He spent the majority of his 40+ year teaching career at Virginia State University, and wrote ten books on the subjects of American and African-American history.

He was born in Harlem, New York to immigrants Maude Catherine Joel (Bermuda) and Vivien Leopold Toppin (Grenada).

His wardrobe of white shirts and navy blue pants was a symbol of poverty so recognizable that "when you walked into a place, people could spot you a mile away," he recalls.

The series has honored such individuals as Colin Powell, Mae Jemison, Michael Jordan, Thurgood Marshall, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and Reginald Lewis (a former student of his).

In December 1999, the Surry County, Virginia, Historical Society and Museums called Dr. Toppin, "one of the greatest living authorities on African-American history.