Black History Month

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]