Sarah F Pye

Charles Falkner

Born in Kentucky and settled in Mississippi, Charles Falkner raised a family during a time of great change, anchoring generations to come.

James Alexander

Born as the Civil War ended, James Alexander was part of the first generation of African Americans born free in Mississippi. He weathered the brutality of Jim Crow, the hardship of sharecropping, and the weight of raising over 20 children through sheer grit and unwavering devotion. A farmer, father, and survivor, he built a life in Rankin County with his lifelong partner Hollie, carving out dignity from oppression. His legacy lives on in the generations that followed—a testament to endurance, labor, and love in the face of systemic injustice.

Adeline Murphy

Cecelia Suggs

A Mississippi farm girl turned Chicago matriarch, Cecelia weathered Jim Crow, the Great Depression, and motherhood of 13—becoming a three-home property owner, community anchor, and beloved 'mangle girl' who never missed a Cubs game.

William Wiley Hawkins Sr.

Sam Alexander

Professor "Fess" Strickland

She wasn’t just Professor in name. She was a teacher, a guide, a leader, and a protector… the Mayor of Birch Street.