We are highlighting examples of Black excellence throughout the year! Feel free to send suggestions to Rachel at rstoler@frcog.org.
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Black Excellence: Geoffrey Holder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Holder Geoffrey Lamont Holder (August 1, 1930 – October 5, 2014) was a Trinidadian-American actor, dancer, musician, director, choreographer, and artist.[2][3] He was a principal dancer for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, before his film career began in 1957 with an appearance in Carib Gold. For his theatre work, he won…
Black Excellence: Angeline Murimirwa
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/04/25/g-s1-62501/time-magazine-icon-most-influential-angeline-murimirwa Angeline Murimirwa of Zimbabwe has really racked up kudos for her work as head of CAMFED, a charity that has enabled millions of girls in five African countries to stay in school — and thrive with the help of mentors. Murimirwa is one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential…
Black Excellence: Bradford Blackmon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Blackmon Bradford Jerome Blackmon (born December 21, 1988)[1] is an American attorney and Democratic Party politician from Mississippi. A son of state representative Edward Blackmon Jr. and state senator Barbara Blackmon, he was elected in 2023 to succeed his mother in the Mississippi State Senate.[2][3]
Black Excellence: Jake Blount
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Blount Jake Blount is an American musician and writer based in Providence, Rhode Island.[1] He specializes in the traditional music of African Americans,[2] and his work has been described as “Afrofuturist folklore.”[3] Blount, while initially recognized for his skill as an old-time banjo player and fiddler,[4][5] is a versatile multi-instrumentalist…
Black Excellence: Elijah Manley
https://www.elijahmanley.com/about Born and raised in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk community, Elijah Manley knows firsthand the struggles that too many families in South Florida still face today. Raised by a hardworking single mother and growing up in deep poverty, Elijah experienced chronic homelessness, food insecurity, and the harsh…
Black Excellence: Ethiopian Girl Skaters
https://globalvoices.org/2024/03/28/ethiopian-girls-are-changing-tradition-through-skateboarding/
Black Excellence: Biscuits & Banjos
https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2025/04/29/nx-s1-5379904/biscuits-and-banjos-music-festival-photos Dedicated to Black music reclamation and exploration, Biscuits & Banjos is a new music festival curated by Grammy-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens. The festival took place this past weekend in Durham, N.C., and featured artists like Taj Mahal, Infinity Song, Rissi Palmer and a Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion. It also…
Black Excellence: Dr. Herbert Charles Smitherman Sr.
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/herbert-charles-smitherman-sr-1937-2010 Dr. Herbert Charles Smitherman Sr. was a chemist and the first African American to be employed at Proctor & Gamble as a doctorate-level employee. He helped improve formulas for products such as Crest toothpaste, Bounce fabric softeners, Folgers’ coffee, and Safeguard soap.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Dr. Herbert Charles Smitherman Sr.
Black Excellence: Bennie Fleming
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/centenarian-bennie-fleming-reflects-on-her-dedication-to-a-life-of-service For our “Hidden Histories” series as Women’s History Month draws to a close, Rhode Island PBS Weekly’s Michelle San Miguel introduces us to Bennie Fleming, a 100-year-old woman who embodies what it means to live a life of service — even when that service wasn’t always welcome.
