Born in Washington, D.C., Benjamin Davis Sr. attended M Street High School and Howard University. He became a member of the black unit of the District’s National Guard after he was denied admittance to West Point because of his race. He served in the army during the Spanish-American War and in the Philippines. He became the first black general in the United States Army. He later served as a military advisor on race relations and worked as a teacher.

Sources:
In Black and White . Ed. Mary Mace Spradling. Vol.1. 3 rd ed. Gale Research: Detroit, 1980. p.238.

Nicholson, Delores. Notable Black American Men. Ed. Jessie Carney Smith. Farmington Hills , MI : Gale, 1999.