Christopher Brian Bridges is a rapper, actor and three-time Grammy award winner best known under the stage name Ludacris. Bridges was born On September 11, 1977, in Champaign, Illinois to Roberta Shields and Wayne Brian Bridges. He began rapping at the age of nine, and … Read MoreChristopher Bridges/Ludacris (1977 – )
In the article below, Carlton McLellan, PhD, a senior fellow at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), briefly describes the history of the more than one hundred and forty black women and men who have led diplomatic delegations as U.S. Ambassadors in ninety-five … Read MoreAmerica’s Black Ambassadors: A Historical Snapshot
Epsy Campbell Barr is a black Costa Rican politician and trained economist. In 2000 she became one of the founders of the Citizen’s Action Party (CAP), a group of leftist politicians who challenged the then ruling political party. She later ran for President of Costa … Read MoreEpsy Campbell Barr (1963- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” In 2010 Marva Wright Urena became the first Costa Rican of African ancestry to be selected as Miss Costa Rica. She represented her country in the Miss Universe pageant held in Las Vegas, Nevada of that year. Wright joined Scharlette Allen … Read MoreMarva Wright Urena (1986- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” John Melvin Jones was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Guyana in 2008. Nominated by President George W. Bush on June 30, 2008, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and arrived in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, on October 8 of that … Read MoreJohn Melvin Jones (1944- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Beauty contest winner, designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Véronique de la Cruz is best known as the first woman of African ancestry to be selected as Miss France. De la Cruz was born in the small city of Saint-François on the French … Read MoreVéronique De la Cruz (1974- )
Ambassador Richard Lewis Baltimore III was born on December 31, 1947 in New York City, New York to Judge Richard Lewis Baltimore, Jr. and Lois Madison-Baltimore. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1969 … Read MoreRichard Lewis Baltimore, III (1947- )
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Roland Wentworth Bullen was born on Carriacou, one of the six islands that comprise the nation of Grenada. The product of a prominent family that owned several businesses, including the popular restaurant “Callaloo,” Bullen arrived in the United States in 1966. … Read MoreRoland Wentworth Boniface Bullen (1944- )
Juan Valiente, a Spanish-speaking black conquistador, was born in Northwest Africa around 1505 and was enslaved and acquired by the Portuguese. He was eventually purchased by Alonso Valiente, who had become a wealthy resident of Mexico City and Puebla after his participation in the conquest … Read MoreJuan Valiente (ca. 1505-1553)
Named Career Ambassador, a title equivalent to a four-star general, U.S. ambassador to six different countries, Terence A. Todman was an outstanding diplomat in the service of the United States. He challenged the racial prejudice he encountered at the State Department, paving the way for … Read MoreTerence A. Todman (1926-2014)