Black Excellence: Nicole London
https://msmagazine.com/2022/10/04/black-feminist-film-nicole-london-harriet-tubman-freedom/
Black Excellence: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/01/nx-s1-5292428/branden-jacobs-jenkins-phylicia-rashad-purpose-play-broadway Purpose, a new play now on Broadway, has all the trappings of the classic family drama: A powerful and aging patriarch, wayward sons, a strategizing wife and a watchful outsider. It could be about monarchs. Instead, the latest work from Tony-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins trains its lens on a…
Black Excellence: Franchesca Leigh Ramsey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franchesca_Ramsey Franchesca Leigh Ramsey (born November 29, 1983), also known as Chescaleigh, is an American comedian, activist, television and YouTube personality, and actress, who has appeared on MTV and MSNBC.[1][2][3][4][5] She gained media fame quickly after her YouTube commentary on racial issues went viral, and she built a career as…
Black Excellence: Todd Boyd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Boyd Todd Boyd, aka “Notorious Ph.D.”,[1] is the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race & Popular Culture and Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in the USC School of Cinematic Arts.[2] Boyd is a media commentator, author, producer, consultant and scholar. He is considered an…
Black Excellence: Ruby Maddox
Ruby Maddox passed away on April 17, 2025. https://www.leadersofthefreeworld.org/about-the-directors.html Ruby Maddox has spent more than 15 years in the field of higher education and experiential learning. Her most recent position was as the study abroad advisor and internship coordinator, for the McCulloch Center Global initiatives; a 2015 Paul Simon Awardee…
Black Excellence: Ebenezer Odeniyi
https://veganezer.com/about Born and raised in England with Nigerian roots, I’ve been passionate about cooking since the age of 12. In March 2019, my journey took a transformative turn when I became vegan after losing my aunt to cancer. Having also lost both of my parents to the disease, I’ve committed…
Black Excellence: Ryan Coogler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Coogler Ryan Kyle Coogler (born May 23, 1986)[1] is an American filmmaker. He is a recipient of ten NAACP Image Awards [2][3][4][5] and four Black Reel Awards, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award.
Black Excellence: John Kani
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/17/nx-s1-5318738/john-kani-athol-fugard-black-panther-south-africa Actor, playwright and activist John Kani is a legend in South Africa. He was arrested, beaten and almost left for dead because of his work developing and starring in plays that were often searing indictments of apartheid. But he didn’t let up. “When you grow up in a war…
Black Excellence: Kamaar Taliaferro
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/67385/Pittsfield-Man-To-Receive-Black-Excellence-award-.html PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Kamaar Taliaferro of Pittsfield will recognized with the 2022 Black Excellence award as part of the Black Excellence on the Hill event. This awards event, held annually by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (MBLLC), commemorates Black community leaders. The MBLLC seeks to highlight the…
Black Excellence: Kaliya Lincoln
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliya_Lincoln Kaliya Lincoln (born April 23, 2006) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2023 Pan American Games champion on floor exercise and in the team event, and 2021 Junior Pan American champion on vault and floor.
Black Excellence: Jahana Hayes
https://hayes.house.gov/biography Jahana Hayes represents Connecticut’s 5th District in the United States House of Representatives. The district spans northwest and central Connecticut and includes Danbury, Litchfield County, the Farmington Valley, the Naugatuck Valley, Meriden, and her hometown of Waterbury. She serves on the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the…
Black Excellence: Mary H. Dickerson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_H._Dickerson Mary H. Dickerson (October 22, 1830 – July 1, 1914) was an African American businesswoman and clubwoman. Dickerson founded several women’s groups in the New England area and in Newport, Rhode Island. Her dress shop catered to prominent clients in Newport and she was the first Black woman to…
Black Excellence: Ken Griffey Jr.
https://www.si.com/golf/ken-griffey-jr-explains-how-he-became-a-photographer-at-this-years-masters Ken Griffey Jr.’s surprise presence at this year’s Masters as a photographer is inspiring. The 55-year-old who eclipsed baseball’s precipice is still learning on the job, which he admits. Griffey took up photography as a second career years ago following his Hall of Fame baseball career. He’s been credited…
Black Excellence: We Want the Funk!
