by larry | Oct 20, 2022
Andrew Rube Foster (1879-1930) is considered the Father of Black Baseball. A player, manager, owner and commissioner, he founded the Negro National League in 1920 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. Illinois Connection: Played with the Chicago...
by larry | Oct 11, 2022
Jean Baptiste DuSable (1748-1818), a fur trader, entrepreneur, and linguist who became the first non-indigenous settler of Chicago, was born a freeman in what is now Haiti. He spoke French, Spanish, English, and several native dialects.
by larry | Oct 11, 2022
Robert Sengstacke Abbot (1868-1940) is considered the Father of Black Journalism and the first African-American media mogul. In 1905 he founded the Chicago Defender, known as America’s Black Newspaper. Illinois Connections: Chicago Resident
by larry | Oct 11, 2022
Sarah E. Goode (1855-1905) was the first African American woman to be granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She invented a folding cabinet bed that could be converted into a writing desk. Illinois Connections: A Chicago Resident
by larry | Oct 11, 2022
Oscar Stanton De Priest (1871-1951), was a businessman who became the first Black member of the Chicago City Council in 1915. In 1929 he was the first African American to be elected to Congress in the 20th century. Illinois Connections: Chicago Resident
