Help US Black Heritage create/honor more African-American notables

Question

I'm creating this post as a both a call to action and a reference for others who create profiles for new notables. The US Black Heritage Project is playing "catch up" at WikiTree. What does that mean? We are hoping to create profiles for as many Black/African-American notables as we possibly can. We're behind, meaning many of our notables are not yet represented here. 

We use a slightly different standard in the USBH for what constitutes a notable. Not all of our notables will have WikiPedia pages because they're under represented there too. So for our definition, if they should have a WikiPedia page, they're notable. If they're notable on a more local level, that's okay too.

A question came up on a g2g post of why we're grouping Black American notables separately rather than just calling them American notables and here is my answer to that:

We have talked about this very thing in the project to great lengths. We are straddling a line between honoring them for doing great things as an African-American (against all odds) and not separating them out by "color." For now, we are deciding as a project to go ahead and group them as African-American notables because we want to honor and highlight these Americans in a big way and recognize what they had to overcome to achieve what they did.

Eventually, this need may change as our country changes. Our project is very aware of this issue and will be flexible and continue to be sensitive to the needs of the African-American community both in the country and at WikiTree.

Would you like to help us catch up? 

If you know of Black American notables who have profiles, but haven't been brought to our attention (not co-managed by the project or another project), please post here on an answer with their Wiki-IDs. If you know of a notable and they don't have a profile, please create one. Even if it's only a basic one. Please post the Wiki-ID here and we will ask to co-manage that profile with you so we can honor and highlight the person. 

Where can you find notables? Our Topical Teams page has lists of notables--many of them with profiles not yet created. Or you can just google your favorite group you like to work with (such as basketball players or actors).  Right now we're focusing only on non-living notables.

Do you want someone in the project to create a profile for a notable you have in mind? You can post that here too.

Thanks for helping us grow our Tree and represent a part of our population deserving of honor.

Comments

I will let you know the next time I come across a dozen or so folk who could do with profiles.  (I junked the list I used to have, because I simply could not create profiles for them.)

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Thanks, Melanie!

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How about Kim Hamilton?  Third wife of Werner Klemperer (whose profile could do with some TLC).  I looked, but did not find a profile for her.

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Bibb

https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/bibb/bibb.html

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I had a spare hour or two so I threw together a fairly minimal (by my standards :) ) profile for Kim Hamilton and improved Werner Klemperer. Klemperer was such a big part of my childhood and early adulthood (I still shake my fist and say "Ho-o-gan!" when someone frustrates me) that I wanted to source his profile a little bit and then things got outta control.

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Thank you for doing that.  I'd have loved to try Werner, but felt it a tad beyond my abilities regards American profiles -- plus I'm still working on the Kenny family (Australia).  

(I still shake my fist and say "Ho-o-gan!" when someone frustrates me)

I have - more than once - used "I know nothing . . . NOTHing . . ." and my kids always found it hilarious.  (A year or so ago I rewatched the entire series on youtube.  No idea if that's still possible, given how much gets taken down.)

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Thank you, Lola. I got Henry Bibb created.

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Ty, he is one of my ancestors, I just haven't made it that far.

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Lola, when you get to where your tree meets up with Henry Bibb, let me know and I'll get you added to his profile if you want.

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Ty, still have a bit to go...I just didn't want him left out.

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I want to nominate the mother and siblings of Fritz Pollard (the gridiron guy) -- because they are ALL worthy of note.  (Don't yet know anything about his father, but this is for Fritz's older brother Luther :

Luther, the second born of John and Amanda, was an all-star athlete. In high school he played on the football team and was one of the best pitchers on the baseball team. Luther tried to become a professional baseball player in the major leagues, but was not signed. At that time, no African Americans were allowed on any professional major league baseball team. When he failed to convince the scouts that he was actually a Native American, his baseball dreams were over. This was another racial incident that blacks of this time had to face. Despite the disappointment, Luther still played on an organized Rogers Park team.

Professionally, Luther became a life and accident insurance agent then worked as a manager of an advertising department. These careers did not completely satisfy him, and so in the spirit of his entrepreneur parents, he launched a lucrative moving picture production company called Ebony Film Corporation. According to stock certificates, his company was worth about $500,000 which translates to about $25 million today.

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Another brother, John Hughes "Hughes", was an :

an outstanding football player, but decided a career as a musician better suited him. This flamboyant gentleman joined the highly popular Chicago jazz group called the Melody Four as a drummer. He performed all over Europe and Australia with the group. Then Hugh joined the French army during WWI. Unfortunately, he died of complications due to a mustard gas attack. 

