Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.)
Encyclopedia
Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Washington, D.C.
, United States
. The school is located in the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, two blocks from the intersection of New Jersey and New York Avenues. Dunbar, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools
.
. Founded as an educational mission at the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, Dunbar was America's first high school for black students. It was later the academic high school, with other schools related to vocational or technical training goals. It was known for its excellent academics, enough so that some black parents moved to Washington specifically so their children could attend it. Its faculty was paid well by the standards of the time, earning parity pay to Washington's white school teachers because they were federal employees. It also boasted a remarkably high number of graduates who went on to higher education, and a generally successful student body.
It is similar to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
in Baltimore, Maryland and Fort Worth, Texas
, as all three schools have a majority African American
student body and are of a major importance to the local African American
community. All three schools are also highly regarded for their athletic programs within their respective school district in the sports of Football, Basketball, and Track. There is also a Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky
.
Since its inception, the school has graduated many well-known figures of the 20th century, including Sterling Brown, H. Naylor Fitzhugh
, Nannie Helen Burroughs
, Charles R. Drew
, Charles Hamilton Houston
, Robert H. Terrell, Robert C. Weaver
, and James E. Bowman
. Its illustrious faculty included Anna Julia Cooper, Kelly Miller
, Mary Church Terrell
, and Carter G. Woodson
. Among its principals were Anna J. Cooper, Richard Greener, Mary Jane Patterson
, and Robert H. Terrell. An unusual number of teachers and principals held Ph.D. degrees, including Carter G. Woodson
, father of Black history Month and the second African American to earn a Phd. from Harvard (after W. E. B. Du Bois). This was the result of the entrenched white supremacy that pervaded the nation's professions and served to exclude the majority of African-American women and men from faculty positions at predominantly white institutions of higher learning. As a consequence, however, Dunbar High School was considered the nation's best high school for African Americans during the first half of the 20th century. It helped make Washington, DC, an educational and cultural capital.
Following desegregation and demolition of the original facility, the school's prestige dropped notably. As of 2006, the campus is situated in a newer, but, to some, far less architecturally appealing, facility in Northwest Washington. In 2007, the school board transferred management of Dunbar to Friends of Bedford, a private New York-based company. It in turn, removed Stephen Jackson as principal at the end of the spring 2010 semester. However, conditions at the school deteriorated, along with political motivation and on December 8, 2010, the Friends of Bedford contract was terminated, and Jackson reinstated as principal.
, who graduated in 2001, was the starting quarterback for four years at Kent State University
. He is a member of the Cleveland Browns
. Vernon Davis
, who graduated in 2003, was the number six pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
. He is now a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers
.
Recently, some Dunbar graduates play football at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Dunbar graduates wide receiver Arrelious Benn
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, defensive back and Vernon Davis' brother Vontae Davis
of the Miami Dolphins
and defensive back Nate Bussey have all played for Ron Zook
. The other outstanding wide receiver that played alongside Benn, Isiah Thomas attends Hampton University
.
Approximately 46% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
Feeder middle schools include:
Feeder K-8 schools include:
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school is located in the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, two blocks from the intersection of New Jersey and New York Avenues. Dunbar, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
.
History
Originally named Preparatory High School for Colored Youth and later known as M Street High School, the name was changed in honor of poet Paul Laurence DunbarPaul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal African American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 "Ode to Ethiopia", one poem in the collection Lyrics of Lowly Life....
. Founded as an educational mission at the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, Dunbar was America's first high school for black students. It was later the academic high school, with other schools related to vocational or technical training goals. It was known for its excellent academics, enough so that some black parents moved to Washington specifically so their children could attend it. Its faculty was paid well by the standards of the time, earning parity pay to Washington's white school teachers because they were federal employees. It also boasted a remarkably high number of graduates who went on to higher education, and a generally successful student body.
It is similar to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Baltimore, Maryland.-History:Dunbar opened in 1918 as the Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School, No. 101. It was named in memory of Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier...
in Baltimore, Maryland and Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, as all three schools have a majority African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
student body and are of a major importance to the local African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community. All three schools are also highly regarded for their athletic programs within their respective school district in the sports of Football, Basketball, and Track. There is also a Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
Since its inception, the school has graduated many well-known figures of the 20th century, including Sterling Brown, H. Naylor Fitzhugh
H. Naylor Fitzhugh
Howard Naylor Fitzhugh was one of the first African American graduates of Harvard Business School and is also credited with creating the concept of target marketing....
