Black History Month

Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was a rapper and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, known for his distinctive laidback delivery, often grim content and his own intimidating appearance. His music was often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also […]

Chris Rock was discovered by Eddie Murphy at New York’s Comedy Strip at age 18. He went on to appear in films and on Saturday Night Live, and soon released his 1st comedy album. He has 2 Emmy award-winning HBO specials, 3 Grammy award-winning comedy albums and created the popular sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. He […]

Spike Lee was making amateur films by age 20 and won a Student Academy Award for his graduate thesis film. Spike Lee drew attention with his 1st feature She’s Gotta Have It — one of the most profitable films in 1986. He continues to create films that explore provocative topics like race, politics and violence. […]

Michael Jordan is a former NBA player, Olympian, businessman and actor. Considered one of the best players ever, he dominated basketball from the mid-80’s to the late 90’s. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships and earned the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award 5 times. With 5 MVPs and 3 All-Star MVPs, Jordan […]

Richard Pryor was a class clown in school and a community theater actor in his teens. He became a successful stand-up comedian, television writer and movie actor, starring in films like Stir Crazy and Greased Lightning. Richard Pryor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986 but continued to perform for several more years. He died […]

Muhammad Ali is universally regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. Ali became an Olympic gold medalist and the world heavyweight boxing champion. Following his suspension for refusing military service, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title 2 more times. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy, earning […]

Michael Jackson was a best-selling singer, songwriter and dancer. As a child, he became the lead singer of the Jackson 5. He went on to a solo career of astonishing worldwide success, delivering #1 hits from the albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. He died in 2009 at age 50 of a drug overdose […]

Tupac Shakur was a rapper and actor who came to embody 90’s gangsta-rap, and who in death became an icon symbolizing noble struggle. He has sold 75 million albums to date, making him one of the top-selling artists of all time. A sensitive, precociously talented and troubled soul, Tupac was gunned down in Las Vegas […]

Stevie Wonder made his recording debut with 60’s hits like “Fingertips, Pt. 2,” “I Was Made to Love Her” and “My Cherie Amour.” Over the next decade, Stevie had an array of #1 songs on the pop and R&B charts, including “Superstition,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “Higher Ground.” Stevie continued to […]

Morgan Freeman joined the Air Force after high school to become a fighter pilot. He later realized it wasn’t what he’d wanted and thus, began his acting career. After years of small parts and limited success, he began to land big roles and win critical and popular acclaim. He’s now one of Hollywood’s most respected […]

John Lewis grew up in an era of racial segregation. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., he joined the burgeoning civil rights movement. John Lewis was a Freedom Rider, spoke at 1963’s March on Washington and led demonstrations for social justice. He was elected to Congress in 1986 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom […]

Magic Johnson was one of professional basketball’s best players for 13 years. He retired from the L.A. Lakers in 1991 after revealing that he had tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Magic has since built up a business empire, which includes real estate holdings, Starbucks franchises, movie theaters and shares of professional […]

Prince’s early music career saw the release of Prince, Dirty Mind and Controversy, which drew attention for their fusion of religious and sexual themes. He then released 1999 and Purple Rain, cementing his superstar status with #1 hits like “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” and 7 Grammy awards. Prince died on April 21, […]

Halle Berry is an acclaimed actress and former beauty queen. For her performance in Monster’s Ball, she became the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for best actress. She has also enjoyed prominent roles in Jungle Fever, X-Men and its sequels, Swordfish, Die Another Day, Gothika, Cloud Atlas and Kidnap.

Denzel Washington made his feature film debut in the comedy A Carbon Copy and was cast on the hit TV medical drama St. Elsewhere. He went on to appear in several hit movies, including Philadelphia, Man on Fire, The Book of Eli, American Gangster and Flight, and won Oscars for his roles in Glory and […]

Venus and Serena Williams learned to play tennis on L.A,’s public courts. Venus, has won 7 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. She also teamed up with sister Serena to win several doubles championships. Serena has held the Women’s Tennis Association #1 ranking numerous times. In 2017, she defeated her big sister at […]

Aretha Franklin toured with her father’s traveling revival show and later signed a deal with Columbia Records. Aretha went on to release several popular singles, now considered to be classics. In 1987 she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2008 she won her […]

Maya Angelou was an American author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, poet and civil rights activist best known for her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by an African American woman. Maya Angelou received several honors throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in the […]

Tiger Woods won the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997 with a record score at age 21, making him the youngest man and the first African American to earn the title. Tiger won another 13 majors and was named the PGA Player of the Year 10 times over the next 12 years. With his victory […]

LeBron James is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron is the only player in NBA history to have brought NBA championships to three franchises as Finals MVP. His accomplishments include 4 NBA championships, 4 NBA Most Valuable Player […]

Rihanna signed with Def Jam records at age 16 and released her first album Music of the Sun, which sold more than two million copies worldwide. She went on to release an array of hit songs, including “Unfaithful,” “Umbrella,” “Disturbia,” “Take a Bow,” “Diamonds” and “We Found Love.” Rihanna has also won multiple accolades, including […]

.  Oprah Winfrey is a talk show host, media executive, actress and billionaire philanthropist. She’s best known for being the host of her own, wildly popular program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons. In 2011, Oprah launched her own successful TV network, known as the Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN for short

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was recruited to play basketball at UCLA and led the Bruins to 3 national titles. His dominance continued in the NBA, first for the Milwaukee Bucks, and later the L.A. Lakers. Kareem won 6 titles and 6 MVP awards, and finished as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is widely considered one […]

Michelle Obama is a lawyer and writer who was the 1st African American first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. As first lady, Michelle focused her attention on social issues such as poverty, healthy living and education. Her 2018 memoir, Becoming, discusses the experiences that shaped her, from her childhood in Chicago […]

Beyoncé first captured the public’s eye as lead vocalist of Destiny’s Child. She later established a solo career with her debut album Dangerously in Love, becoming one of music’s top-selling artists with sold-out tours and a slew of awards. Beyoncé has also starred in several films, including Dream Girls. She married Jay-Z in 2008 and […]

Kobe Bryant joined the NBA straight out of high school, won 5 NBA championships and won the 2008 MVP Award. Kobe surpassed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game. On January 26th of 2020, Kobe was in […]

Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. After serving on the Illinois State Senate, he was elected a U.S. senator representing Illinois in 2004. Barack went on to become the 44th president of the United States and the first African American commander-in-chief. He […]



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