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: Jaye Davidson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaye_Davidson Jaye Davidson (born Alfred Amey; 21 March 1968) is an English model, fashion stylist, and retired actor. He made his acting debut as Dil in the thriller film The Crying Game (1992),[1][3] for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Following his breakthrough, he portrayed…
Black Excellence: Gordon Parks
https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/gordon-parks/biography Gordon Parks, one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, was a humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice. He left behind an exceptional body of work that documents American life and culture from the early 1940s into the 2000s, with a focus on race relations, poverty,…
Black Excellence: Marianne Jean-Baptiste
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_Jean-Baptiste Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste (born 26 April 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her role in Mike Leigh’s drama film Secrets & Lies (1996), for which she received acclaim and earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award…
Black Excellence: Laurence Clifton Jones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_C._Jones Laurence Clifton Jones (November 21, 1882 – July 13, 1975),[1] was the founder and long-time president of Piney Woods Country Life School in Rankin County, Mississippi.[2] A noted educational innovator, Jones spent his adult life supporting the educational advancement of rural African-American students in the segregated South.
Black Excellence: O-T Fagbenle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-T_Fagbenle Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun “O-T” Fagbenle Listenⓘ (Yoruba: Ọlátúndé Ọlátẹ́jú Ọláọlọ́run Fágbénlé; born 22 January 1981)[1][2] is an English actor, writer, and director. He has appeared in several films, stage, and television productions. He is best known for his role as Lucas Bankole in The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2025), for which…
Black Excellence: Josh Johnson
https://www.joshjohnsoncomedy.com/about Josh Johnson is an Emmy-nominated writer, stand-up comedian, actor, and NAACP award-winner from Louisiana by way of Chicago. He was just named as the newest correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy & Peabody Award-winning program The Daily Show where he was previously a writer for the past six years. Johnson is also a former…
Black Excellence: Sehin Teferra
https://www.womankind.org.uk/story/everything-i-do-is-to-try-to-address-or-to-try-to-contribute-to-a-world-thats-more-balanced/ Sehin Teferra is an Ethiopian activist and Director of Womankind partner Setaweet. She defines herself as a feminist and is keen on debunking myths around it. Her #EverydayFeminism is focused on building allyship and solidarity. She believes men can also be feminists and their feminist awakening can begin when…
Black Excellence: James Barnor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Barnor James Barnor Hon. FRPS, OV (born 6 June 1929)[2] is a Ghanaian photographer who has been based in London since the 1990s. His career spans six decades, and although for much of that period his work was not widely known, it has latterly been discovered by new audiences.
Black Excellence: Osei Blackett
https://chefpicky.com/wp/#about
Black Excellence: Vezo community of Madagascar
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/12/26/g-s1-36633/fish-sea-madagascar-climate-change-diving Fishermen, known as ‘Sea Nomads,’ dive to protect ocean life in Madagascar
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Vezo community of Madagascar
Black Excellence: Greg Gumbel
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/27/nx-s1-5241134/greg-gumbel-sportscaster-dies Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will…
Black Excellence: Shankleville, TX
https://shankleville.org Welcome to the Shankleville Historical Society Shankleville Community, Texas is a “freedmen’s community” founded by Jim and Winnie Shankle in Deep East Texas. This Historical Society seeks to preserve the heritage, document the history and propagate the legacy of the Shankleveille Community. Named for Jim and Winnie Shankle, known…
Black Excellence: Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/shankleville-tx-history-jim-winnie-shankle-dance-performance-nias-daughters-fairytale-project/
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective
Black Excellence: Dora Moono Nyambe
https://www.blackenterprise.com/humanitarian-dora-nyambe-dies-zambia-village-school/
Black Excellence: Khaby Lame