, Nannie Helen Burroughs
Nannie Helen Burroughs
Nannie Helen Burroughs, was an African American educator, orator, religious leader, and businesswoman. She gained national recognition for her 1900 speech "How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping," at the National Baptist Convention. She founded the National Training School for Women and Girls...
, Charles R. Drew
Charles R. Drew
Charles Richard Drew was an American physician, surgeon and medical researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. This allowed medics to...
, Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston was an African American lawyer, Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director who played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and trained future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.Houston was born in Washington, D.C. His father...
, Robert H. Terrell, Robert C. Weaver
Robert C. Weaver
Robert Clifton Weaver served as the first United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1966 to 1968. He was the first African American to hold a cabinet-level position in the United States.As a young man, Weaver had been one of 45 prominent African Americans appointed by...
, and James E. Bowman
James E. Bowman
James E. Bowman, MD, FASCP, FCAP was an American physician was internationally renowned as a specialist in pathology, hematology, and genetics. He was a professor of pathology and genetics at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago.-Life and career:James Edward Bowman was...
. Its illustrious faculty included Anna Julia Cooper, Kelly Miller
Kelly Miller (scientist)
Kelly Miller was an African American mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist, author, and an important figure in the intellectual life of black America for close to half a century.-Career:...
, Mary Church Terrell
Mary Church Terrell
Mary Church Terrell , daughter of former slaves, was one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She became an activist who led several important associations and worked for civil rights and suffrage....
, and Carter G. Woodson
Carter G. Woodson
Carter Godwin Woodson was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson was one of the first scholars to study African American history. A founder of Journal of Negro History , Dr...
. Among its principals were Anna J. Cooper, Richard Greener, Mary Jane Patterson
Mary Jane Patterson
Mary Jane Patterson was born September 12, 1840, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was the first African American woman to receive a B.A degree. She was the oldest of Henry Irving Patterson and Emeline Eliza Patterson's children. There is conflicting data on how many siblings she had, but most...
, and Robert H. Terrell. An unusual number of teachers and principals held Ph.D. degrees, including Carter G. Woodson
Carter G. Woodson
Carter Godwin Woodson was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson was one of the first scholars to study African American history. A founder of Journal of Negro History , Dr...
, father of Black history Month and the second African American to earn a Phd. from Harvard (after W. E. B. Du Bois). This was the result of the entrenched white supremacy that pervaded the nation's professions and served to exclude the majority of African-American women and men from faculty positions at predominantly white institutions of higher learning. As a consequence, however, Dunbar High School was considered the nation's best high school for African Americans during the first half of the 20th century. It helped make Washington, DC, an educational and cultural capital.
Following desegregation and demolition of the original facility, the school's prestige dropped notably. As of 2006, the campus is situated in a newer, but, to some, far less architecturally appealing, facility in Northwest Washington. In 2007, the school board transferred management of Dunbar to Friends of Bedford, a private New York-based company. It in turn, removed Stephen Jackson as principal at the end of the spring 2010 semester. However, conditions at the school deteriorated, along with political motivation and on December 8, 2010, the Friends of Bedford contract was terminated, and Jackson reinstated as principal.
Athletics
Dunbar competes in the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association, and its football team historically has been strong. Some of Dunbar's recent graduates have gone on to play in NCAA football and the NFL. Joshua CribbsJoshua Cribbs
Joshua "Josh" Cribbs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played collegiately for Kent State University. He holds the NFL record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns...
, who graduated in 2001, was the starting quarterback for four years at Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. He is a member of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
, who graduated in 2003, was the number six pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He is now a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
Recently, some Dunbar graduates play football at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Dunbar graduates wide receiver Arrelious Benn
Arrelious Benn
-External links:**...
