Distinguished African Americans

I was looking at a 2009 calender, I think that it is important to know about these individuals.

Thomas Morris Chester (1834-1892)
He was the first African American correspondent for a major daily newspaper during the civil war. Working for the Philadelphia Press, he covered the activities of African American troops around Petersburg and Richmond,Virginia. Pror to the war,Chester was editor of the publication Star of Liberia. In later years, he practied law in England. His successes helped open the field of mass communications; including radio and TV broadcasting, computer networking,print media and public speaking, to future generations of African Americans, who now participate in these careers in record numbers.

James Armistead
American Spy: In 1781 Armistead, a slave, was a valuable intelligence agent during the Revolution,assisting Lafayette by gathering information concerning British forces at Portsmouth, Virginia. For his work, Aristead was emancipated by an acy of the Virginia Legislature in1786.

Bernice Gaines Hughes
First African American woman to obatian the rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States.