/Songwriter, Jazz Icon
April 25, 1918 – June 15, 1996
Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Max Robinson, Richmond, VA
First African American network news anchor
May 1, 1939 – December 20, 1988
Robinson began his television career in 1959, when he was hired for a news job in Portsmouth, Virginia. He later became the first African American to anchor a national news program and went on to win six journalism awards for coverage of civil rights events such as the riots that followed the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
Arthur Ashe, Richmond, VA
Athlete/Author/Civil Rights activist
July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993
Arthur Ashe was one of the most prominent tennis players of his time. Ashe is the only black male tennis player to win the men’s singles event at the U.S. Open (1968), the Australian Open (1970) and Wimbledon (1975). Ashe was also an acclaimed author and an outspoken advocate for several social causes including the ending of apartheid in South Africa.
For a more detailed biography, click here.
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Please send us an email at Robert@richmondregion2007.com.
