Help Connect U.S. Black Heritage Project Notables for August!

Question

All of these Black Notables, born in the month of August, need to be connected to the Global Family Tree.  Can you help by adding profiles of family members until a connection to the Global Tree is made?

The notables, in order of their birthdays, are:

1 August: Civil Rights Leader Benjamin Mays is now connected!

8 August: Explorer Matthew Henson

12 August: Businesswoman Marjorie Joyner

20 August: Naval Hero John Henry Turpin

23 August: Basketball star Kobe Bryant

25 August: Tennis star Althea Gibson is now connected!

26 August: "Hidden Figures" Mathematician Katherine Johnson is now connected!

27 August: United 93 Flight Officer LeRoy Homer Jr.

29 August: Surgeon Vivien Thomas

30 August: Activist Fred Hampton

30 August: Activist Roy Wilkins

31 August: Activist Eldridge Cleaver

If you are able to connect a profile, leave an answer and I will mark them as complete.  Thank you for helping the U.S. Black Heritage Project connect these profiles!

Answer 1

See Benjamin Franklin Roberts (1815 - 1881)

His father Robert Roberts (1780 - 1860)

His uncle Rev. Hosea Easton (1798 - 1837)

I’ve connected partially 

I’ll help where I can as I’m mainly interesting in 19th century Era 

Comments

Thank you Andrew!  Most of the people on the list are 20th century, but most also have parents, grandparents and great-grandparents from the 19th century.  That work can be especially challenging, so we appreciate any help you can provide!

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I added bio to Benjamin Mays father Hezekiah Mays, Sr with some more sources and categories. Created the cemetery category etc. 

It appears Hezekiah Mays, Sr. father’s name is James May and a mother Julia (unknown). Per death record source

This is most likely his brother James Mays son of Hezekiah Mays Find-A-Grave see source Here 

Answer 2

I applaud this effort. There are so many unconnected black notables that putting up the full list would probably be too intimidating. But dividing them up by month makes it seem a lot more doable. Good job!

Comments

Thanks, Greg. We'll also be working through the list we have as a project. I look forward to seeing lots of new connected people!

Answer 3

I've added additional family to Katherine Johnson, but no connection yet. I've got a number of avenues to explore now, so the game is afoot!

Comments

Thank you Scott!

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yay! Thanks, Scott

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I'd welcome anyone who might like to join in. I've entered all I can find of the Coleman line, and now exploring surnames married into the line. These are:

Lewis, Kasey/Casey, Ragland, Graham, Bowles, Coward, Coe, Lowe, Nelson, Thrift, Goble, Johnson, and Garcia.

I couldn't find anything on Lewis, so now working on Kasey/Casey, which so far is leading to additional surnames (Allen, Heptinstall, Dillard, Oaks, Holland, Hickson, and more).

So plenty of names to explore and add. I generally do my research on Family Search and don't mind doing the research and if someone else wants to either help in the research or add profiles. Unfortunately, I like to be thorough, so sometimes I spend too much time digging and not enough time entering profiles. Anyway, sooner or later I'll either hit having entered 200+ profiles or a connection will shake out. Either way her tree will be expanded.

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Fantastic work, Scott.  I've done the same on some of the ones I've tried to connect, where I've added over a hundred profiles without success...I'll decide to take a break on that person for a while, and then one day, maybe months later, I come back and they're connected!  Because someone else found a link.  Branching out wherever you can, even if it's their uncle's wife's half-cousin's grandparents...is always helpful :)

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After adding enough profiles to the Coleman family cluster to make it to around 100+ unconnected profiles, I turned to the maternal side of the house and I believe I found a connection almost immediately. Reportedly (and supported by some thin, but seems to be accurate sources), her great-grandfather was a white man, who was already attached to her profile. I only needed to add the man's parents, who were already connected, and she should update tonight. So now her family and the entire Kasey/Casey line will be connected one the links update. And in theory, there are a number of branches I wasn't able to completely explore that could be added through this connection as well.

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Amazing!!!  All of those other branches you added will help make future connections easier :)  Thank you so much!

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I was going to say the same as Sarah. Yay for all the new profiles!!

Answer 4

I'm working on Althea Gibson but welcome any help or edits!

Comments

Thank you!! Since I'm a tennis fan I would really love to see Althea Gibson connected. I've been trying to add family members too - it's proving fairly difficult.

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Thank you Tara!

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Got her connected today!  Through her gg-grandfather and likely former holder of her gg-grandmother.

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Woo hoo!!!!

Answer 5

Another notable August birthday needing a connection: James Baldwin (profile not yet managed by a project)

Comments

It's on our list to be managed. We hope to add it. Thanks!