Since his first part in a play in Junior High, Brian Stokes Mitchell (originally known as just Brian Mitchell) has been loved by audiences all over the world. He’s left an indelible mark on American theatre and on the lives of many who have participated … Read MoreBrian Stokes Mitchell (1957- )
On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose well-known labor organizer and political strategist Laphonza Butler to be the next US Senator from California, following the death of long-serving Senator Dianne Feinstein on September 29, 2023. Butler, who was sworn in by Vice President … Read MoreLaphonza Romanique Butler (1979- )
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- )
Olga “Ollie” Burgoyne, also known as Ollie Burgoyne-Calloway, was a singer and dancer specializing in Russian and other ethnic dances. She was also an actress and businesswoman who gained popularity during the Harlem Renaissance and left her mark as one of the most influential African … Read MoreOlga (Ollie) Burgoyne (1879-1974)
David Ray “Doc” Roberts is a baseball manager and former outfielder. Roberts was born on May 31, 1972, to Waymon Roberts, an African American United States Marine, and Eiko Roberts, a Japanese woman in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. During his early childhood, Roberts and his family … Read MoreDavid Ray “Doc” Roberts (1972- )
Fani Taifa Willis is the first Black woman to hold the office of District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia. Willis was born on October 27, 1971, in Inglewood, California, and raised by her father, John Clifford Floyd III, in Washington, D.C. Learning at the feet … Read MoreFani Willis (1971- )
Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker Jr. is currently the baseball manager of the Houston Astros and a former major league player. Baker was born on June 15, 1949, to Johnnie B. Baker Sr. and Christine Baker in Riverside, California. Growing up, Baker played various sports, including … Read MoreJohnnie B. “Dusty” Baker Jr. (1949- )
Deion Luwynn Sanders is a college football coach, former professional football player, and baseball player. Sanders was born on August 9, 1967, to Connie and Mims Sanders in Fort Myers, Florida. Sanders’s parents divorced when he was two years old, and his mother married Willie … Read MoreDeion Luwynn Sanders (1967- )
The African-American animator and director Frank Cavalier Braxton Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 31, 1929, to Frank Cavalier Braxton from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mignon A. Callaway Braxton from Atlanta, Georgia. As a child, Frank had a gift and talent for drawing … Read MoreFrank Cavalier Braxton Jr. (1929-1969)
Prolific David Drake, also known as Dave the Potter, was an enslaved artist born on a plantation in North Carolina in 1801. He toiled the soil and labored on several plantations and, throughout his lifetime, was sold or traded by a number of plantation owners. … Read MoreDavid Drake (ca. 1801-1874)
