Artists
A novelist whose works are praised for addressing the harsh consequences of racism in the United States and the Black American experience. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. In 2012 President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Toni Morrison
Haitian American Artist who rose to success during the 1980s. His art focused on dichotomies such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience. He appropriated poetry, drawing, and painting.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Business woman, actress, and songwriter. She became a billionaire after the successful launch of her cosmetics line under her fashion brand Fenty.
Rihanna
In May 2020, He was announced as Princeton University’s first Black valedictorian in the school’s 275-year history. He studied operations research and financial engineering.
Nicholas Johnson
American entrepreneur, programmer, engineer born in Accra, Ghana. He grew up in Compton, California. He has worked as a technological design consultant and engineer with companies such as Uber and Instagram. In 2017, he worked with Nipsey Hussle in the Marathon clothing store in LA. He founded Spatial Labs a tech company backed by Jay-Z.
Iddris Sandu
A visusal artist and native of Los Angeles. Studied at the California Institute of the Arts. Recognized for his collaged painting works, which have been shown internationally, encompassing video, print, and installation.
Mark Bradford
His Family Foundation, is based in Akron. In 2015, he announced a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships for as many as 2,300 children beginning in 2021. He is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history
Lebron James
She is the founder and CEO of Blavity, the leading digitial media company for Black Culture and mellennials.
Morgan DeBaun
An influencer who is a 2x NAACP image award nominee know for her Parking Lot Pimpiin series where she analyses current events and gives social commentary from a Black Perspective.
Lynae Vanee
He is a NASA astronaut who grew up in Pomona, California. Pilot on the first operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station.
Victor J. Glover, Jr.
An American jazz singer. She released her self-titled debut album in 2021 and was subsequently named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album won Grammys for Best Jazz Vocal Album and herself for Best New Artist.
Samara Joy
In 1905, He moved with his wife, Emma, to the oil boomtown of Tulsa, where he purchased 40 acres of land and became the founder of the Greenwood district known as "Black Wall Street."
O.W. Gurley
Became the President of Ethiopia in 2018, being the first woman to hold the office. She was elected as president unanimously by members of the Federal Parliamentary Assembly on 25 October 2018
Sahle-Work Zewde
One half of musical duo with her sister. A singer/actress who has been seen in Grown-ish and had her 1st leading role in The Little Mermaid and another supporting role in The Color Purple.
Halle Bailey
She is a viral immunologist. Former research fellow in the Vaccine Research Center and a scientist on the team that developed the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. She studied the spike proteins of other coronaviruses and earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology.
Kizzmekia S. Corbett
American rapper/actor of Nigerian descent. In 2016, He began posting an original song and video every Sunday across social media. Shares the stage with his wife and childen when he performs on tour where the color mint is the aesthetic.
Tobe Nwigwe
Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the King of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz.
Fela Kuti
Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the King of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz.
Fela Kuti
A professional tennis player and 2023 US Open Champion. At age 15, She became the youngest player in Wimbledon's tournament history to qualify for the main draw. There she rose to prominence with a win over Venus Williams.
Coco Gauff
A doctor, engineer, physicist, and astronaut who became the first African American woman to travel into outer space. She has degrees in chemical engineering, African and African-American studies, and a Cornell University medical degree.
Mae C. Jemison
A Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories, and nonfiction. Novels include Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
She was an American businesswoman and teacher. The first African American woman to charter a bank and to serve as a bank president. She achieved successes with the vision to make tangible improvements in the way of life for African Americans.
Maggie Lena Walker
A scholar, professor, and activist focusing on civil rights, and gender equality. She coined the term “intersectionality” addressing the challenges Black women face as part of two demographics simultaneously: race and gender. Her groundbreaking work on this topic was influential in drafting the equality clause of the South African Constitution.
Kimberlé Crenshaw
A surrealist blues poet, and Dream Defender of Caribbean descent and American descent. The youngest poet to win the Nuyorican Grand Slam competition. Her debut studio album is "When the Poems do What They Do."
Aja Monet
He is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. He was awarded the Public Welfare Medal in 2015 for his "extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science."
Neil deGrasse Tyson