Bill Jenkins (1945–2019), tried to end Tuskegee syphilis experiment

Bill Jenkins was an epidemiologist and government whistleblower who tried to bring an end to the Tuskegee syphilis experiment by exposing it as racist and unethical. The study began in 1932 when 600 black men, 399 of whom had syphilis, were recruited for a study in exchange for free health care. The study quietly continued for four decades, during which time the men were denied emerging treatments for syphilis and allowed to pass the disease along to their wives and children. When Jenkins joined the Public Health Service in 1967, he learned about the still-ongoing experiment and began working to bring it to the public's attention so it could be stopped. After others got involved in whistleblowing the study's poor methods, a governmental hearing deemed the study problematic and it came to an end in 1972. A subsequent lawsuit brought monetary compensation to the remaining subjects and their survivors, and years later, Jenkins led the effort to get an official apology from President Bill Clinton to the victims of the experiment and their families.

Ethel Ennis (1932–2019), Baltimore’s “First Lady of Jazz”

Ethel Ennis was Baltimore’s “First Lady of Jazz,” a renowned jazz singer who performed with many legends and wowed audiences at the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals. Ennis worked her way up through the blues clubs in Baltimore and released albums on major labels such as Capitol and RCA. She was asked to go on a national headlining tour as her fame grew but she decided to stay in Baltimore, continuing her music career out of her hometown.