R&B superstar, rapper, lyricist, actor, and dancer Chris Brown, one of the most successful contemporary artists of the 21st century, was born Christopher Maurice Brown on May 5, 1989, in Tappahannock, Virginia, to Clinton Brown and Joyce Hawkins. He has one older sister, Lytrell Bundy. … Read MoreChris Brown (1989- )
Tatyana Marisol Ali is an actress and singer best known for her role on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ali was born in North Bellmore, New York, on January 24, 1979, and is of Afro-Panamanian and Indo-Trinidadian heritage, with her ancestry rooted … Read MoreTatyana Ali (1979 – )
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an actress and producer known for her depictions of powerful women in history on stage, television, and in major movies. Bassett was born on August 16, 1958, in New York, New York. After her father, Daniel Benjamin Bassett, and her mother, … Read MoreAngela Bassett (1958- )
Sanaa McCoy Lathan is an actress best known for her early roles in 1990’s television shows such as In The House and the movie Blade. Lathan was born on September 19, 1971, in New York City, New York. Her father is television and film producer Stan Lathan, and … Read MoreSanaa Lathan (1971- )
Hilarius Gilges is the most well-known Afro-German activist who fought against the rise of the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party in the early interwar period. The son of a textile worker named Maria Stüttgen and an African boatman working on the Rhine, Gilges was … Read MoreHilarius Gilges (a.k.a. Lari Gilges, 1909-1933)
Screenwriter, filmmaker, actor, and social critic Carlton Moss was born in Newark, New Jersey, on February 14, 1909. The son of Frederick Douglass Moss, a coachman for an affluent family, and Sarah Vincent Moss, he grew up both in New Jersey and North Carolina. As … Read MoreCarlton Moss (1909-1997)
James Pickens Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber in the medical drama television series Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) and for his supporting role as Assistant Director Alvin Kersh in later seasons of the Fox Network … Read MoreJames Pickens Jr. (1954- )
Leon Henry Buck was the first-born child to Ulysses Simpson Grant Buck and Janie Buck in Clarksville, Tennessee on April 15, 1916. He had seven brothers and sisters and attended racially segregated schools in Clarksville. In each step of his educational experiences, he graduated with … Read MoreLeon Henry Buck (1916-1976)
Dwight Arrington “Heavy D” Myers was a rapper, record producer, and actor. Myers was born on May 24, 1967, to Eulahlee Lee and Vincent Myers in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica. His family moved to Mount Vernon, New York, from Jamaica. Much of Myers of early life … Read MoreHeavy D/Dwight Arrington Myers (1967-2011)
Kid ‘n’ Play is an American Hip Hop duo that consists of Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin. The two met while performing in rival high school groups, the Turnout Brothers and the Super Lovers, in New York City. The duo’s original name was … Read MoreKid ‘n’ Play (1984- )
