In celebration of Black History Month, we recognize some fantastic African American pioneers in each city with an NBA team. As we celebrate the athleticism of the players, we also remember the work done by people who have given a lot to the communities the teams represent.
These individuals were the widest variety of professions: civil rights activists, owners of businesses, politicians, and artists who broke barriers within their communities as profound racial challenges faced them in America.
This Black History Month, we celebrate these unsung heroes and their compelling stories, acknowledging their role in shaping the cultural and social landscape of the 28 markets that make up the NBA. From overcoming obstacles to driving positive change, this pioneer embodies the spirit of resilience and progress that marks the rich tapestry of Black history in America.
Atlanta
Herman J. Russell, visionary entrepreneur and creator of one of the largest Black-owned real estate and construction companies, takes center stage in Atlanta. Born during the Depression, this son of Atlanta began life in poverty but emerged to reshape the city’s skyline through his determination and resilience.
The company led by Russell broke down the racial and economic barriers of Atlanta, etching into its landscape. Its notable projects include the Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport, Georgia Dome, Georgia-Pacific headquarters, among many other key projects.
He did much greater things outside of his business career. He stood tall for the tumultuous days of the Civil Rights movement, furnishing bail money for several wrongly jailed Civil Rights leaders and fighting the injustices of the 1950s and ’60s by engaging in active civil unrest.
Russell’s legacy is not only the buildings that he built, but a sign of empowerment, breaking the barriers, and working toward civil rights in Atlanta. His story is very powerful about one individual’s influence on the community.
Cleveland
In Cleveland, Carl Stokes was an innovator who during his two terms left his footprint in the city. Known for his progressive approach and commitment to civil rights, Stokes faced a turning point in 1969 when the Cuyahoga River, which had long divided the city along racial lines, caught fire. He used this environmental crisis as a platform to raise broader issues that industrial cities were facing, such as poverty and lack of access to clean water, addressing what he termed the “urban environment.”
Stokes started the pollution tours for the press. He advocated for the city’s funding of cleaning up the Cuyahoga River. His proposal made the joint sewer system for the city and suburbs an establishment. The federal government passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which made the citywide pollution controls even stronger. Cleveland would always remember Stokes’s influence in their environmental policy.
Dallas
She is also the Grandmother of Juneteenth and was playing a very active role in ensuring that the emancipation history was not forgotten. This was when Dr. Opal Lee, in 2016, when she was 89, embarked on “Opal’s Walk 2 DC” from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, D.C., a distance of 1,400 miles. It was meant to get a congressional recognition for June 19th, the “Day of Freedom,” as a national holiday. She was honored for her important work in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, during a White House ceremony. Dr. Lee’s work was good enough to nominate her for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. That is how she carved her name in history as one of the main people in the actualization of this monumental work.
Denver
Wilma J. Webb is in Denver and is one of the most exceptional politicians in this political world. Webb was a Colorado State Representative for 13 years. She became the first woman of color on the Colorado Joint Budget Committee. Her persistence and activism resulted in the approval of Colorado’s Martin Luther King Holiday bill on April 4, 1984. In 1985, Coretta Scott King came to Denver and requested an official Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission, with Wilma Webb serving as Chair.
Beyond politics, Wilma Webb and her husband are Denver’s first Black First Lady for his tenure after he becomes the city’s first black mayor in 1991. They co-found the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library here in the Rocky Mountain West to make an important reservoir of research about African-American history and culture.
Detroit
In Detroit, Dr. Ossian Sweet was one of the earliest physicians to establish his practice and dedicate himself to treating the underprivileged Black people of Black Bottom. In 1925, racial animosity turned Sweet into a beacon of strength in a highly publicized trial, wherein he was accused of murder after defending his home against an angry mob opposing his residency in an all-white neighborhood. The Ossian Sweet House, an addition to the National Register of Historic Places, stands as a testament to him. Sweet’s courageous act against housing segregation remains the most important chapter in the history of Detroit.
