On May 10, 1837, Pinckney Benton Stewart (P.B.S.) Pinchback was born in Macon, Georgia. Born to a formerly enslaved woman and a wealthy white planter, Pinchback would go on to make American history during the Reconstruction Era. After the Civil War, he entered Louisiana politics and rose through the ranks as a fierce advocate for civil rights and education.

In 1872, Pinchback became lieutenant governor of Louisiana, and when the sitting governor was impeached, he stepped into the role. For 43 days, Pinchback served as acting governor, becoming the first African American to hold the office of governor in any U.S. state. He later helped establish Southern University and fought for the political representation of Black Americans during the volatile post-Civil War years.