By Abby Ridenour Mahalia Jackson was born in 1911 in New Orleans on October 26. Mahalia was a poetry writer. She was a famous singer and song writer. She was asked to sing during the March to Washington when Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech.

By Michael Rowe Louis Armstrong was born in He was a jazz player and a trumpet player. He got in trouble when he was young and he shot a gun in the street. He was sent to a boys home. Then he learned Jazz and became famous.

By Sami Viau Bessie Colman lived from 1893 to She was the 1st black woman to fly a plane. She lived after slavery. The US. refused to teach her how to fly a plane. She went to Parris in 1920 when she was 27 years old. She hade to walk to school 9 miles each day. She finally got a pilots certificate in France. She returned to the US. in 1921 when she was 28.She decided to take a trip to Jacksonville,Florida but the plane had an engine problem but she thought the plane would be OK. She took the plane back home and the plane took a nose dive. That was the end of Bessie Colman's life. She died when she was only 33 years old. But we still remember her because she was so brave.

By Amber Rogers Erroll garner was born in 1921 and he died in He was a jazz piano player. Most of his music was lost because he didn't write it down. His most famous song was called Laura.

By Fiona McGregor Ida was born on July 6, 1862; in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Both parents, Lizzie Bell and James Well, were slaves. After emancipation, Ida's parents continued to work for their former master. Ida attended Rust University that was a high school school for freed slaves. When she was 14,both of her parents died within twenty four hours of each other. Lying about her age, she became a teacher around Memphis, Tennessee and the sole support of five brothers and sisters. Her pay was $25 a month. While teaching, Ida began an anti- lynching campaign. She also became a writer for the Free Speech newspaper.

By Ashlee Walter Roberta Martin was born in 1907 in Helena,Arkansas. When she was in high school,she was a pianist for the choir in the Ebenezer Baptist Church. In 1947 she married James Austin and had only one boy. In 1963 Roberta Martin sang at the Spoletto festival in Italy. When Roberta Marten. She died in January of At her funeral people came to pay their respects.

By Faby Banales Mahalia was born in New Orleans Louisiana October 26 in Then she turned into singing at the age of four.She turned into a Gospel Singer. In 1936 she met the man she would marry.Her husband worked in a post office. Then Mahalia got asked to sing before Martin Luther King Jr. gave his I had a dream speech.Mahalia opened a beauty shop and a flower shop. Then she died on January 27.

By James Byrne Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. grew up in Washington,D.C. He was also a military officer and was was the youngest of three children. He was a teacher in military science with the Ohio national guard. He was born in 1880 and died in 1970.

By Mahala Russell Erroll Garner was born When he was older, he devoted most of his time composting scores for movies. Erroll was 56 when he died in Erroll was a piano player. Most of his work was lost because he didn't write his music down. As he grew older he devoted most of his time composting scores for movies. Erroll Garner died in Erroll Garner practiced a lot. Erroll Garner played very good songs. He was a very good man.

George Washington Carver By Jake Livengood George Washington Carver was born in He was a chemist who developed products made from peanuts. He was born a slave, and after the Civil War he was the only slave his master kept because he was too weak to run away. He went to Tuskegee Insitute to learn to be a chemist. Because the south was so poor he found many ways to use peanuts. He invented peanut butter. This helped people in the south to make more money. He died on Jan. 5, 1943.

By Alex Sample Louis Armstrong was born in August 4, 1901 He taught himself how to play the trumpet. He was the most famous Jazz musician of the 20th Century. He started as a trumpet player. He started the idea of improvisations. Some of his well known works are: Heebie Jeebies, West End Blues and Hello Armstrong did, on average, 300 concerts per year. He died on July 6, 1971.

By Trista Lay She died in 1931, and she was 69 years old when she died. Ida b. wells was born July 6, 1862 and she became a teacher when she was 14 years old and she teach round Memphis, Tennessee. She was the sole support of five brothers. Her pay was $25 a month and her parents died when she was in her teens. While teaching Ida began an anti- lynching campaign. She also became a writer for the free speech newspaper. On May 27, 1892 while Ida was on a trip to Philadelphia and new York, her newspaper office was destroyed by a mob. Following this event Ida moved to new York to became a reporter for the new York age newspaper.

By Tyra Gordon William James Count Basie was born in 1904, and died in He had a swing band in new York city. His mom and dad was a musician. He was a big band leader.

By Jared Braden Honson Leadbelly was born in 1889 on January, 29. He was raised in Texas. He was a singer, guitarist, song writer, and he was a musician. His body was half Cherokee. Honson William Leadbelly got in a lot of trouble in the early He shot a man, and was in prison for 30 years. Then he came to singing.

By Marcus Campbell James P. Johnson was a great guy. He was a pianist. He played blues and ragtime. He played a stand by. He was famous for his music.

By Amilou Fazio Madame C. J. Walker was American's first black millionaire. She made hair care products for black people. She started her own factory. She allowed 5000 black women to get jobs in her factory. She started the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She died of hypertension.

By Afraz Lakhani Richard Drew was born in Washington D. C. on June 3 in He was famous for a black doctor. He made blood transfusion work better and he saved blood so there would be more for hurt people.

By Nate Hamilton Jesse Owens was born on September in Danville, Alabama. His family was poor. As a child he was thin and sick from pneumonia. His coach in school got him to try running. He became really good at running and went to the Olympics. As an adult he worked for Ford Motor Company.