Browse Items (25 total)

Earl Lloyd was the first African American to play in the NBA and the league’s first African-American assistant coach.

Alexandria

Debbie Ryan turned the University of Virginia women's basketball team into a national power and currently campaigns for research into pancreatic cancer.

Albemarle County

Marcellus Spencer “Boo” Williams, Jr., created a nationally known summer youth basketball program and led the way in developing a state-of-the-art community sports facility in Hampton.

Hampton

As editor of the Richmond Planet, John Mitchell Jr., fought against racism and for African American advancement in politics, business, and education.

Richmond

An award-winning journalist, Ann Compton broke new ground as the first woman White House correspondent for a national news organization.

Roanoke

Willie Lanier broke through racial barriers in professional football by becoming the first African American to play middle linebacker, the position that directs the defense on the field.

Richmond

Robert Walter Johnson was a driving force behind the integration of the sport of tennis.

Lynchburg

A leading figure in Newport News, Joseph Thomas Newsome struggled to bring education and voting rights to the African American community.

Newport News

Claudia Alexander Whitworth has worked diligently over the decades to improve the quality of life in Roanoke.

Roanoke

Leland D. Melvin inspires young people and encourages them to aspire to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Lynchburg