Andrew L. Jefferson, Jr. was an American lawyer, who has served as a federal prosecutor, a Texas judge and a federal judicial nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. "The Judge,” as he was affectionately known in the Houston community, was the first black judge above the municipal level in the state of Texas.  Jefferson is an alumni of Jack Yates High School. Quote: “If you can’t explain it to your mama, don’t do it.” – Andrew L. Jefferson, Jr.

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C. Lee Turner is a former teacher and drama/ theatre director for M.C. Williams Middle School. In 1975, Turner and his students made history by becoming the first black high school to win the UIL State One Act Play Contest. He became the first African American UIL Adjudicator in 1981. Turner is the only African American to be honored by UIL in the 82-year history of the organization.
In 1982, he led Prairie View A&M University’s Charles Gilpin Players to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the first historically black college to have that honor.

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Darrell Ellison is the first African-American stadium director at Delmar Stadium. Delmar Stadium was constructed in 1959 and serves as a multipurpose sports complex that includes a football stadium, baseball field, and track and fieldhouse.

George Walker Jr. is an accomplished athlete, who was an All-American and All-State in football at Westbury High School and went on to play for the University of Texas. In 2017, he was named stadium director of the Joe Kelly Butler Athletic Complex – the first African American to hold the position. Quote: “Sometimes in life we assume things and in assuming, we take things for granted. Things don’t always turn out how you think they will, but stick with it. Persevere.” - George Walker Jr.

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Hattie Mae White holds the distinction of being the first African-American elected to public office in Texas during the 20th century. A former schoolteacher, she won a place on the Houston Independent School District board in 1958, at a time when the city’s schools remained segregated. She was also the first black member of the Metropolitan Council of the Houston YWCA.

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Joe Anderson is an entrepreneur who became the owner-operator of a Chick-Fil-A 45 & Almeda in August 2018 among Texas franchise. He is an alumni of Jack Yates High School.

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Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample was an African-American musician and composer. He was a jazz musician for He is a founding member of the genre-crossing Jazz Crusaders, who helped pioneer the electronic jazz-funk fusion style. Sample is an alumni of Wheatley Senior High School.

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Phylicia Rashad is an American actress, singer and stage director who went on to become the first African-American actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She is most notably known for her role as Claire Huxtable in the TV sitcom, “The Cosby Show.” Phylicia Rashad is an alumni of Jack Yates High School.

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Rhonda Rogers-Hunt is the first African-American female director at Barnett Stadium. Barnett Athletic Complex is a multipurpose facility constructed in 1976, that includes a football stadium, baseball fields and a fieldhouse. 

In 1994, Rod Paige became superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, where he was recognized for his successful leadership and innovative reforms as head of the largest school district in Texas. In 2001, Paige went on to become the first African-American and school superintendent to serve as the United States Secretary of Education.

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Roland S. Martin is a journalist, who has served as a senior analyst for the Tom Joyner Morning Show and a contributor for CNN. In 2005, the pioneer in digital media launched the first Black news source audio and video podcast. Martin has been named four times by Ebony Magazine as one of the “150 Most Influential African-Americans.” He is an alumni of Jack Yates High School.

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Dr. Ruth Simmons is the first African-American to be named president of an Ivy League university. She is also the first African-American woman to lead any major university in the United States. In 2001, Simmons made history and became the president of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Today, she serves as the president of the University of Prairie View A &M University located outside of the Houston-area. Simmons is an alumni of Wheatley High School.

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Teana Watson is a newly elected judge for the Fort Bend County Court at Law in Texas. Watson is believed to be part of the first African-Americans elected to the district court judges’ posts or county court at law posts in Fort Bend County. Watson was elected to the office on November 6, 2018 and is an alumni of Jones High School.

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Tonya Jones is a Texas judge, who was part of the ”Black Girl Magic Texas” campaign celebrating 19 African-American women running for judge in the 2018 election – the largest number seen on any ballot in Harris County history. Jones won the election on November 6, 2018 along with 17 newly elected African-American judiciary women for Harris County. They are believed to be the largest group of black female judges elected at the same time in the history of Harris County, Texas. Jones is an alumni of Jones High School.

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In 2018, Gospel artist Yolanda Adams became the first female gospel artist to earn a nomination for a Tony Award. She is also a Grammy-winning artist that has sold nearly 8 million albums worldwide.

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