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaby_Lame Khabane “Khaby” Lame (French: [kabi lamei], Italian: [ˈkaːbi ˈlamei]; born 9 March 2000) is a Senegalese-Italian influencer. He is known for his TikTok videos, in which he silently mocks overly complicated “life hack” videos. As of 2024, he is the most-followed user on TikTok.[3] In 2022, he was listed…
Black Excellence: Paul Ninson
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/12/21/g-s1-30751/books-photos-library-africa-photography Big dreams: He’s the founder of a leading African photobook library Ghanaian photojournalist Paul Ninson was thrilled — and surprised. When he came to New York to study photographyfive years ago, he found a trove of images of life in Africa, past and present, in the archives of the…
Black Excellence: Cheryl Tyler
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538197103/Trailblazer-The-Story-of-the-First-Black-Female-Secret-Service-Agent-to-Protect-the-President-and-Her-Fight-for-Justice Cheryl Tyler is a a Black woman who defied all odds and shattered barriers in her quest to protect the highest office in the land. This captivating memoir transports readers into Tyler’s world as she embarks on an extraordinary journey to become the first Black female agent assigned to…
Black Excellence: Myeshia Mizuno
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/celebrity-family-feud-exec-producer-myeshia-mizuno-steve-harvey-1236062072 As a child of the 1970s, Myeshia Mizuno still remembers watching the Richard Dawson incarnation of “Family Feud” at home. Now, she’s the new showrunner on the Steve Harvey-hosted daytime version in syndication and the primetime “Celebrity Family Feud” on ABC — which returns July 9 for its 10th…
Black Excellence: Barry Jenkins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Jenkins Barry Jenkins (born November 19, 1979) is an American filmmaker. After making his filmmaking debut with the short film My Josephine (2003), he directed his first feature film Medicine for Melancholy (2008) for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature. He is also a…
Black Excellence: Sehin Tewabe
https://sehintewabe.com/about Sehin Tewabe is an Ethiopian professional photographer based in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. She is a self taught photographer, with an Accounting degree, she grew up with an innate passion for photography. Raised in a big family, she was always surrounded by joyous moments that were ought to be saved…
Black Excellence: Daniel Canodoise “Can” Themba
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_Themba Daniel Canodoise “Can” Themba (21 June 1924 – 8 September 1967)[1][2] was a South African short-story writer.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Daniel Canodoise “Can” Themba
Black Excellence: Venita Doggett
https://memphiseducationfund.org/our-team/venita-doggett/ Venita Doggett Director of Advocacy Venita Doggett is an alumna of the University of Memphis, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration. A native Memphian, Venita has spent most of her career in the space of Memphis government and education politics –…
Black Excellence: Bonita Buford
https://www.charlottemagazine.com/life-lessons-bonita-buford/
Black Excellence: Big Boi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), known professionally as Big Boi, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Atlanta, he was one half of the Southern hip hop duo Outkast along with rapper André 3000, which the two formed in…
Black Excellence: Nikara Warren
https://www.nikarawarren.com/bio-2 Vibraphonist, composer, arranger, and educator Nikara Warren is a true Brooklynite. Born and bred in the eclectic and electric enclave, her family, her friends, her band, and her musical pedigree are a microcosm of the county at large.
Black Excellence: Mabel Fairbanks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Fairbanks Mabel Fairbanks (November 14, 1915 – September 29, 2001) was an American figure skater and coach. As an African American and Native American woman she paved the way for other minorities to compete in the sport of figure skating such as Tai Babilonia, Debi Thomas, and Naomi Lang. She…
Black Excellence: Diamond Shakoor
https://chessdailynews.com/kings-and-queens-on-the-chessboard-and-in-life/
Black Excellence: Leo Sullivan and Ethelyn O. Stewart
https://afrotech.com/leo-sullivan-ethelyn-o-stewart Seasoned Hollywood animator, producer, and director Leo Sullivan — together with his wife, Ethelyn O. Stewart — have committed their lives toward educating Black families. Recently the couple received Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Legacy Award for their outstanding achievement for their contributions in media, Black News previously reported. For the…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Leo Sullivan and Ethelyn O. Stewart
Black Excellence: Dr. Jean Kaseya
https://africacdc.org/people/dr-jean-kaseya/
Black Excellence: Pierre Laguerre
