Athniel C. “Addie” Ottley, former Senator, Lieutenant Governor, and broadcasting host, was born on November 19, 1941, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, to Aubrey Ottley, the postmaster of Charlotte Amalie and Iris Ottley. He was the oldest of 11 children. As a … Read MoreAthniel C. “Addie” Ottley (1941-2022)
Rhythm and Blues singer Tevin Jermod Campbell was born on November 12, 1976, in Waxahachie, Texas, to Rhonda Byrd, a former postal worker and later co-manager of the young artist’s career. He began singing gospel as a soloist and choir member at Jacob’s Chapel in … Read MoreTevin Campbell (1976- )
Hip-hop fashion entrepreneur and media personality Daymond Garfield John was born in Brooklyn on February 23, 1969, to Garfield John from Trinidad and Margot John. He was reared in Queens, and by the age of 10, he started working by handing out flyers on the … Read MoreDaymond John (1969- )
Comedian, actor, syndicated radio/ television host Rickey Smiley was born Broderick Dornell Smiley on August 10, 1968, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Carolita Smiley Lester and James Smiley, who died when he was seven years old. Rickey has one sister, Karon Katiea Smiley-Dennis. Smiley is a … Read MoreRickey Smiley (1968- )
Gabrielle Gorman is a film writer, producer, director, and activist. Gorman was born on March 7, 1998 in Los Angeles, California, and is the twin sister of poet Amanda Gorman. The sisters and their sibling were raised by single mother Joan Wicks, a sixth grade … Read MoreGabrielle Gorman (1998- )
Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr., jazz pianist and music educator, was considered the patriarch of the first family of New Orleans jazz. Marsalis passed away on April 1, 2020 of complications from the coronavirus (COVID-19), at the age of 85. He was one of the first … Read MoreEllis Marsalis (1934-2020)
Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian-Swedish chef and restaurateur. Samuelsson was born Kassahun Tsegie on January 25, 1973, in Ethiopia. His father was president of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His unnamed mother died during the Ethiopian tuberculosis epidemic of 1974. Samuelsson and his sister, Fantaye, … Read MoreMarcus Samuelsson (1973- )
Janet Mock is an African American, Hawaiian, and Transgendered person. She was born on March 10, 1983, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was raised in Honolulu, Oakland, California and Dallas, Texas as Charles Mock III. Her father is Charles Mock II and her mother is Elizabeth … Read MoreJanet Mock (1983- )
Since 2016, Marvin Jonathan Rees, a member of the British Labour Party, has presided as mayor of Bristol, England. Born in April 1972, he and his younger sister were raised in Lawrence Weston and Eastern, two of the poorer wards in the city, by his … Read MoreMarvin Johnathan Rees (1972- )
Stephen Anthony Smith is a sports commentator on ESPN. Alongside Max Kellerman, Smith is a featured commentator on ESPN’s First Take, a show reviewing daily sports news. Smith’s parents came from the United States Virgin Islands, and his dad was a baseball and basketball star in the 1950s. Smith … Read MoreStephen A. Smith (1967- )