Houston
In Houston, Lonnie Smith, a popular dentist and advocate, played the lead role in reversing a race-based Texas law. With his being turned away by the state’s 1940 “all-white” primary, Smith became the complainant in the landmark case that was Smith v. Allwright. The Texas State NAACP had to rely on his community stature and brought the lawsuit. In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court decreed that “all-white” primaries are unconstitutional. This was one of the most major legal victories for the NAACP because of Lonnie Smith’s courage and because of the impact of this case.
Indiana
William Edouard Scott, Indiana, left a long-lasting impression as an artist and as an educator. He was the first African American teacher in an Indianapolis high school as assistant art teacher at Manual High School. Scott’s contributions to the art of Indianapolis included murals in public buildings, countering the often demoralizing portrayals of Black life prevalent in art during the first half of the 20th century. His uplifting portrayals of Black subject matter left a lasting impact.
Los Angeles
Born a slave in 1818, Bridget “Biddy” Mason would eventually be one of the largest landowners in Los Angeles. She traveled 1,700 miles on foot to Utah, and in 1856, she brought suit to win her freedom. Then, she trekked to Los Angeles, where she became renowned as “Auntie Mason,” and used her riches to feed the hungry. She also was an organizer and founder of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest African American church in Los Angeles today.
Memphis
In 1884, Ida B. Wells began to attract attention in Memphis. There, she sued the railroad company in Memphis when it threw her off one of its trains. Articles by her in Free Speech and Headlight chronicled her experiences. Wells went ahead to be one of the founders of the NAACP and in 1930 was an Illinois state legislature candidate, being one of the first Black women candidates in the United States. Her legacy lives today and inspires each generation in the future.
Miami
Miami brings out a rich historical figure, Dr. Marvin Dunn, who has conserved more black history about Florida. A former naval officer, Dr. Dunn is a prolific author, an excellent speaker, a film producer, and a super advocate for meaningful dialogue on race relations and racial justice. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Florida International University, and he founded the Miami Center for Racial Justice last summer following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Dr. Dunn wishes his work would help bring Florida into a place of unity to discuss honest discussions about racial terror.
Milwaukee
Vel Phillips is a pioneer in Milwaukee, and there are the firsts. A great politician, attorney, civil rights activist who completed many great things in this life. One of the first Black women students of UW-Madison’s Law School, later first woman alderman ever elected to Milwaukee’s Common Council. She was also the first woman judge in Milwaukee County, the first African American to serve in Wisconsin’s judiciary, and the first woman and African American elected to the statewide office of Secretary of State in Wisconsin. Vel Phillips’ contributions have imprinted an indelible mark on the history of Wisconsin.
Minnesota
Josie Robinson Johnson became known as the “First Lady of Minnesota Civil Rights” for her work spearheading the passage of statewide anti-discrimination laws back in 1956, but it was in 1971 that she made history as one of the first Black to serve on the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents. Among her many developments at the school was the construction of the department of African American and African Studies into what is now a focal point for the university concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion.
New Orleans
A native of Louisiana, Dr. Norman C. Francis is the longest tenure educator and the first African American president of Xavier University of Louisiana since 1968. In his distinguished tenure in the U.S. Attorney’s office, Dr. Francis made a huge contribution to the desegregation process of federal agencies. He has contributed so much planning and in the recovery efforts since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
New York
Dr. Hazel N. Dukes of New York has spent over seventy years of her life serving the cause of racial justice, civic action, and supportive policies for marginalized populations. She was the first Black employee to work in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office after making an immediate impact in the fight against housing discrimination on Long Island in 1966. Currently, she serves as the president of the NAACP New York State Conference as she continues her work for the betterment of lives for Black Americans.
Oklahoma
Clara Shepard Luper had a leading role as a mother of Civil Rights in Oklahoma. This education pioneer was an advocate in her civil rights by hosting the first successful sit-in desegregation in the nation’s country at Katz Drug Store, Oklahoma City in 1958. Clara lives in the human rights movement along with other projects under various advocacy awards in memory that her influence is as lastable as it may last both in Oklahoma and nationwide.
