CHANGEMAKERS

Ernest J. Gaines was born on January 15, 1933. His childhood in the South inspired many of his well-known novels including The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971) and A Lesson Before Dying (1993). His distinguished career as a novelist has earned him various accolades. Continue reading “ERNEST J. GAINES”

Rotea Gilford was born in 1927 in Willis, Texas. When he was a child, his family relocated to the Fillmore District in San Francisco where he would live the rest of his life. Gilford’s main objective throughout his career was connecting with the black community and making sure that unity was being created. Continue reading “ROTEA GILFORD”

Daniel Lebern Glover was born on July 22, 1946, in San Francisco. While Glover is primarily known as an actor, he has also earned numerous accolades working as an activist. In addition to his role in Lethal Weapon (1987–88) and The Color Purple (1985), he’s played dozens characters in both television shows and movies throughout his career. Continue reading “DANNY GLOVER”

Carlton B. Goodlett was considered one of the most influential black men in San Francisco for nearly forty years. He was born in Chipley, Florida, in 1914. Goodlett was a man of many talents: He was a doctor, publisher, political power broker, and a successful businessman. By the young age of 23, he practiced as a pediatrician in the Fillmore District of San Francisco. Continue reading “DR. CARLTON B. GOODLETT”

Awarded the title of Man of the Year by The Sun-Reporter in 1970, Dr. Zuretti Lee Goosby dedicated his life to being a community activist in the Bay Area. Goosby was born October 19, 1922, in Oakland. He received his B.A. at the University of California, Berkeley, and D.D.S. at University of California, San Francisco. Continue reading “DR. ZURETTI GOOSBY”

Many people of the Western Addition are indebted to the kindness and grace of Leonard ‘Lefty’ Gordon. Gordon was a friend, coach, mentor, and leader in his community. Until his untimely passing in 2000 at the age of 61, Gordon mentored hundreds of kids as the executive director of the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center. Continue reading “LEONARD ‘LEFTY’ GORDON”

Born on February 13, 1944, in Greenwood, Mississippi, Roland Gordon was raised in Gary, Indiana, where he was the star player and captain of Gary Roosevelt High School basketball team. In 1967 he went on to Baldwin Wallace College where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in business. Continue reading “REV. ROLAND GORDON”

Naomi Jean Thomas Gray was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on May 18, 1922. She was raised in Indiana alongside her four other siblings. In 1945 she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hampton University and went on to earn graduate degrees from Hampton University and Indiana University. Upon graduation, she was hired as a caseworker for a foster care agency in Indianapolis (Historymakers). Soon after, she worked for 20 years for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, earning the position of the first black female vice president (Knight). Continue reading “NAOMI GRAY”