In 1966, Roberta (Bobbi) Gibb did what no woman had ever done before: She ran the Boston Marathon, which men had been running every year since 1897. It was the first race she'd ever run, and she ran it again 1967 and 1968, winning both times, although women were not allowed to enter the race officially until 1972. Gibb received no official recognition for her…
Read moreUpon her graduation in 1951, she was the first female African-American graduate of the law school. Learn more about this pioneer of Milwaukee.
Read morePhotograph of MATC building by Royalbroil. Ruth K. (Dunham) Cortell was a social studies and history teacher for Milwaukee School of Vocational and Adult Education, also known as Milwaukee Vocational and Adult Schools (MVAS), and today known as Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). Mrs. Cortell was born 31 January 1902. She graduated from University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1933. She taught at MVAS/MATC from 1933…
Read moreClayborn Benson at a Kwanzaa celebration. Photo provided by Clayborn Benson In celebration of Black History Month, Milwaukee Public Library is hosting several events at multiple library locations throughout the month of February. One of these events, African American History with Clayborn Benson will be held on Wednesday, February 12th at the Martin Luther King Library. What impact did African Americans have on Wisconsin's inception as a…
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