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Pierre Laguerre, founder and CEO of Fleeting. Laguerre was born in Haiti and came to the United States when he was 15. After emigrating to the United States, he spent his teen years living with his family in the Flatbush neighborhood of…
Black Excellence: Stephanie Yeboah
https://stephanieyeboah.com/about Stephanie’s active and influential presence within the creator space began over 15 years ago with her blog. Her work is a testament to her commitment to the industry and status as one of its first original bloggers. Stephanie writes and creates content surrounding relevant and personal subjects, including plus-size…
Black Excellence: Paul Tazewell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Tazewell Paul Tazewell is an American costume designer for the theatre, dance, and opera and television. After training at New York University Tisch School of the Arts he started his career on Broadway. He went on to win a Tony Award and an Emmy Award as well as a nomination…
Black Excellence: Nikki Giovanni
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/09/nx-s1-5222858/nikki-giovanni-poet-obituary The renowned poet Nikki Giovanni has died. Giovanni died on Monday, Dec. 9, following her third cancer diagnosis, according to a statement from friend and author Renée Watson. She was 81. “We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us, to all her literary children…
Black Excellence: Michael Kiwanuka
https://www.npr.org/2020/11/16/934758657/michael-kiwanuka-tiny-desk-home-concert Michael Kiwanuka: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kiwanuka Michael Samuel Kiwanuka (born 3 May 1987) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is currently signed to Polydor Records.[3] His debut album Home Again (2012) went gold in the United Kingdom, while his second album Love & Hate…
Black Excellence: Georges C. Benjamin, MD
https://apha.org/about-apha/executive-board-and-staff/apha-staff/georges-c-benjamin-md Georges C. Benjamin, MD is known as one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders because he speaks passionately and eloquently about the health issues having the most impact on our nation today. From his firsthand experience as a physician, he knows what happens when preventive care is not…
Black Excellence: Frank “The Tank” Watkins
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/02/nx-s1-5195424/skating-mental-health The U.S. is facing a youth mental health crisis. These skaters want to help On an unseasonably warm fall afternoon, Frank “The Tank” Watkins welcomes me to one of his favorite places: the skatepark at Pier 62 in Manhattan.
Black Excellence: Paris McGowan
https://www.uti.edu/blog/graduate-stories/mmi-grad-harley-davidson-tech At just 25, recent MMI Orlando graduate Paris McGowan didn’t plan on making history — it just sort of happened! She has become the first Black female Harley-Davidson® technician in Missouri.
Black Excellence: Eliot Middleton
https://www.ebony.com/a-south-carolina-restaurant-owner-has-donated-over-60-cars-to-people-in-need/
Black Excellence: Mickalene Thomas
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/03/nx-s1-5213686/mickalene-thomas-artist Mickalene Thomas makes art that ‘gives Black women their flowers’
Black Excellence: Jon Batiste
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/04/nx-s1-5191477/jon-batiste-lara-downs-interview Jon Batiste traces the blues back to Beethoven and beyond
Black Excellence: Tony D. Hansberry
https://theblackhistorychannel.com/2014/9th-grader-invents-new-surgical-procedure/ Tony D. Hansberry, II was a 9th grader at Carnell Cookman School of Medical Arts in Jacksonville, Florida when he invented a project that allows him to “reduce the time it takes to perform hysterectomies.” https://milwaukeecourieronline.com/index.php/2012/02/11/african-american-youth-invents-surgical-technique-at-age-14/
Black Excellence: Maya Penn
https://theblackhistorychannel.com/2016/maya-penn-is-amazing/
Black Excellence: Elwyn Adams
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/elwyn-albert-adams-1933-1995/
Black Excellence: Zaytoven
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/26/698086054/zaytoven-tiny-desk-concert The Lord works in mysterious ways. It might sound cliché, but there’s really no better way to describe the circumstances that led to prolific producer Zaytoven’s impromptu Tiny Desk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaytoven Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), known professionally as Zaytoven, is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia.[1][2][3][non-primary…
Black Excellence: Jadé Fadojutimi
https://jadefadojutimi.com/about Jadé Fadojutimi is a composer of colour, space and environments. Movement informs her artistic practice, enabling her paintings to be conducted through the orchestrating of her studio space.