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/08/nx-s1-5312006/we-want-the-funk-pbs-documentary We Want the Funk!, an expansive, emotive, celebratory documentary looking at one of history’s most important musical genres, begins simply. Legendary studio musician Marcus Miller picks up his bass guitar and thumps out a funky, percussive rhythm. Which then builds into a full-on groove by James Brown, leading to…
Black Excellence: Melissa Samuel
https://finesseyourclaws.com/pages/about-us The FinesseYourClaws brand was established in 2020 by Nail Artist Melissa Samuel. Originally from London, Melissa moved to the United States in 2015. She has always had a passion for art and started Nail artistry 12 years ago. After attending Nail school she quickly established herself as an Editorial…
Black Excellence: Daryl Fairweather
https://www.redfin.com/news/author/darylfairweather Daryl Fairweather is the chief economist of Redfin. Her insights have been featured on 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, as well as in the New York Times and Washington Post.
Black Excellence: Kevin Young
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Young_(poet) Kevin Young (born November 8, 1970)[1][2] is an American poet and the director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture since 2021. Author of 11 books and editor of eight others,[3] Young previously served as Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black…
Black Excellence: Jamila Norman
https://www.patchworkcityfarms.com Jamila Norman, a.k.a (Farmer J) is a first generation daughter to Caribbean parents whose history is rooted in agriculture. She is an internationally recognized urban farmer, food activist and mother based in Atlanta, GA. She is a University of Georgia graduate with a degree in Environmental Engineering. After 10…
Black Excellence: Dacia Petrie
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/dacia-petrie-the-jamaican-whose-app-is-connecting-people-to-over-3000-black-owned-businesses
Black Excellence: Lydia Polgreen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Polgreen Lydia Frances Polgreen (born 1975) is an American journalist. She was editorial director of NYT Global at The New York Times, and the West Africa bureau chief for the same publication, based in Dakar, Senegal, from 2005 to 2009. She also reported from India.[1][2] She spent much of her…
Black Excellence: Ryan P. Haygood
https://njisj.org/staff/ryan-haygood/
Black Excellence: Major Handy
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/26/1240892110/acadiana-music-showcase-major-handy Louisiana’s Cajun Country is one of the most unique areas of the United States. It’s officially called Acadiana, after the French-speaking Acadians — or Cajuns — who settled there after being exiled from Canada by the British in the 18th century. Our monthly series, Acadiana Music Showcase, is produced…
Black Excellence: Tituss Burgess
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tituss_Burgess Tituss Burgess (born February 21, 1979)[1] is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in several Broadway musicals and is known for his high tenor voice. He is best known for starring as Titus Andromedon on the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2020), for which he received…
Black Excellence: Zakia Abul Gassim Abu Bakr
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/interview-with-sudan-s-first-professional-female-guitarist-the-ministry-of-culture-neglects-sudanese-art
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Zakia Abul Gassim Abu Bakr
Black Excellence: Michael A. Walrond
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/23/nx-s1-5336793/mental-health-harlem-black-church-pastor It was his own mental health crisis that helped Michael A. Walrond, Jr. to understand and embrace mental health care. “Out of nowhere, I had a suicidal ideation,” Walrond recalls. He was in his late 30s at the time, already busy building a life and expanding his congregation at…
Black Excellence: Natasha Rothwell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Rothwell Natasha Rothwell (born October 18, 1980)[1][2] is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her work on the HBO series Insecure as Kelli Prenny, and The White Lotus as Belinda, for which she earned a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress…
Black Excellence: Marian Anderson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993)[1] was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965.
