Black History Month

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]