Black Excellence: Booker T. Jones
https://www.npr.org/2011/05/02/135840639/booker-t-jones-tiny-desk-concert I’m pretty sure this is the coolest thing we’ve ever done behind the Tiny Desk. There was a bit of furniture-moving and finagling, but when all the heavy lifting was done, there it was: A Hammond B3 organ and its sturdy wooden Leslie speaker cabinet sat waiting for its…
Black Excellence: Frank Calvin Mann
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/frank-calvin-mann-1908-1992/
Black Excellence: Mohamed Adow
https://www.powershiftafrica.org/who-we-are#leadership Mohamed Adow is the Founder and Director of Power Shift Africa, which he formed in 2018 to mobilize climate action in Africa and shift climate and energy policies to zero carbon.
Black Excellence: Sandra Musujusu
https://blackdoctor.org/breaking-black-woman-developed-alternative-to-breast-cancer-treatment/
Black Excellence: Clarenton “Nicky” Crawford
https://theatlantavoice.com/atlantas-mr-clean-nicky-crawford-is-here-to-help An Atlanta nonprofit called Flowing With Blessings, which was founded by Clarenton “Nicky” Crawford, is working to aid and give back to the city’s unhoused community.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Clarenton “Nicky” Crawford
Black Excellence: Belle da Costa Greene
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/28/nx-s1-5159998/the-true-story-of-a-famed-librarian-and-the-secret-she-guarded-closely The true story of a famed librarian and the secret she guarded closely The name Belle da Costa Greene might not ring a bell, but New York’s historic Morgan Library and Museum is trying to change that. A new exhibit called “A Librarian’s Legacy” opened this month, just in…
Black Excellence: Oree and Lena McRae
https://blacknews.com/news/oree-lena-mcrae-black-couple-california-celebrate-79-years-marriage/ https://www.mykeeper.com/OreeMcrae Oree McRae, passed away at the grand age of 100.
Black Excellence: Alexis P. Suter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_P._Suter Alexis P. Suter (born February 15, 1963)[1] is an American blues, and soul blues singer and songwriter, best known for her nomination in the ‘Koko Taylor Award’ category at the 33rd Blues Music Awards in 2015.[2] She and her backing band have released six albums to date.[3]
Black Excellence: O.W. Gurley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.W._Gurley O. W. Gurley (December 25, 1867 – August 6, 1935) was once one of the wealthiest Black men and a founder of the Greenwood district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as “Black Wall Street”.[1][2] Ottaway W. Gurley was born in Huntsville, Alabama to John and Rosanna Gurley, formerly enslaved persons,…
Black Excellence: Ella Josephine Baker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Baker Ella Josephine Baker (December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986) was an African-American civil rights and human rights activist. She was a largely behind-the-scenes organizer whose career spanned more than five decades. In New York City and the South, she worked alongside some of the most noted civil rights leaders…
Black Excellence: Richard Bowie Spikes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Spikes Richard Bowie Spikes (October 2, 1878 – January 22, 1963) was an African-American inventor. The holder of a number of United States patents, his improvements on existing inventions include a beer tap, automobile directional signals, an automatic gear shift device based on automatic transmission for automobiles and other motor…
Black Excellence: Mati Diop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mati_Diop Mati Diop (born 22 June 1982) is a French film director and actress. She won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for her feature film debut, the supernatural romantic drama Atlantics, and the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival for her second feature…
Black Excellence: Abdi Nageeye
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/03/nx-s1-5177334/nyc-marathon-2024-results After 4 attempts, Abdi Nageeye wins the NYC marathon Abdi Nageeye, 35, from the Netherlands, claimed victory in the men’s race of the New York City Marathon on Sunday with a time of 2:07:39. It was his fourth appearance in the Big Apple run, and his first win in…
Black Excellence: Lonnie Shields
