Marsha P. Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. She was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. 

She was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and co-founded the radical activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.).

On the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall uprising occurred. The clashes with police would result in a series of spontaneous demonstrations for a week afterwards.  On the first year anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, on June 28, 1970, Johnson marched in the first Gay Pride rally. 

Shortly after the 1992 pride parade, Johnson's body was discovered floating in the Hudson River. Police initially ruled the death a suicide but today it is seen as a probable murder.

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On March 27, the Black Academy of Arts and Letters was founded. 

Founded in Boston, the Black Academy of Arts and Letters works to promote, cultivate, and preserve the work of African, African-American, and Caribbean artists in the fields of literature, fine arts, performing arts, visual arts, and cinema. 

The organization grew out of the American Negro Academy (ANA), which was established in 1897 to publish scholarly works, foster higher education, and promote literature, science, and art by and among African Americans. 

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Odetta Holmes was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil and human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement".

Odetta was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on December 31, 1930. As an important figure in the American folk music of the 50s and 60s, she influenced many of the key figures of the folk-revival, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, and Janis Joplin.

Time magazine included her recording of "Take This Hammer" on its list of the 100 Greatest Popular Songs, stating that "Rosa Parks was her No. 1 fan.”

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On March 26, William H. Hastie became the first Black federal judge.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Amherst College in 1925, Hastie taught at the Bordentown Manual School before going on to Harvard University to receive a law degree in 1930.

He began his federal career as a solicitor for the Department of the Interior in 1933. Upon the recommendation of Interior Secretary Harold Ickes,

Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Hastie to the U.S. District Court in the Virgin Islands.

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Marian Anderson was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. 

Anderson was born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897. On January 7, 1955, Anderson became the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. 

During her life, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, the National Medal of Arts, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

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March 25 is the Birthday of Aretha Franklin.

As a young teen, Franklin performed with her father on his gospel programs in major cities throughout the country and was recognized as a vocal prodigy. She moved to New York City, where Columbia Records executive John Hammond arranged her recording contract.

Her first recording session where she sang “Today I Sing the Blues” (1960) remains a classic.

As the nation turned towards civil rights, and Black urban music grew in popularity, Franklin was crowned the “Queen of Soul." “Respect,” her 1967 cover of Otis Redding’s spirited composition, became an anthem.

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Mahalia Jackson, born Mahala Jackson, was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. 

As a child, Mahalia found a home in her church, where Mahalia delivered God's word through song. She moved to Chicago as an adolescent and joined the Johnson Singers, one of the earliest gospel groups. Jackson was heavily influenced by blues singer Bessie Smith. 

Nationwide recognition came for Jackson in 1947 with the release of "Move On Up a Little Higher," selling two million copies and hitting the number two spot on Billboard charts. 

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Halle Berry became the first African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress.

Film roles in "Jungle Fever" (1991), directed by Spike Lee, and in "Boomerang" (1992), directed by Reginald Hudlin, first brought her notice.

She won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in "Monster's Ball"(2001), becoming the first African-American woman to win the award.

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On March 23, Patricia Roberts Harris passed away.

She was the first African American woman named to a U.S. ambassadorship and the first as well to serve in a presidential cabinet.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy appointed her co-chairman of the National Women's Committee for Civil Rights. She worked in Lyndon Johnson's presidential campaign. Soon after his victory, President Johnson appointed her Ambassador to Luxembourg from 1965 to 1967.

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Condoleezza "Condi" Rice, born on November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, is an American diplomat, political scientist, civil servant, and professor who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.  

In President Bush's second term, she succeeded Colin Powell as Secretary of State. She was the second female secretary of state, after Madeleine Albright.

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