LeMoyne-Owen College, a private Historically Black College and University (HBCU), was formed in 1968 through the merger of two historic schools: LeMoyne College, founded in 1862, and Owen College, established in 1954.

Booker T. Washington High School was constructed in 1926 on Lauderdale Street replacing the former Kortrecht High School and becoming the premier institution for African American education in the city.

Dr. William Herbert Brewster, Sr.: A Baptist minister by trade, who made a lasting national impact as a poet, playwright, gospel music composer, orator and civil rights leader.

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) was founded in 1897 by Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, with its formal Pentecostal organization established in 1907, growing to over eight million members worldwide.

Brenda Joysmith: A Memphis-native artist celebrated for her impressionistic, vibrant paintings depicting everyday African American life, family, and Southern culture.

Rufus Thomas: Legendary soul/funk singer known as the "Crown Prince of Dance" along with Lorene Thomas raised a musically talented family, including Carla Thomas, Marvell Thomas, and Vaneese Thomas.

The 1975 LeMoyne-Owen College Magicians won the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Championship defeating Glassboro State, becoming the only Tennessee men’s team to win an NCAA basketball championship.

A successful team in the Negro Baseball League owned by the prominent Martin Brothers and operated for over 30 years serving as a pillar of Memphis sports.

Club Paradise was a stop on the "Chitlin' Circuit," and considered a safe and acceptable venue for African-American entertainers in the era of racial segregation in the US.

Julia Britton Hooks: The "Angel of Beale Street," was a musician and educator whose work with youth, the elderly, and the indigent was highly respected across the country.

Prominent businessman who succeeded his father as President of the Solvent Bank & Trust Company after his father's death in 1912 and organized Tennessee's first NAACP Branch.

American entrepreneur, businessman and landowner who became the first African-American millionaire in the South.

A prominent civil rights attorney, politician, and entrepreneur, who served as an NAACP lawyer during school desegregation and represented James Meredith, the first Black student admitted to Ole Miss.

Civil Rights attorney known for his work on school desegregation, including the Northcross v. Memphis Board of Education case.