Civil Rights & Politics- Lawyers, Judges, Activists
Athletics
Athletics
Born August 4, 1961, this American politician and attorney served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president of the United States. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.
Who is Barack Obama?
Born April 4, 1928 (and died May 28, 2014), this American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist published 7 autobiographies, three books of essays, several poetry books, and is credited with plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Best known for her series of seven autobiographies that focus on her childhood and early adult experiences, with the first I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) (which tells of her life up to 17) bringing her international recognition and acclaim. This person has received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
Who is Dr. Maya Angelo?
Born on November 8, 1947, this American singer - songwriter referred to by the media as the "Queen of the Whistle Register" and is best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You" and her five - octave coloratura soprano range. "The Queen of the Whistle Register" died on July 12, 1979.
Who is Minnie Riperton?
Born November 30, 1912 (and died March 17, 2006), this American photographer, musician, author, poet, composer, writer, and film director became prominent in U.S. documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particularly in issues of civil rights, poverty and African-Americans—and in glamour photography. He was the first African American to produce and direct major motion pictures—developing films relating the experience of slaves and struggling black Americans, and creating the "blaxploitation" genre. He is best remembered for his iconic photos of poor Americans during the 1940s and as the director of the 1971 film Shaft.
Who is Gordon Parks?
Born September 11, 1970, this American actress and producer studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in the 2001 film Baby Boy. She is best known for playing strong female characters, most notably Loretha (“Cookie”) Lyon on the television drama Empire (2015–20).
Who is Taraji P. Henson?
Born October 20, 1964, this American politician and attorney is currently serving as the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the United States' first female vice president, the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, and the first African American and first Asian American vice president. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served as a United States senator from California from 2017 to 2021, and as the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017. She became vice president upon inauguration in January 2021 alongside President Joe Biden, having defeated the incumbent president, Donald Trump, and vice president, Mike Pence, in the 2020 election.
Who is Kamala Harris?
Born June 3, 1904 (and died April 1, 1950), this American surgeon and medical researcher researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. This allowed medics to save thousands of lives of the Allied forces. As the most prominent African American in the field, Drew protested against the practice of racial segregation in the donation of blood, as it lacked scientific foundation, and resigned his position with the American Red Cross, which maintained the policy until 1950.
Who is Charles Drew?
Born July 1, 1971, this American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, began her music career with R&B group Sista in the early-mid 1990s and later became a member of the Swing Mob collective along with childhood friend and frequent collaborator Timbaland, with whom she worked on projects for American R&B acts.
Who is Missy Elliot?
Born August 23, 1978 (and died January 26, 2020), this American professional basketball player spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, this shooting guard helped the Lakers win five NBA championships, and was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.
Who is Kobe Bryant?
Born November 15, 1955 as Caryn Elaine Johnson, this American actor, comedian, author, and television personality is a recipient of numerous accolades. She is one of sixteen entertainers to have won an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. Her film breakthrough came in 1985 for her role as Celie, a mistreated woman in the Deep South, in Steven Spielberg's period drama film The Color Purple, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and won her first Golden Globe Award.
Who is Whoopi Goldberg?
Born in Louisville, Kentucky as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., on January 17, 1942 (and died on June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He began training as an amateur boxer at age 12. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22.
Who is Muhammad Ali?
Born August 26, 1918 (and died February 24, 2020), this American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were important and critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. During her 35-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks. The space agency noted her "historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist".
Who is Katherine Johnson?
Born May 13, 1950, this former child prodigy and current American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer is one of the most successful songwriters and musicians and was a prominent figure in popular music during the second part of the 20th century. Blind since after birth, this musician's use of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the 1970 reshaped R&B. This often hailed genius has been credited as a pioneer and influence to musicians of various genres including R&B, pop, soul, funk, jazz, and gospel.
Who is Steve Wonder?
Born July 24, 1964, this American former professional baseball left fielder, who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, received a record seven NL MVP awards, eight Gold Glove awards, a record 12 Silver Slugger awards, and 14 All-Star selections. He is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Who is Barry Bonds?
Born November 29, 1976 (and died August 28, 2020), this American actor and playwright, after studying directing at Howard University, became prominent in theater, winning a Drama League Directing Fellowship and an acting AUDELCO, and was nominated for a Jeff Award as a playwright for Deep Azure. Transitioning to the screen, he landed his first major role as a series regular on Persons Unknown in 2010, and his breakthrough performance came in 2013 as baseball player Jackie Robinson in the biographical film 42. He continued to portray historical figures, starring in Get on Up (2014) as singer James Brown and Marshall (2017) as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. He achieved international fame for playing superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from 2016 to 2019.
Who is Chadwick Boseman?
Born November 20, 1924 (and died on January 1, 2005), this American politician, educator, and author became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968, representing New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In the 1972 United States presidential election, she became the first African-American candidate for a major party's nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
Born on July 16, 1862 (and died on March 25, 1931), this American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Quote: Somebody must show that the Afro - American race is more sinned against than sinning.
Who is Ida B Wells?
Born May 26, 1975, this American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, and former member of the Fugees, often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time and a pioneer in the Neo soul genre, is credited for breaking barriers for female rappers, popularizing melodic rapping, and for bringing hip - hop into popular music.
Who is Lauren Hill?
Born September 26, 1981, this American professional tennis player and former world No. 1 in women's single tennis has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time behind Margaret Court (24). The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranked her world No. 1 in singles on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017.
Who is Serena Williams?
Born January 29, 1954, this American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years from 1986 to 2011.Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African American of the 20th century and North America's first black multi-billionaire, and she has been ranked the greatest black philanthropist in American history. By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
Born in great Barrington, Massachusetts on February 23, 1868 (and died August 27, 1963), this American sociologist, socialist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor who after completing graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.
Who is William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (W.E.B Du Bois)?
Born January 7, 1891 (and died January 28, 1960), this American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker, whose most popular of four books, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was published in 1937. This person portrayed racial struggles in the early 1900s American South ad published research on hoodoo.
Who is Zora Neale Hurston?
Born on February 27, 1897, this American contralto performed music from opera to spirituals with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965, eventually winning a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. This powerhouse died on April 8th, 1993.
Who is Marian Anderson?
Born December 22, 1960 (and died August 12, 1988), this American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent first achieved fame as part of SAMO, a graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the late 1970s. By the early 1980s, his neo-expressionist paintings were being exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. At 21, he became the youngest artist to ever take part in documenta in Kassel. At 22, he was the youngest to exhibit at the Whitney Biennial in New York. His art focused on dichotomies such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience.
Who is Jean-Michel Basquiat?
Born February 20, 1927, this Bahamian - American actor, film director, and ambassador won the Academy Award for Best Actor (his second nomination) in 1964, becoming the first black male and Afro-Bahamian actor to win that award. He is the oldest living and earliest surviving Best Actor Academy Award winner. From 1997 to 2007, he served as the Bahamian ambassador to Japan.
Quote: To simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed.
Who is Sidney Poitier?