https://lonnieshields.com/biography Lonnie Shields is truly one of the finest of the next generation of the blues. He cut his blues teeth performing with The Jelly Roll Kings. His recording career has led him through a number of studios from Memphis and Clarksdale to tours all over the world. This Delta…
Black Excellence: Ella Jenkins
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/10/530876080/ella-jenkins-dead-at-100 Ella Jenkins, the first lady of children’s music, has died at 100 You may have grown up hearing one of Ella Jenkins’ signature tunes, like “You’ll Sing A Song and I’ll Sing A Song.” And you may have then played her music for your own children. Jenkins, who was…
Black Excellence: Baby Rose
https://www.npr.org/2020/02/10/803620275/baby-rose-tiny-desk-concert “This is what real love sounds like.” From any other new artist, a Tiny Desk declaration like that might sound a tad bit presumptuous if not altogether premature. But when the voice behind those words is as seasoned and vintage as Baby Rose’s, everything it utters reverberates like the…
Black Excellence: Amadi Azikiwe
http://www.amadiazikiwe.com/?page_id=2 Amadi Azikiwe, violist, violinist and conductor, has been heard in recital in major cities throughout the United States, such as New York, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Houston, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., including an appearance at the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Azikiwe has also been a guest of…
Black Excellence: Armenta Adams Hummings Dumisani
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenta_Adams Armenta Adams (Hummings) Dumisani (born 1936) is an American concert pianist and music educator who since 1960 has performed in the United States and, thanks to an international relations award from the U.S. State Department, in 27 other countries. In 1993, she founded the Gateways Music Festival which promotes…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Armenta Adams Hummings Dumisani
Black Excellence: Quincy Jones
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/04/834546599/quincy-jones-pop-mastermind-thriller-producer-dies Quincy Jones, whose decorated music career ran from the early 1950s through the best-known works of Michael Jackson and beyond, died Sunday. He was 91.
Black Excellence: Alan and Alex
https://travelnoire.com/black-excellence-meet-the-identical-twin-brothers-who-are-pilots-on-alaska-airlines https://news.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/alaska-airlines-identical-twin-pilots/
Black Excellence: Kortnee Solomon
https://ethosawardequestrian.com/awardee/kortnee-solomon/
Black Excellence: Tressie McMillan Cottom
https://tressiemc.com/ A trenchant cultural critic, celebrated sociologist, and award-winning writer, Tressie McMillan Cottom is known for rearranging your brain in the span of a carefully-turned phrase. Her breadth is phenomenal – it moves from the racial hierarchy of beauty standards and the class codes of dressing for work to the…
Black Excellence: Kelis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelis Kelis Rogers (/kəˈliːs/;[2] born August 21, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and chef.[3] She attended New York’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts,[4] where she played saxophone and was selected for the Girls Choir of Harlem.[5] Upon graduation, Rogers landed a role as…
Black Excellence: Chef Ting
https://www.mvtimes.com/2024/10/08/food-is-ministry/
Black Excellence: The Imafidon Family
https://thephoenixnewspaper.com/meet-the-imafidons-the-smartest-family-in-the-uk The Imafidon family was recently named the smartest family in Britain. Hailing from Nigeria, husband, Dr. Chris Imafidon and wife Ann, are parents to twelve-year-old twins Peter and Paula, who made history as the youngest children in ever, in the United Kingdom, to attend high school – before then…
Black Excellence: Dawn Shedrick
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/10/31/nx-s1-5172517/caregiver-caregiving-isolation-burnout-resources Dawn Shedrick is matter-of-fact about the heartbreaks of caregiving. She is clear and calm when she describes its hardships and grief. She has looked after her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, for more than 30 years. She has been through a lot, and she keeps going.