Orlando
In Orlando, David Ayala is an activist and organizer who has brought much-needed energy for change to Central Florida. After 21 years in and out of the criminal justice system, when Ayala left federal prison in 2006, he made a life-changing decision to turn his life around. Since then, he has earned several degrees and taken on organizational work focused on ending discrimination against people with criminal convictions. A voting rights advocate, Ayala played a key role in building the foundation for the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative in 2018, an important work toward restoring the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they have served all terms of their sentence, including parole or probation.
Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, Charisse McGill is one of the pioneering entrepreneurs and founders of Lokal Artisan Foods. In that connection, she was one of the pioneers and the first African American woman to operate a food stall at Cherry Street Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park in Pennsylvania’s Penn’s Landing of Philadelphia. However, the marks of more importance include treating employees with good wages and professional mentoring while maintaining two-way communication so that people will enjoy working there. She has mentored and taught, coached in basketball, and helped with community development while in the business world.
Utah
Bertha Davis Richmond was in Utah, but she went to stand as one of the pioneers after graduating in 1922 from Utah State Agricultural College now Utah State University. However, in her field of specialization, she was always limited due to racism. Instead, she found her place in creating Utah’s first school lunch program in 1948.
San Antonio
Aaronetta Pierce has served in San Antonio for more than forty years working for the visual and performing arts. She was the first Black woman to be named for a six-year term as a commissioner with the Texas Commission on the Arts. While serving, she sought to acknowledge and appreciate the work of Black artists. The Pierce family became part of history as the very first early investors and black owners of a professional basketball team in San Antonio, becoming a legendary franchise. Pierce is a member of the 1993 Texas University Women’s Hall of Fame; she still serves as a Tri-Chair for the Alamo Planning Committee, which now focuses on inclusion in San Antonio’s historical accounts.
San Francisco Bay Area
Julian and Raye Gilbert Richardson left an indelible mark on the San Francisco Bay Area as creators of Marcus Books, a country’s oldest remaining Black-owned bookstore. Julian arrived in San Francisco in 1946 and started the Success Printing Co. in the Fillmore District, while Raye studied at UC Berkeley, eventually presiding over the Black Studies department at San Francisco University. They launched Marcus Books in San Francisco in 1960. Their second store opened in Oakland in 1976. Today, Marcus Books stands as a testament to the Richardson couple’s commitment to literature, education, and the cultural wealth of the Black community. His success did not end here, as he was the first Black Canadian to serve as a federal cabinet minister, leaving a lasting mark on both Canadian politics and civil rights. A strong proponent of equal treatment and a forerunner in the pursuit of racial equality, Alexander’s work continues to leave a lasting impact to this day. His legacy is marked each year on January 21st which is now Lincoln Alexander Day across Canada since 2015 in commemoration of the work done.
Toronto
Lincoln Alexander is remembered as a pioneering Canadian politician who made history in 1968 as Canada’s first Black Member of Parliament. His achievements continued as he became the first Black Canadian to serve as a federal cabinet minister, leaving an indelible mark on Canadian politics and civil rights. A staunch advocate for equal treatment and a trailblazer in the fight for racial equality, the impact of Alexander’s work resonates to this day. His contributions are commemorated annually on January 21, celebrated as Lincoln Alexander Day across Canada since 2015, acknowledging the lasting legacy of his efforts.
Washington D.C.
Benjamin Banneker, astronomer, mathematician, almanac writer and Black American man of science. In a historic role, Banneker played a key part in the surveying of boundaries for the new federal capital of Washington D.C. After the 1790 Resident Act empowered President George Washington to designate a 10-mile diamond plot of land along the Potomac River from Maryland and Virginia, Banneker, along with a team of surveyors, played a crucial part in placing forty stone markers to define the original boundary of Washington D.C. These boundary stones marked the first monuments purchased by the U.S. government.
The Washington Wizards’ 2023-24 City Edition uniforms pay tribute and recognize the contributions of this influential figure as part of Benjamin Banneker’s groundbreaking work for the history and development of Washington D.C.
Sam, a dedicated blogger, has immersed himself in the world of content creation for the past five years. His journey reflects a profound passion for storytelling and insightful commentary. Beyond the digital realm, Sam is a devoted NBA enthusiast, seamlessly blending his love for sports with his writing pursuits.