The Maestro's Touch Professional Hair and Make-up Artist

Do you know the name Clara Belle Drisdale Williams [1885-1993], the first African-American graduate of New Mexico State University. Many of her professors would not allow her inside the classroom, she had to take notes from the hallway; she was also not allowed to walk with her class to get her diploma. She married Jasper Williams in 1917; their three sons became physicians. She became a great teacher of black students by day, and by night she taught their parents, former slaves, home economics. In 1961, New Mexico State University named a street on its campus after Williams; in 2005 the building of the English department was renamed Clara Belle Williams Hall. In 1980 Williams was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws degree by NMSU, which also apologized for the treatment she was subjected to as a student. She died at 108 years old.

Black People Founded the City of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California has a lot more Black history than most people realize. The city was founded in 1781 by a group of 44 Mexican settlers, and 26 of them were of African descent.

Pío de Jesús Pico, who was of both African and American descent, was one of the first governors of the area that is now known as the city of Los Angeles. In fact, he served as the governor of Alta California twice and was even a councilman before his untimely death.

Even more, in 1872, the First African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in Los Angeles when emancipated Blacks began moving to the city in significant numbers towards the end of the Civil War. In 1885, the second Baptist Church for African Americans was built.

In the 1920's, Paul Revere Williams, a famous Black architect credited for shaping Los Angeles, began designing homes and commercial buildings through out the cities.

Locations like Central Avenue became the focal point for African-American communities. In fact, Central Avenue was the location of the vibrant Los Angeles jazz scene that attracted such greats as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Bessie Smith. To date, the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche home, the first person of color to win the lauded Nobel Peace Prize, remains a landmark on Central Avenue.

The infamous Dunbar Hotel (originally known as the Hotel Somerville) on Central Avenue was completely financed and built solely by Black people. Known as one of the finest Black-owned hotels in the nation, it would often host major events such as the NAACP national conventions.

Today, Los Angeles remains one of the top cities in the countries where African Americans live, and Black history continues to be made in the areas of business, entertainment, politics, and more.

In 1978, Jill E. Brown-Hiltz was hired as a pilot for Texas International Airlines, making her the first African American woman pilot at a major airline. But it didn't always look like her dreams would come true.

Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, she always wanted to fly more than anything else but she ended up graduating with a degree in Home Economics and began teaching.

In 1974, however, Brown enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where she was admitted into the Navy's flight training program. She was the first African American woman in the program but felt that the Navy wasn’t for her. After six months, she was honorably discharged.

Her next job was at Wheeler Airlines, where she worked her way up from a ticket counter clerk to pilot, logging enough hours as a pilot to quality for a job at a major airline.

Texas International Airlines (TIA) later hired Brown as a pilot when she was just 28-years old, and she made history. However, because she believed that she was only hired because of her race, she decided to only stay with the airline for a year.

It’s estimated that African American women only make up about 0.01% of all commercial pilots in the country. Brown was definitely a pioneer in a field that is still dominated by white men. Because of her early accomplishments, Brown continues to inspire many other Black and minority women who aspire to be pilots as well.

But her success has not always been easy. For example, in 1990, Brown sued United Airlines for discrimination because she applied three times and was never hired. The lawsuit was unsuccessful, but it opened the doors for her to advocate for others who are victims of discrimination in the airline industry.

Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone was the first Black woman to become a millionaire. She owned a Black hair care empire called Poro that reported assets of $14 million in the year 1920.

At a young age, Malone was very fascinated with hair and hair care. She often practiced hairdressing on her sister, and later she began applying her knowledge of chemistry to develop her own hair care products.

Her line of products were specifically designed for African-American women, a market that was largely ignored at the time. She cleverly marketed her products by hiring other saleswomen to go door to door doing demonstrations. One of her most popular products was called "Wonderful Hair Grower," which obviously helped women grow their hair.

However, there was a bit of a rivalry between her and Madam C.J. Walker, another successful Black business woman who also had a similar product with the same name. But historians agree that Malone originated the product and it's name, and Walker's was an imitation. But both women's products were popular, and they both obtained a lot of wealth.

More than just hair care products

Malone also established a school in St. Louis, Missouri called Poro College. Black beauticians and hair stylists came from all across the country to learn Malone's techniques so that they too could establish their own businesses. There were also etiquette courses teaching women how to walk, talk and dress for work.

In 1930, Malone decided to move the college to Chicago, Illinois. She once commented, “The people there (in Chicago) are accomplishing things. The atmosphere is one of commercial striving, endeavor and promise.”

She even decided to renovate the headquarters for her company there, and also bought an entire block of mansions in Chicago. Unfortunately, the project didn't last long because of her costly divorce from her husband at the time, and also a management problem that affect her company's sales. The Poro block was eventually demolished.

On May 10, 1957, Malone died at Chicago's Provident Hospital from a stroke. She was 79-years old.

Maggie Walker started a department store allowing Black customers to shop with dignity: To enter through the main doors instead of a side entrance, to try on clothing before buying, and to eat at lunch counters. Her store displayed clothing on brown-skinned mannequins and hired exclusively Black women to work as clerks.