Black Excellence: Timothy Paule Jackson and Nicole Lindsey
https://detroithives.org/our-story/ The idea for Detroit Hives was sparked in the winter of 2016 when Timothy Paule Jackson discovered that local raw honey was able to cure a cold that no other remedy had. After learning about the medicinal properties of honey and seeing how it was able to provide his…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Timothy Paule Jackson and Nicole Lindsey
Black Excellence: Ashley Jackson
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/25/nx-s1-5272887/ashley-jackson-harpist-new-album Some of Ashley Jackson’s earliest memories took place at church services she attended with her grandmother. The rising harp player leaned into those experiences for her sophomore album Take Me to The Water. Spirituals, and their coded messages of freedom for the enslaved, are at the heart of her…
Black Excellence: Islam Elbeiti
https://www.yamaha.com/en/inspired/019 Fighting to Eradicate the Prejudice Against Female Musicians. Islam Elbeiti is one of only a few female bassists from Sudan. From early in life she has lived in many countries, experiencing cultures that by contrast reveal the deep-rooted prejudice against female musicians in her motherland. “Life is tough for…
Black Excellence: Ethel Waters
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her notable recordings include “Dinah”, “Stormy Weather”, “Taking a Chance on…
Black Excellence: Rhandi Altidor
https://www.givingbroadly.com/the-better-buggy How did you come up with the idea for The Better Buggy? It was Day 73 of pandemic quarantine and my husband Jonathan and I had just put Baby J, my busy toddler, down for bed. We were lying on our living room floor, and my husband asked me…
Black Excellence: Bessie Smith
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the “Empress of the Blues” and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock and Roll…
Black Excellence: Keli McLoyd
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/10/nx-s1-5306937/as-fentanyl-deaths-drop-fast-experts-say-more-survivors-need-help PHILADELPHIA — On a blustery winter morning, Keli McLoyd set off on foot across Kensington. This area of Philadelphia is one of the most drug-scarred neighborhoods in the U.S. In the first block, she knelt next to a man curled on the sidewalk in the throes of fentanyl, xylazine…
Black Excellence: Tyler Mitchell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Mitchell_(photographer) Tyler Mitchell (born April 12, 1995)[1][2][3] is an American photographer. He is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is best known for his cover photo of Beyoncé for the cover of Vogue.[4]
Black Excellence: Black Hikers Unite
https://blackhikersunite.org/
Black Excellence: Roy Ayers
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/05/833528769/roy-ayers-whose-everybody-loves-the-sunshine-charmed-generations-dies-at-84 Roy Ayers, the vibraphonist, composer and jazz-funk pioneer behind “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” has died at the age of 84. He died Tuesday in New York City after a long illness, according to a statement shared on his Facebook page. Ayers was born in Los Angeles on Sept. 10,…
Black Excellence: Shamayim “Shu” Harris
https://detroitinnovation.org/fellow/shamayim-shu-harris/
Black Excellence: Dr. Kathy Bullock
https://www.kathybullock.com/about-me Dr. Kathy Bullock is an educator, scholar, singer, accompanist, arranger and choral conductor who specializes in gospel music, spirituals and classical works by composers from the African diaspora. A Professor Emerita of Music from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, she currently teaches, performs, and conducts workshops and other programs on African…
Black Excellence: Rungano Nyoni
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5307290/on-becoming-a-guinea-fowl-movie-review Filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s spellbinding melodrama On Becoming a Guinea Fowl begins with a woman named Shula (Susan Chardy) happening upon the dead body of her Uncle Fred on the side of an empty dirt road in Zambia one evening. Shula is eerily unmoved. She in fact appears more inconvenienced…
Black Excellence: Grace Wales Bonner
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Wales_Bonner Grace Wales Bonner MBE is an English fashion designer.[1] Her designs blend sportswear and tailoring.[2] In 2014, she founded the London-based label Wales Bonner, originally specializing in menswear.[1][3] Since founding her eponymous brand, Wales Bonner awards include Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards (2015), the LVMH Young…
Black Excellence: Black Women Survivalists
https://capitalbnews.org/black-women-survivalists-preppers-homesteading/
Black Excellence: Adelaide Hall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death. Early in her career, she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance; she became based in the UK…
Black Excellence: Sam Nujoma
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/09/g-s1-47457/sam-nujoma-namibia-first-president-dies Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s fiery freedom fighter and first president, dies aged 95 WINDHOEK, Namibia — Sam Nujoma, the fiery freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, and was known as the father of the…
Black Excellence: Frankie Price
https://members.usagym.org/pages/athletes/women.html?id=277503 Frankie Price is an American gymnast: How did you get involved in gymnastics: My parents were athletes. My dad was an all around athlete and even played for the KC Royals before he was killed tragically in a motorcycle accident in 2009. I was only 6 years old but…
Black Excellence: Monica L. Miller
