Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson was the first African American woman to be named to the New York Times best seller list and USA Today’s bestselling books for romance novels.
Cynthia May
Cynthia May is the first African American to win the title of Homecoming Queen of the University of Florida in 1973.
Rita Carter Perry
Rita Carter Perry is the first African American founding woman publisher of a weekly newspaper, The Jacksonville Free Press in Jacksonville and Florida.
Mary Littlejohn Singleton
Mary Littlejohn Singleton was the first woman from North Florida to be elected to the Florida Legislature (1972-1976); First African American Director of the Division of Elections in the Office of the Secretary of State and the first woman from Duval County to serve on the Florida state cabinet (1976). She was also the first woman to run for Lt. Governor in 1978.
Norma Solomon White
Norma Solomon White is the first African American from Jacksonville to be elected as International President of Alpha Kappa Sorority, Inc. (1998 – 2002)
Guest editorial by Jada Wright-Greene. Jada Wright-Greene is a museum activist, writer, independent museum professional and a lover of history. She is the self-proclaimed African American Museum Activist. She has a passion for revitalizing and bringing awareness to the African-American museum culture with a goal of diversifying the museum profession. Jada is the Founder & President of Heritage Salon, a nonprofit and magazine devoted to African-American museums, historic sites/homes and cultural institutions. She has served as a keynote speaker, panelist and lecturer on the topic of arts education, museums, and diversity throughout the United States. Jada is an avid writer and was a contributor for Huffington Post. She has written for several blogs, magazines and publications including; Black Southern Belle and the American Alliance of Museums Center for Museums Education blog. In the Fall of 2016, she was a guest lecturer at Harvard Extension School where she shared her expertise on African American museums. Jada earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bethune-Cookman University, a Master’s degree from Michigan State University in Urban & Regional Planning and a certificate in Museum Studies, where she was the first African American to complete the Museum Studies program. Finally, she earned dual degrees from Johns Hopkins University in Museum Studies and Nonprofit Management. Jada resides in the Dallas, Texas area with her husband, Darryl and three children.