Articles

A champion of education and literacy, Dr. Jeremiah Cameron dedicated his life to a teaching career that spanned nearly 50 years. Cameron was born in the 18th and Highland block of Kansas City’s east side, where he first attended school at Attucks Elementary.

Kansas City native Frank Lee Duncan Jr. was a standout player and manager in baseball’s Negro Leagues from 1920-1948. The only child of Frank and Elizabeth Duncan, Frank Jr. grew up playing sandlot baseball with other youths, including future Negro Leagues teammates Newt Allen and Rube Curry, in his east side neighborhood near Parade Park.

Dr. Julia Hill was a civil rights advocate dedicated to advancing educational equity and social justice. Though Hill spent most of her life in Kansas City, she periodically departed to pursue educational opportunities.

Henry Ossawa Tanner is recognized as the first African American artist to gain international fame. During his career, he deftly combined the painting styles of predominantly white academic artists with those of the thriving Black artistic communities of Kansas City.

Anne Thomas was a teacher, counselor, and tireless advocate for civil and human rights, both locally and internationally. Born Anne Jenkins in Denver, Colorado, she pursued a career in education and social work.

Claude "Fiddler" Williams didn’t start playing the violin until he had mastered several other instruments, including the guitar, mandolin, banjo, cello, and bass. By age 10, he was already performing with his brother-in-law’s string band.