https://barnard.edu/profiles/monica-l-miller Monica L. Miller, Professor of Africana Studies, joined the faculty of Barnard in 2001. Professor Miller specializes in African-American and American literature and cultural studies. Her research interests include twentieth- and twenty-first-century African-American literature, film, and contemporary art; contemporary literature and cultural studies of the black diaspora; performance studies;…
Black Excellence: Dr. Okello “Paul” Aliker
https://agln.aspeninstitute.org/profile/2301 Okello “Paul” Aliker is a general dentist and CEO of The Dental Studio in Kampala, Uganda. A second generation dentist, Paul practiced briefly in Illinois before pursuing his dream of returning to Africa and setting up a practice in his own country. The Dental Studio is acknowledged as a…
Black Excellence: Alice Walker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944)[2] is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awarded for her novel The Color Purple.[3][4] Over the span of her…
Black Excellence: Mary Elizabeth Williams
https://www.maryelizabethwilliams.com Mary Elizabeth Williams is a native of Philadelphia. Her career has taken her all over the globe in a careening zig-zag pattern—and she is grateful for every moment. Not long after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Luther College in Iowa, she began her…
Black Excellence: Dr. Kenya Key
https://events.ncchc.org/national-conference/speaker/1417735/kenya-key Dr. Kenya Key is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. Dr. Key has extensive experience in correctional mental health having worked in various roles and settings. She is currently the Deputy Director of Health Services for the Department of Youth…
Black Excellence: LaToya Duckworth
https://events.ncchc.org/national-conference/speaker/1333202/latoya-duckworth Ms. LaToya Duckworth is a Nurse Administrator for Kansas University Medical Center which ensures that quality healthcare services are provided to the prison population under the Kansas Department of Corrections jurisdiction. Ms. Duckworth’s passion for the multifaceted field of nursing led her to a career that she describes as…
Black Excellence: James West
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1077362195/without-inventor-james-west-this-interview-might-not-have-been-possible James West has been a curious tinkerer since he was a child, always wondering how things worked. Throughout his long career in STEM, he’s also been an advocate for diversity and inclusion — from co-founding the Association for Black Laboratory Employees in 1970 to his work today with The…
Black Excellence: Joshua Conyers
https://www.joshuaconyers.com/about.html Grammy-nominated Baritone Joshua Conyers has been singled out by Opera News for his “deliciously honeyed baritone that would seduce anyone” by The New York Times as having “a sonorous baritone” that “wheedled and seduced” and by The Washington Post for have a “show stealing” performance. A native of Bronx,…
Black Excellence: Morgan Price
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Price Morgan Price (born June 28, 2005) is an American artistic gymnast for Fisk University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coua7j7mJUQ
Black Excellence: Clarence Maclin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Maclin Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (born November 29, 1966)[1] is an American actor, youth counselor, creative arts specialist, and gang intervention specialist. He portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in the 2023 film Sing Sing. His performance earned him nominations for Best Supporting Actor at the BAFTA Awards, Critics’ Choice…
Black Excellence: Joy Reid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Reid Joy-Ann M. Lomena-Reid (née Lomena; born December 8, 1968) is an American political commentator and television host.[3][4] She was a national correspondent for MSNBC[5] and is best known for hosting the political commentary program The ReidOut from 2020 to 2025. Her previous anchoring credits include The Reid Report (2014–2015)…
Black Excellence: Kevin Curry
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/27/1152155481/meal-prep-made-easy When Kevin Curry was growing up, he never had to think about cooking meals for himself. His parents were in charge of dinner. As he got older, he realized, “Whoa. I have to feed myself. How do I do that?” he says. What’s more, he wanted to eat healthy…
Black Excellence: Abel Selaocoe
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/24/nx-s1-5203031/abel-selaocoe-hymns-of-bantu South African cellist Abel Selaocoe fosters dialogue across time and cultures in a new album Strings and wood become harp and drum accompanying cellist Abel Selaocoe’s chants and throat singing in his new album Hymns of Bantu, out this month. It’s just one of the many ways he makes…
Black Excellence: Angela James
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_James Angela James OC[1] (born December 22, 1964) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played at the highest levels of senior hockey between 1980 and 2000. She was a member of numerous teams in the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League (COWHL) from its founding in 1980 until 1998…
Black Excellence: Stephanie Terry
https://teamevansville.com Mayor Stephanie Terry, the 35th Mayor of Evansville, is the first woman and the first African American to serve in this position. Prior to being elected Mayor, Terry served on the Vanderburgh County Council and was the Executive Director of the Louis J. Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville…
Black Excellence: Roberta Flack
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/24/834223765/roberta-flack-killing-me-softly-dead Singer Roberta Flack, who broke through as one of the most important and beloved singers of the 1970s and beyond with a sound that combined soul, jazz, rock and pop, died Monday at the age of 88.
