Lovell Gaines was born in Louisiana and went to Louisiana State University. He moved to Reno, Nevada after serving in the Vietnam war. Gaines taught for one year and then worked for the Nevada Department of Corrections for thirty-plus years. He was extensively involved in the Reno chapter of the National Association for the Adancedment of Colored People (NAACP). Then when he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1975, he ran for and became the local NAACP chapter president. He served as president from 1980 to 1982.
Bishop James M. Rogers was born around 1951 and was raised on a plantation in Louisiana near Tallulah, Louisiana. He arrived to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1970 at the age of 19, and was mentored by Dr. F.N. Addison. He also started to attend community rallies and town hall meetings. His initial involvement in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) happened through supporting his pastor and getting involved in marches and news conferences.