Edward Bouchet (1852–1918) was an African American physicist and educator, best known for being the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from any American university. He received his doctorate in physics from Yale University in 1876, specializing in spectroscopy. MORE

Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922–1999) was an African American inventor and innovator best known for developing the first home security system. Alongside her husband, Albert Brown, she created this system in response to the high crime rates in their neighborhood in Queens, New York, during the 1960s. MORE

Moses Fleetwood Walker (1856–1924) was an African American professional baseball player, widely recognized as one of the pioneers of black baseball in the United States. Born in Mount Pleasant, Ohio, Walker played as a catcher and served as a trailblazer for African American athletes in a predominantly white sport during the late 19th century. MORE

In 1886, the Wisconsin State Democratic Convention was held in Union Grove. At that gathering a 39-year-old former slave named Peter D. Thomas was nominated to serve as Racine County Coroner. Due to spelling errors on several ballots cast for Thomas the election hung in doubt. MORE

Due to outstanding community support and extraordinary leadership, particularly from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and its president Julian Thomas, the Racine Unified School District triumphed over segregation. MORE

It was Carl Harris' grandfather, Henry Bassett, who was the first black person to buy Franksville land. The family story is that Bassett was defrauded, sold land that didn't legally belong to the seller. MORE