mechanical engineerBorn: 1963Birthplace: Brooklyn, N. Y. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N. Y., M.I.T graduate Aprille Ericsson was the first female (and the first African-American…
modelBorn: 12/1/1960Birthplace: Flushing, New York A model since age sixteen, she has an estimated 600–800 photographs to her credit, including endorsements for Lancome, Hanes, Cover Girl, and…
American painterBorn: Nov. 3, 1905Birthplace: Boston, Mass. Lois Mailou Jones was one of the premier African American artists of the 20th century. Her paintings incorporate African, Caribbean,…
biographer, reporterBorn: 7/31/1912Birthplace: Alton, Illinois After working as a newspaper reporter, in 1954 Phelan went freelance and eventually wrote for more than 60 magazines, including…
actorBorn: 12/31/1937Birthplace: Port Talbot, Wales Academy Award-winning British film and stage actor whose performance in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) made him one of the most respected film…
actressBorn: 5/26/1966Birthplace: London, England British actress best known for her work in romantic Edwardian period dramas. Her films include A Room With a View (1986), Howard's End (1992), The…
producer, directorBorn: 12/25/1936Birthplace: Bombay, India Already a successful producer of short films, Merchant teamed up with James Ivory in 1961 to form Merchant-Ivory Productions, a name now…
zoologistBorn: 1889Birthplace: Clifton Forge, Va. Roger Arliner Young overcame racial and sexual barriers to become the first African-American woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in zoology, which she…