Black Excellence: Donna Dear and Paulette Greene
https://www.theaunties.farm/the-aunties-film “The Aunties (film) shares the story of Black land stewards & culture bearers Donna Dear and Paulette Greene. Told alongside the lands of The Underground Railroad, this historic tale also interweaves the indelible legacies of Harriet Tubman and Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms.”
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Donna Dear and Paulette Greene
Black Excellence: Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest
https://www.bwiclafffest.com/2025-laff-fest The 6th Annual Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest takes place over a herlarious (5) five-days featuring 25+ #FunnyBlackWomen during the historic Black History and Women History months. Our #comedic voices matter. From Moms Mabley, LaWanda Page, Whoopi Goldberg, black women have always found the funny!
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest
Black Excellence: Jakayla Armstrong
https://www.wkrg.com/news/i-made-history-meet-the-first-african-american-female-eagle-scout-in-alabama ‘I made history’: Meet the First African-American female Eagle Scout in Alabama MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — In tonight’s What’s Working, a huge honor for a Murphy High School senior. Jakayla Armstrong of Troop 283 at Liberty Missionary Baptist Church has become the first African American female in the Mobile…
Black Excellence: Gale Livingstone, John Boyd Jr.
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5258105/black-farmers-among-those-left-in-limbo-amid-federal-funding-freeze Black farmers among those left in limbo amid federal funding freeze UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – On a recent snowy afternoon, Gale Livingstone, a first generation farmer, is working in the propagation greenhouse at Deep Roots Farm, which she owns and operates. Four volunteers are putting collard greens, bok choy,…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Gale Livingstone, John Boyd Jr.
Black Excellence: Ray Billingsley
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/27/1082938670/cartoonist-ray-billingsley-profile For decades, cartoonist Ray Billingsley has depicted Black family life in ‘Curtis’ Ray Billingsley’s story is one of great tenacity and passion. A veteran cartoonist and comic artist, Billingsley is best known as the creator of the strip Curtis. Debuting in 1988, Curtis was one of the first nationally…
Black Excellence: Danielle Green
https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/Bouncing-Back-Stronger-Woman-Warrior-and-Purple-Heart-Recipient-Overcomes-Adversity-to-Live-with-Purpose From the Streets of Chicago to the Notre Dame Basketball Court to a Battleground in Iraq, Danielle Green’s Story is One of Determination and Inspiration LeBron James was there. Peyton Manning was, too. So were Derek Jeter, Stephen Curry, and the reigning World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer…
Black Excellence: Charles Burnett
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Burnett_(director) Charles Burnett (/bɜːrˈnɛt/; born April 13, 1944) is an American film director, film producer, writer, editor, actor, photographer, and cinematographer. His most popular films include Killer of Sheep (1978), My Brother’s Wedding (1983), To Sleep with Anger (1990), The Glass Shield (1994), and Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation (2007).…
Black Excellence: Ernestine Shepherd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernestine_Shepherd Ernestine Shepherd (born June 16, 1936) is an American bodybuilder who is best known for being, at one point, the oldest competitive female bodybuilder in the world, as declared by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 and 2011;[1] as of 2023, she is 88 years old and…
Black Excellence: Bartees Strange
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartees_Strange Bartees Strange, is an English-born American musician. Strange was born in Ipswich, England,[1] raised in Mustang, Oklahoma, and is now based in Washington D.C.[3] https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/g-s1-45838/bartees-strange-tiny-desk-concert Density is built into the music of Bartees Strange — he packs his tracks with lyrical insight and sonic gestures that, upon closer listen,…
Black Excellence: Black Leaders in Higher Education
https://jbhe.com/2024/09/seven-black-leaders-appointed-to-administrative-roles-in-higher-education/
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Black Leaders in Higher Education
Black Excellence: Ralph W. Adams, Jr.