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, defensive back and Vernon Davis' brother Vontae Davis
Vontae Davis
-Miami Dolphins:Davis was signed by the Dolphins to a five-year deal with a guarantee in excess of $7 million. Davis recorded his first career interception in Week 4 of the 2009 season against Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, returning it 23 yards for a touchdown. Davis finished his rookie...
of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and defensive back Nate Bussey have all played for Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
. The other outstanding wide receiver that played alongside Benn, Isiah Thomas attends Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
.
Student body
During the 2004-2005 school year, Dunbar had 1500 students http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/dc/other/62.- 98% were African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
- 1% was Hispanic AmericanHispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
- Less than 1% were Asian AmericanAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
- Less than 1% were Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
- Less than 1% were European AmericanEuropean AmericanA European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
Approximately 46% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
Feeder patterns
Feeder elementary schools include:- J. F. Cook
- Emery
- Langdon
- Marshall
- Terrel
- Webb
- Wheatley
- Young
Feeder middle schools include:
- Browne
Feeder K-8 schools include:
- Walker-Jones Education Center
Scholars and artists
- James E. BowmanJames E. BowmanJames E. Bowman, MD, FASCP, FCAP was an American physician was internationally renowned as a specialist in pathology, hematology, and genetics. He was a professor of pathology and genetics at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago.-Life and career:James Edward Bowman was...
, scientist, physician, pathologist, studied G6PDGlucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiencyGlucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is an X-linked recessive hereditary disease characterised by abnormally low levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase , a metabolic enzyme involved in the pentose phosphate pathway, especially important in red blood cell metabolism. G6PD deficiency is...
and Sickle cell disease - Sterling Allen BrownSterling Allen BrownSterling Allen Brown was an African-American professor, author of works on folklore, poet and literary critic. He was interested chiefly in black culture of the Southern United States.-Early life:...
, African-American professor - Mary P. BurrillMary P. BurrillMary P. Burrill was an early 20th century African-American female playwright and educator who also inspired Willis Richardson and other students to write plays.-Biography:...
, educator and playwright - Nannie Helen BurroughsNannie Helen BurroughsNannie Helen Burroughs, was an African American educator, orator, religious leader, and businesswoman. She gained national recognition for her 1900 speech "How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping," at the National Baptist Convention. She founded the National Training School for Women and Girls...
, African American educator, orator, religious leader and businesswoman - Elizabeth CatlettElizabeth CatlettElizabeth Catlett Mora is an African-American sculptor and printmaker. Catlett is best known for the black, expressionistic sculptures and prints she produced during the 1960s and 1970s, which are seen as politically charged....
, a prominent African-American sculptor and artist. - Frank ColemanFrank ColemanFrank "Tick" Coleman was an educator and community volunteer. Born in Washington, D.C., Coleman grew up in its Point Breeze neighborhood. He was one of the first black Eagle Scouts...
, professor of physics, founder of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. - Anna J. CooperAnna J. CooperAnna Julia Haywood Cooper was an author, educator, speaker and one of the most prominent African American scholars in United States history. Upon receiving her Ph.D in history from the University of Paris-Sorbonne in 1924, Cooper became the fourth African American woman to earn a doctoral degree...
, one of the most prominent African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
scholars in United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historyHistory of the United StatesThe history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The... - Oscar J. Cooper, physician, founder of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.
- Allison DavisAllison DavisWilliam Boyd Allison Davis was an educator, anthropologist, writer, researcher, and scholar. He was considered one of the most promising black scholars of his generation, and became the first African-American to hold a full faculty position at a major white university when he joined the staff of...
, Anthropologist, educator, scholar-first African American to hold full faculty position at a major white institution-University of Chicago - Kelly MillerKelly Miller (scientist)Kelly Miller was an African American mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist, author, and an important figure in the intellectual life of black America for close to half a century.-Career:...
, an African American mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist - May MillerMay MillerMay Miller was an African American poet, playwright and educator. Miller became known as the most widely published female playwright of the Harlem Renaissance, with seven published volumes of poetry during her career as a writer.-Personal life:May Miller was born in Washington, D.C. to Kelly and...
, playwright - Willis RichardsonWillis RichardsonWillis Richardson is an American playwright.-Biography:Willis Richardson was born on November 5, 1889 in Wilmington, North Carolina, a son of Willis Wilder and Agnes Ann Richardson. His family moved to Washington, D.C...
