Roots was a television miniseries based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The miniseries aired January 23-30, 1977, on the ABC network. The original series followed the story of Kunta Kinte, from his capture and enslavement in West Africa … Read MoreRoots (1977)
RuPaul Andre Charles is an actor, model, singer, and drag queen, who is best known by his first name, RuPaul. Charles was born on November 17, 1960, in San Diego, California. His father, Irving Andrew Charles, and his mother, Ernestine (Fontenette) Charles, divorced when he … Read MoreRuPaul Andre Charles (1960- )
Sian Hayley Proctor is a geology professor, motivational speaker, pilot, artist, author, and spaceflight participant most noted for her flight on the civilian-funded Inspiration 4 Space Mission in September 2021. The flight was sponsored by U.S. technology billionaire Jared Isaacman to raise funds for St. … Read MoreSian Proctor (1970- )
Billy Porter is an actor, singer, and author who is most recognized for his Broadway performances and runway attire. Porter was born on September 21, 1969, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to William E. Porter and Cloerinda Jean Johnson Porter Ford and revealed to his parents that … Read MoreBilly Porter (1969- )
Yvonne Denis-Rosario, columnist, librettist, narrator, novelist, poet, professor, radio/ TV host and producer, was born March 9, 1967 in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR) to Alejandrina Rosario Román, a public employee, and Juan Denis Estrada, a dry cleaning business owner. One of seven siblings, her … Read MoreYvonne Denis-Rosario, (1967- )
Cori Anika Bush is the first African America woman elected to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is also a single parent, a registered nurse, a former pastor, an activist, and a community organizer. Bush was born July 21, 1976 and raised … Read MoreCori Bush (1976- )
James Golden, also known as Bo Snerdley, is a successful producer and political activist engaged in changing the nation’s perception and knowledge about the Republican Party. Finding information about Golden’s background is difficult. Although his birthdate is unknown, he was born in Queens, New York … Read MoreJames Golden/ Bo Snerdley (?- )
Ron O’Neal was a charismatic and gifted actor who never fulfilled the early promise he had shown on the New York Off-Broadway stage following his appearance as a flashy drug dealer in the hit blaxploitation film Super Fly (1972), the role that made him a … Read MoreRon O’Neal (1937-2004)
In 1969, Byron Eugene Lewis opened UniWorld Group (UWG), the oldest multicultural advertising and communications firm in the United States. From the outset, he focused on a Black and Brown target audience that was not well-represented in the media. Over the next few decades, UWG … Read MoreByron Eugene Lewis Sr. (1931- )
Billy Taylor was an African American jazz pianist, composer, recording artist, educator, and broadcaster. Born in Greenville, North Carolina on July 24, 1921, Taylor was one of two children of William, Sr., a dentist and Antoinette, a schoolteacher. When Taylor was young his family moved … Read MoreBilly Taylor (William Edward Taylor, Jr.) (1921-2010)