https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Figures/Historical-Figures-View/Article/1620636/ralph-w-adams-jr Ralph W. Adams, Jr., a graduate of the University of Nebraska, served in the Army Security Agency in Vietnam as a linguist in 1961, and came to NSA in 1965. Widely recognized for his near-native language skills, he served multiple tours in Vietnam as a language analyst for NSA.…
Black Excellence: Chidozie Ibeabuchi
https://www.mlssoccer.com/playerengagement/bios/chidozie-ibeabuchi Chidozie Ibeabuchi leads a team responsible for providing holistic player care resources, creating career pathways, and spearheading player commercial efforts to advance the league. For over a decade, Chidozie has worked with professional athletes across various sectors of the sports industry for several major sports leagues including the NBA’s…
Black Excellence: Edmond Dédé
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_D%C3%A9d%C3%A9 Edmond Dédé (November 20, 1827 – January 5, 1901)[a] was an American musician and composer. A free-born Creole, he moved to Europe in 1855. He worked in Bordeaux for more than forty years, first as assistant conductor at the Grand Théâtre and then as a conductor of orchestras at…
Black Excellence: Givonna Joseph and Opera Créole
https://www.operacreole.org/givonna-joseph Ms. Joseph is committed to the culture of New Orleans, the city of her birth. This is most evident in her research on 19th-century classical music of New Orleans’s Free People of Color. As Founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning OperaCréole, Ms. Joseph’s research has recently been featured on…
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Black Excellence: Roberta Hoskie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Hoskie Roberta Hoskie is an American real estate broker, writer, and media personality based in New Haven, Connecticut. She is the author of the book Poverty Curse Broken, president and CEO of Outreach Realty Servicing, Outreach School of Real Estate, and the 1000 Black Families National Homeownership Program. She is…
Black Excellence: Photo portraits of Black Americans
https://newpittsburghcourier.com/2022/01/02/how-black-americans-used-portraits-and-family-photographs-to-defy-stereotypes/
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Black Excellence: Kimberley Rudd and David C. Rudd
https://ruddresources.net/our-team Kimberley has 35 years of writing, strategic marketing and communications, and coaching experience. A skilled project manager, she is trusted to provide counsel, support and ideas to clients. David is a writer and senior counselor. A communications professional with journalism, corporate communications and PR agency experience.
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Black Excellence: Jehana Ray
https://www.packlesstravel.com/about Welcome toPackLess Travel! Headquartered in Boston, a city known for its casual vibe and inclusive atmosphere, we’re building a community that values a more relaxed, efficient, and eco-friendly approach to travel. We’re proud to serve a diverse group of explorers who share our vision for a simpler and more…
Black Excellence: Sharon Y. Bowen
https://www.cftc.gov/About/Commissioners/SharonY.Bowen/index.htm Sharon Y. Bowen was sworn in as a Commissioner of the U. S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on June 9, 2014 for a five year term. She serves as Sponsor of the CFTC Market Risk Advisory Committee.