Source is a page called The Forgotten Pollards (found while working on Fritz's family for the upcoming EPOW).

edited to add WT link to Fritz 

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It seems to me that, even though he doesn't have a Wikipedia page, Cicely Tyson's cousin Edwin Schubert "Schubie" Swanston should be considered notable.  He was "a pianist, composer, arranger, organist and vocal coach, who was taught to play piano by his father, a piano tuner. At the tender age of eight, he gave his first solo performance." 

In 1949 he helped set up Vamp Studio (a voice studio), whose clients included Eartha Kitt and Shirley Jones.

 

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Here is a new one I just created.  Thinking he may be connected to my family, but still unable to verify.

Los Angeles art curator, Cecil Fergerson
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fergerson-73

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Thanks, Randall. I sent you a request on the profile. I love his title of "Living Cultural Treasure"

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Done!  I thought it was pretty cool, too.  The project will want to check out the 16+ hour Oral History Interview he gave in 1990.  Lots of great stuff in there.

Answer 1

I have been slowly working on a profile for Clarence "Big" Miller, a musician who immigrated to Canada from the US. He already has a Wikipedia entry as well as an entry in the Canadian Encyclopedia. I am also working on connecting his family and think I am getting closer. Should I add the "Notable" sticker or does the project do that?

Comments

Yes, you can definitely add the Notables sticker. Thanks!

Answer 2

I've just created a profile for https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pace-3922 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Pace who Radiolab just did a fantastic 3-part series on: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/vanishing-harry-pace-episode-1 . I'm happy to add this group as a profile manager. Just let me know who to add.

Comments

Thank you Shawn for creating this fabulous profile and getting him connected! I'll send you a trusted list request for the project with instructions.

Answer 3

The Classic Disney Project has just begun working on connecting to the Big Tree, the cast of the 1941 animated feature film Dumbo. Although their scenes are somewhat controversial today, Dumbo was the first Disney film to feature African-American voice actors. 

I have recently created profiles for two of these cast members:

Hall Johnson - noted composer and arranger of spiritual music.

Nick Stewart - actor famous for his role on TVs Amos 'n Andy Show.

The third African-American actor, James Baskett, is managed by someone else. He was perhaps best known for his role as Uncle Remus and for being the first Black person to be honored with an Academy Award. 

None of these profiles is yet connected and all three need work with developing profiles, sourcing, etc. I welcome anyone who would like to help enhance the profiles of these legendary men and would be happy to share management with the U.S. Black Heritage Project team. 

Classic Disney Project

Answer 4

I would like to work on this and suggest putting Benjamin O. Davis, Sr as a notable one to profile. He was born in 1880 and was the first African American to before a Brigadier General. He son Benjamin O. Davis Jr, also made the rank of 4 star general. I am not sure how to access etc. Thanks

Comments

Hi Shelley, We have profiles for Benjamin Davis and his son

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Davis-34612

you can see what profiles we already have for our notables by looking in the notables category here:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:African-American_Notables

We currently have 1363 categorized

Thanks!

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Thank you! I located them.

Answer 5

Here is an interesting source you may find helpful.

African Americans @ Dartmouth College, 1775-1960. I came upon it while looking for Henry Jenkins Roberts, (Roberts-11836).

Comments

Oh wow! Fabulous resource, Joyce. I'll add it to our resource sandbox. Thanks!

Answer 6

Hi Emma,

I created a profile for William M. Mitchell, he has a wikipedia page. His profile is Mitchell-33264> I added a sticker, you are welcome to add project box and manage as needed.

Answer 7

I just created a profile for Marion Isaac McClinton, a personal friend of the family, who is a notable theatre director, actor and playwright. I did give him both a USBH category and a notable sticker. I would like to stay as co-manager.

Comments

Awesome, thanks Gina! I'll send a trusted list request. Profile creators always stay on as co-managers if they wish when the USBH Project is added except in the case of living notables whose profiles have been made public, due to privacy rules.

Answer 8

FRANK GRANT Baseball Hall of Fame. Someone else might like to create a profile for him.

Wikipedia

Family Search Profile

And if you want to connect him to the tree, take a look at my free space page. Most of the non-white families in Berkshire County intermarried, and can, with a bit of effort, be connected to Mehitable Tucker or the Persip family.

Comments

Thanks Joyce. We now have a profile for Frank and will continue to build it. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Grant-19198

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Thanks, Emma!

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See my post about Frank Grant under "baseball"

Answer 9

While he is a living Notable, he was "notable" enough to open his privacy a little. Mike Warren was an exceptional collegiate basketball player and an actor, known most for his role on Hill Street Blues. He is now retired, but is also the father of Cash Warren, who is married to actress Jessica Alba. Jessica is connected to the global tree, and as such, so is the Warren family. Just wanted to bring some attention to his profile in case additional stickers need to be added or someone has an interest in his profile or his family.

