Explore people and objects across Black history. Start anywhere, or follow the collection by date.
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Loading image…1920–2025
Charles Burrell (October 4, 1920 – June 17, 2025) was an American classical and jazz bass player most prominently known for being the first African American to be a member of a major American symphony (the Denver Symphony Orchestra, now known as the…
Loading image…1889–1981
Charles C. Dawson (June 12, 1889 – 1981) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and graphic designer.
1841–1911
Charles C. Leslie (April 12, 1841 – April 14, 1911) was free African American fisherman, mariner, and businessman in South Carolina.
Biography
C.C. Smith (May 3, 1860? – October 1, 1924), a.k.a. Charles C. Smith, Charles A.C. Smith, and Charlie Smith, was an African American boxer who claimed the status of being the World Colored Heavyweight Champ and was the first boxer recognized as such.
1943–2003
Charles W. Caldwell (May 18, 1943 – September 3, 2003) was an American musician from Mississippi, known for a raw and fiery brand of electric North Mississippi hill country blues. Caldwell was a lifelong resident of the hill country around Coffeeville,…
Loading image…1831–1875
Charles Caldwell (1830 or 1831 – December 30, 1875) was a Reconstruction era political and state militia leader in Mississippi. He held office as a state senator and county commissioner before being assassinated in 1875. A former slave, he was a delegate…
Loading image…1929–1990
Charles Calvin Rogers (September 6, 1929 – September 21, 1990) was a recipient of the highest military decoration in the United States, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Vietnam War. A lieutenant colonel at the time, he became the…
1918–1986
Charles M. Campbell (1918–1986) was an American educator, civil rights activist and politician from Hawaii. Campbell was a member of the Honolulu City Council, Hawaii State Legislature and Hawaii State Senate. Campbell traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1964…
2007; printed 2024
FROM THE SOURCE CATALOGA color photograph of Charles Cauthen by Sheila Pree Bright. The photograph is a close-up portrait of Cauthen wrapped in a United States flag against a bright white background. The American flag is wrapped entirely around his neck and shoulders, with only…
Dates not recorded
Charles "Charlie the Tuna" Chapman (born 1954) is an American distance swimmer specializing in the butterfly stroke, who in 1981 became the first Black swimmer to successfully cross the English channel, and in 1988 set a record for swimming twice around…
Loading image…1922–1986
Charles Chew Jr. (October 9, 1922 – July 3, 1986) was an American politician in Illinois. He served in the Illinois Senate from 1967 to 1986.
1931–2018
Charles "Chuck" Harrison (September 23, 1931 – November 29, 2018) was an American industrial designer, speaker and educator. He was the first African-American executive to work at Sears, Roebuck and Company, starting in 1961 as a designer and eventually…
1987–
Charles Clark (born August 10, 1987) is an American sprinter, who specializes in the 200 metres. His personal best time is 20.22 seconds, but he also ran a 20.00 at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships, for 2nd place, qualifying him for the World…
Loading image…1874–1952
Charles Clinton Spaulding (August 1, 1874 – August 1, 1952) was an American business leader. For close to thirty years, he presided over North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which became America's largest black-owned business, with assets of over…
1948–
Charles Coe (born October 31, 1948) is an American football coach and former football and baseball player. From 2003 to 2006, Coe served as the head football coach at Alabama State University, compiling a record of 29–18. A standout two-sport athlete at…
1977–
Charles Coleman, "CharlesInCharge", is an American record producer and songwriter. He began his musical journey as a member of the group, ICON. It was with the group that CharlesInCharge began to professionally produce and write music. To create he uses an…
Loading image…1911–1992
Charles "Honi" Coles (April 2, 1911 – November 12, 1992) was an American actor and tap dancer, who was inducted posthumously into the American Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2003. He had a distinctive personal style that required technical precision, high-speed…
November 1, 2008; printed 2012
FROM THE SOURCE CATALOGA black-and-white photograph of Charles Covington. He is looking at the camera and wearing glasses and a jacket over is shirt. Light is reflecting off of his glasses. The print is inscribed on the back.
Loading image…Biography
Charles D. Brown II is an American physicist and assistant professor at Yale University, studying many-body physics of ultracold atoms in optical lattices and quantum simulation of quantum materials. Brown is also a lead organiser of #BlackInPhysics week,…
Biography
Charles D. Hayne (c. 1844–1913) was an American politician, tailor, and railroad investor from South Carolina. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1868 to 1872 and in the South Carolina Senate from 1872 to 1876.
Dates not recorded
Charles Daniels was a Black Canadian working as a porter supervisor with the CPR at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1914, he launched a $1,000 discrimination lawsuit against the Sherman Grand theatre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, when the management…
December 7, 2016
FROM THE SOURCE CATALOGThe oral history consists of 2016.129.18.1a and 2016.129.18.2a: two versions (unedited, and edited) of a single digital video recording. Dr. Charles D. Kleymeyer was interviewed as part of the NMAAHC Donor Oral History Collection. Dr. Kleymeyer is a close…
Loading image…1964–
Charles Franklin Davis (born November 14, 1964) is an American football analyst. He is currently the lead analyst for College Football on CBS, working alongside Brad Nessler. He is also an analyst for Tennessee Titans preseason games, working alongside Dan…
1917–2004
Charles DeWitt Watts (September 21, 1917 – July 12, 2004) was an African-American surgeon and activist for the poor. Watts was the first surgeon of African-American ancestry in North Carolina. Earning his medical degree in 1943 from Howard University…
Biographies, museum objects and archive records are distinct card types. Every card links to its historical source.