Black Excellence: Mary T. Washington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_T._Washington Mary T. Washington (April 21, 1906 – July 2, 2005) was the first African-American woman to be a certified public accountant in the United States.[1] Mary Thelma Morrison was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to Daisy and William Morrison.[2] Her father was a carpenter, and her mother passed when she…
Black Excellence: Alantha Miles
https://breakthrough.org/alantha-victim-advocates-create-ripple-effect After incidents of violence in the Garfield Park neighborhood, Breakthrough’s victim advocates respond to support victims and their families. Alantha Miles, victim services coordinator, hopes her team leaves an impression that inspires participants to show that same love, grace, and understanding to others. https://www.cornersresearch.org/team/alantha-miles In 2020, Alantha Miles was…
Black Excellence: Juliet Barnes
https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/chicago-stars-fc-appoints-juliet-barnes-director-of-medical/n-6182038 CHICAGO – Chicago Stars FC General Manager, Richard Feuz, has named Juliet Barnes as the club’s new Director of Medical, the Chicago Stars announced today. “We are excited to have Juliet join Chicago Stars FC,” said Feuz. “Juliet’s decades of experience across sports, most recently with the United States…
Black Excellence: Braxton Cook
https://www.braxtoncook.com/bio Braxton Cook (born March 27, 1991 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Emmy Award Winning Artist and one of this generation’s most exciting emerging voices in the Jazz world. Not only does he exhibit world-class virtuosity on the alto saxophone but he is also a uniquely talented vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist…
Black Excellence: Martin Aliker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Aliker Martin Jerome Okec Aliker (21 October 1928 – 15 April 2024) was a Ugandan dental surgeon, businessman, and community leader. He was a senior adviser to the President of Uganda and sat on the board of directors of nearly forty Ugandan companies. He was the chancellor of Victoria University…
Black Excellence: Monique Clesca
https://haffd.org/blog-2-2/blog-post-title-three-p3yc8 Monique Clesca is currently an international consultant after a career of more than 25 years specializing in high-level policy dialogue, human rights, youth and women programming, development, and crisis communication and writing. A feminist pro-democracy, pro-social justice activist, she is also a member of the Civil Society Commission to…
Black Excellence: Vincent McCoy
Paving the Way for LGBTQ+ Students When Vincent McCoy ’75 responded to a newspaper ad for a small, private meeting of Northwestern’s Gay Liberation Front, he never imagined it would lead to him becoming an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ students. McCoy became the first Black president of the Gay Liberation…
Black Excellence: Roderick Cox
https://roderickcox.com Winner of the 2018 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award by the U.S Solti Foundation, Berlin-based American conductor, Roderick Cox, has been praised as a conductor who is “paving the way” (NBC News) and recognised as a “trailblazer… a conductor who will be amongst the vanguard” (Minnesota StarTribune). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roderick_Cox_(conductor) Roderick…
Black Excellence: Renetta McCann
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renetta_McCann Renetta McCann (born December 8, 1956) is an American advertising and public relations executive who previously served as chief executive officer of Starcom Mediavest Group in North America.
Black Excellence: Willard “Will” S. Evans Jr.
https://www.alumni.northwestern.edu/s/1479/02-naa/16/landing.aspx?sid=1479&gid=2&pgid=45863 Willard “Will” S. Evans Jr. is a seasoned leader in both the public and private sectors. Known for his collaborative personal style and business acumen, he has extensive leadership experience that encompasses business, government, academic, civic, emergency, and social service organizations.
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Black Excellence: Demi Johnson
https://www.wlox.com/2024/05/30/gulfport-teen-receives-national-geographic-award-plan-save-mississippis-oyster-reef-population GULF COAST, Miss. (WLOX) – Remember Demi Johnson? The now ninth grader is headed to the nation’s capital in just a few days for the National Geographic Explorers Festival. Her well-deserved trip to Washington D.C. comes after she became a top-15 finalist for her award with the Slingshot Challenge…