, playwright - Billy TaylorBilly TaylorBilly Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and since 1994, he was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in...
, jazz pianist - Mary Church TerrellMary Church TerrellMary Church Terrell , daughter of former slaves, was one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She became an activist who led several important associations and worked for civil rights and suffrage....
, suffragist and civil rights activist, as well as one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree - Vantile WhitfieldVantile WhitfieldVantile Whitfield was a highly influential arts administrator who helped found several performing arts institutions in the United States.-Background:...
, influential arts administrator - Carter G. WoodsonCarter G. WoodsonCarter Godwin Woodson was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson was one of the first scholars to study African American history. A founder of Journal of Negro History , Dr...
, an African-AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and HistoryAssociation for the Study of African American Life and HistoryThe Association for the Study of African American Life and History is an organization dedicated to the study and appreciation of African-American History. It is a non-profit organization founded in Chicago, Illinois, on September 9, 1915 and incorporated in Washington, D.C. on October 2, 1915 as...
.
Athletes
- Arrelious BennArrelious Benn-External links:**...
, wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Joshua CribbsJoshua CribbsJoshua "Josh" Cribbs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played collegiately for Kent State University. He holds the NFL record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns...
, NFL player for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Vernon DavisVernon Davis-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
, NFL player for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... - Vontae DavisVontae Davis-Miami Dolphins:Davis was signed by the Dolphins to a five-year deal with a guarantee in excess of $7 million. Davis recorded his first career interception in Week 4 of the 2009 season against Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, returning it 23 yards for a touchdown. Davis finished his rookie...
, NFL player for the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - John DurenJohn DurenJohn Thomas Duren is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'3" 195 lb guard and played collegiately at Georgetown University from 1976 to 1980....
, NBA player and 19th overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Tre Kelley, former basketball player for the University of South Carolina
- Nat Whitmyer, (NFL) First professional football player to graduate from Dunbar in 1958. (LA Rams/SD Chargers)
Government
- Andrew P. Chambers, 3-Star General, US Army
- Edward BrookeEdward BrookeEdward William Brooke, III is an American politician and was elected to the United States Senate as a Republican from Massachusetts in 1966, defeating his Democratic opponent, Endicott Peabody, 60.7%–38.7%...
, first African American to be elected by popular vote to the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each... - Vincent C. GrayVincent C. GrayVincent C. Gray is an American politician who is currently serving as the seventh Mayor of the District of Columbia. Prior to his inauguration as mayor in January 2011, Gray served as Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, and as Councilmember for Ward 7...
, chairman of the Council of the District of ColumbiaCouncil of the District of ColumbiaThe Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
and mayor of Washington D.C. - Charles Hamilton HoustonCharles Hamilton HoustonCharles Hamilton Houston was an African American lawyer, Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director who played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and trained future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.Houston was born in Washington, D.C. His father...
, Howard Law School Dean and NAACP Litigation Director - Eleanor Holmes NortonEleanor Holmes NortonEleanor Holmes Norton is a Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia. In her position she is able to serve on and vote with committees, as well as speak from the House floor...
, Delegate to CongressDelegate (United States Congress)A delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory and from Washington, D.C. to a two-year term. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting delegate may vote in a House committee of which the delegate is a member... - Robert C. WeaverRobert C. WeaverRobert Clifton Weaver served as the first United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1966 to 1968. He was the first African American to hold a cabinet-level position in the United States.As a young man, Weaver had been one of 45 prominent African Americans appointed by...
, served as the first United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Business, religion and professionals
- Charles R. DrewCharles R. DrewCharles Richard Drew was an American physician, surgeon and medical researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. This allowed medics to...
, discovered of blood plasma and first black surgeon to serve as an examiner on the American Board of SurgeryAmerican Board of SurgeryThe American Board of Surgery is an independent, non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge... - H. Naylor FitzhughH. Naylor FitzhughHoward Naylor Fitzhugh was one of the first African American graduates of Harvard Business School and is also credited with creating the concept of target marketing....
, credited with creating the concept of target marketing