As an added bonus, as a connected profile, if someone wants to add to his family tree, I'm sure we could connect a significant number of additional families through this line.

Answer 10

Greetings, today's Seattle Times had a lovely long article about George Bush, the founder of the first non-indigenous settlement in what was then Washington Territory. He has a wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bush_(pioneer) and had a bare-minimum WT profile: Bush-7488. I added part of the Times article and linked it, added the African-American sticker and some research notes. I'm happy that Washington State is finally getting around to honoring this pioneer, and hope we will also honor him as a Black Notable.

Comments

Wonderful, thank you, Valorie! Did you add him to the proposed notables tab on our Notables spreadsheet? As a project member, you have access to that.

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I have now done so!

Answer 11

I made a page for Donn Clendenon a notable baseball player for the 1969 Mets.

Clendenon-21

Comments

Thanks, Nancy. I got him added to the project.

Answer 12

I just created a profile for [[Randolph-4155|Peter Randolph (abt.1825-abt.1897)]] former slave of Carter H. Edloe. He was instrumental in helping to emancipate himself and 65 other slaves after the death of Edloe, whose will intended for their manumission. He and the 65 now emancipated slaves went to Boston. Randolph became a preacher and wrote an autobiography, From Slave Cabin to the Pulpit. He does not have a Wikipedia page. But his life is notable.

Comments

Thanks, Gina. I sent you a message about this profile

Answer 13

I'm continuing in my rarer every day free time to add to the tree of Hank Aaron in hopes of a connection. I did a WikiTree+ check on him and he's up to 175 profiles connected to his currently isolated tree. I guess it's a good and bad thing that most of the profiles I've added (I can't take credit for all 175) have been within a single bloodline of his (the Wiggins) and I'm only now spreading to the Scott line to add more. I'll keep at him as best I can, but from what I can tell, there's going to be tons of possibilities as the marriages alone will allow another 50+ families to be added into his line. I'm sure that one of them will eventually lead to a connection, so it's really only a matter of time and effort.

Comments

I hear you! I'm still trying to connect Emlen Tunnell, the NFL star and having similar difficulties.I did finally find his father's name though.

Answer 14

Charles C Dawson, artist https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dawson-11271

Sherman Hemsley : https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hemsley-287

Louis L Redding [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Redding-1439]

Ruby Ruffin Hurley [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ruffin-808]

Comments

Thanks, Natalie. I got these added. I can't believe we didn't already have a profile for Sherman Hemsley! He was an everyday face in my life when I was a kid 

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I'll create Isabel Sanford, too. Adored her.

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Yes! You can't have one without the other

Answer 15

I don't think he has a wikipedia page...

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kiah-40 (he's connected by marriage to another notable, Louis L. Redding)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/210996639/calvin-lycurgus-kiah

His father was educated and most of his siblings were as well. Calvin's and his wife:https://savarchaeoalliance.org/tag/calvin-kiah/

Also, another Redding: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Redding-1445 James "Jay" Saunders Redding.

Pearl Bailey: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bailey-1640

Wilson Pickett: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pickett-1584

Comments

Thanks Natalie! I will add these also to our master Notables list, if you would make sure the Project is added as manager to any you happen to manage we'd appreciate it!

Answer 16

If you want to connect a Notable to the Tree:

Samuel Harrison (Harrison 15842) chaplain of 54 Massachusetts

Father of Lydia Harrison

Wife of James Jacobs

Son of John Delos Jacobs

son of Mehitable Tucker (Tucker 15999)

Comments

Thanks Joyce!  I'll put a note in our spreadsheet for him and hopefully get him connected.

Answer 17

Hello Black Notables Project Team:

I've researched and created profiles for the notable John Cheatham-1412, his wife and also their four children.  I would like U.S. Black Heritage to be a co-profile manager and add the proper categories to the profile.

Thank you.

Comments

Thanks so much, Cheryl! I'll put in a trusted list request.

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Thanks, I’ll be back on WT by Monday to add you to TL.

Answer 18

Hello Emma, In honor of Black History Month, please join me in honoring Associate Justice Clarence Thomas (Thomas-41129), SCOTUS, who should be on our Black notable's list.

Comments

Thank you, Marion! I've added him to our notables list.

Answer 19

Nancy Carol Leftenant-Colon b. 1920-       Leftenant-21

Can she be added as a notable? She retired in 1991 from the Tuskegee Airman Organization as the first female President for the organization.

Thank you

Comments

Changed the status, she's still living - at 101

Answer 20

Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin - Wikipedia Suffragist.

Her husband (George Lewis Ruffin) and daughter (Florida Ruffin Ridley) also have pages on Wikipedia and FindAGrave, none that I can find here. 

Comments

I got all three added all in one go. Thanks, Aaron!