Music executive Clarence Alexander Avant II became one of the most successful music producers in the recording industry. He guided the careers of Bill Withers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Schifrin, and Jimmy Smith. Avant was born on February 25, 1931, in Greensboro, North Carolina … Read MoreClarence Avant (1931- )
BeBe and CeCe Winans are an American gospel duo comprised of siblings Benjamin “BeBe” Winans, born September 17, 1962, and Priscilla “CeCe” Winans, born October 8, 1964. Both Winans were born in Detroit, Michigan to David Glenn “Pop” and Delores Amelia Ransom “Mom” Winans, a … Read MoreBeBe and CeCe Winans
Composer, singer, and producer John William “Johnny” Bristol, Sr. was born on February 3, 1939, in Morganton, North Carolina. He attended Olive Hill High School in the city and performed with a singing group called The Jackets that appeared at school functions. He graduated in … Read MoreJohnny Bristol (1939-2004)
Genevieve Scott Neal-Perry is a distinguished professor, chair of obstetrics and gynecology, and reproductive endocrinologist at the University of North Carolina who specializes in minimally-invasive surgical procedures that aim to restore fertility. Born in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey, she became the first person in … Read MoreGenevieve Scott Neal-Perry (1955- )
Nikole Sheri Hannah-Jones, most famous for her role in the 1619 Project, is an investigative journalist, who was born on April 9, 1976, in Waterloo, Iowa. She is of mixed heritage, as her father, Milton Hannah, is African American, and her mother, Cheryl A. Novotny, … Read MoreNikole Hannah-Jones (1976- )
The academic historian and university administrator Julius Franklin Nimmons Jr. was born on September 11, 1939, in Danville, Virginia, to Julius Franklin Nimmons Sr. from Scotia, South Carolina, and Mozella Flannagan of Danville. He has two sisters. Nimmons graduated from Langston High School in the … Read MoreJulius Franklin Nimmons Jr. (1939- )
Dr. Sekazi Kauze Mtingwa is an African American theoretical high-energy physicist and co-founder of the National Society of Black Physicists. He has served as president of the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Research and Educational Access in Science and Engineering. Mtingwa’s contributions to the field of physics … Read MoreSekazi Mtingwa (1949- )
Frederick Augustus Hinton, barber, abolitionist, early advocate for independent Black presses, and founding member of the Colored Conventions movement, was born enslaved in Raleigh, North Carolina, to unknown parents. Emancipated in Philadelphia in 1825 at the age of twenty-one, Hinton quickly became a member of … Read MoreFrederick Augustus Hinton (1804-1849)
The Essex, a doo-wop R&B American quintet vocal ensemble, was formed in 1962. The band was named after Essex County, New Jersey. They were unique among R&B groups at the time in that all the founding members were also U.S. Marines. The founding members were … Read MoreThe Essex (1962-1965)
The Intruders, an R&B ensemble, was established in 1960 as a doo-wop group influenced by gospel music. Its first members were Sam “Little Sonny” Brown, born June 21, 1941; Phillip “Phil” Terry, born November 1, 1943; Robert “Big Sonny” Edwards, born on February 22, 1942, … Read MoreThe Intruders (1960–1994)