Black Excellence: Bayo Akomolafe
https://centerforneweconomics.org/people/bayo-akomolafe/
Black Excellence: Roland Hayes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Hayes Roland Wiltse Hayes (June 3, 1887 – January 1, 1977) was an American lyric tenor and composer. Critics lauded his abilities and linguistic skills demonstrated with songs in French, German, and Italian. Hayes’ predecessors as well-known African-American concert artists, including Sissieretta Jones and Marie Selika, were not recorded. Along…
Black Excellence: Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson
https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/mathematics/high-school-students-who-came-up-with-impossible-proof-of-pythagorean-theorem-discover-9-more-solutions-to-the-problem High school students who came up with ‘impossible’ proof of Pythagorean theorem discover 9 more solutions to the problem Follow-up to post from May 8, 2024
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson
Black Excellence: Carson and Cannan Huey-You
https://campaign.tcu.edu/stories/the-future-of-science.php These gifted young brothers could have gone to college anywhere. They chose TCU. You may have heard about TCU’s youngest-ever scholars, brothers Carson and Cannan Huey-You. If you haven’t, you will. These kids are the future. And the future is looking bright. Cannan, age 14, is now a TCU…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Carson and Cannan Huey-You
Black Excellence: Lena Richard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Richard Lena Richard (September 9,[1] 1892 or 1893 – November 27, 1950) was a chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, frozen food entrepreneur, and television host from New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] In 1949, Richard became the first Black woman to host her own television cooking show.[3] Her show aired from October 1949 -…
Black Excellence: Ka
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/28/g-s1-30027/ka-rapper-brownsville-remembrance The late Brownsville MC rapped from an intense commitment to writing as a form, and a DIY ethic that put him in charge of every aspect of his business
Black Excellence: Anwar Sawyer
https://soundbetter.com/profiles/569384-anwar-sawyer Anwar Sawyer is a producer/songwriter based out of Los Angeles. He grew up surrounded and influenced in music from gospel to the soulful R&B sounds of his uncles hit group, Blue Magic. He studied classical piano and composition at Westminster Choir College and Nyack College School of Music. Following…
Black Excellence: Richard Theodore Greener
https://legacyofslavery.harvard.edu/alumni/richard-theodore-greener Harvard’s first Black graduate, Richard T. Greener, went on to become the first Black professor at the University of South Carolina and dean of the Howard University School of Law. Born in Philadelphia in 1844, Richard T. Greener moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his parents at age nine. He…
Black Excellence: Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Jones_Kaufman_Pearson Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson (born October 20, 1947) is an American journalist and news anchor. Pearson’s career first started in Louisville, Kentucky, as an anchor and reporter for WHAS-TV, while also working as a reporter for the Louisville Times. When Pearson moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1975, she became…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson
Black Excellence: Stephen Nzioka
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/10/21/g-s1-27810/climate-change-weather-app-farm This farmer ‘planted blindly’ in a changing climate. A weather app came to his rescue
Black Excellence: Elizabeth Francis
https://www.yahoo.com/news/elizabeth-francis-oldest-living-person-234300631.html Elizabeth Francis, who was the oldest living person in the United States, has died. She was 115. At the time of her death, Francis was the oldest living person in the U.S. and the third-oldest person in the world, according to LongeviQuest, a global database of the world’s oldest…
Black Excellence: Fredia Gibbs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredia_Gibbs Fredia “The Cheetah” Gibbs (born July 8, 1963), is an American former professional martial artist, kickboxer, and boxer who competed from 1975 to 2005.[1] During her kickboxing career, she held ISKA, WKA, and WKF World Titles. Before her kickboxing career she was an All-American in basketball and track.
Black Excellence: Aaron Hutcherson
https://www.thehungryhutch.com/about/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/aaron-hutcherson Aaron Hutcherson is a writer and recipe developer for Food at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post, Hutcherson was a freelance writer, recipe developer, photographer and food stylist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Eater, Thrillist, Taste, Serious Eats, Food52 and…
Black Excellence: Constance Baker Motley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_Baker_Motley Constance Baker Motley (née Baker; September 14, 1921 – September 28, 2005) was an American jurist and politician who served as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Black Excellence: Eisa Davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisa_Davis Eisa Davis (born May 5, 1971) is an American playwright, actress and singer-songwriter.[1] She is known for her work as the co-creator of the Warriors concept album with Lin-Manuel Miranda.[2] Her previous works include the plays Bulrusher and Angela’s Mixtape. For her stage acting in New York, she won…
Black Excellence: The Black Bread Company
https://lasentinel.net/first-african-american-owned-bread-company-the-black-bread-company-is-not-just-about-making-bread.html First African American Owned Bread Company: The Black Bread Company is Not Just About Making Bread
Black Excellence: Prentis Hemphill
https://prentishemphill.com Prentis Hemphill (They/Them) is unearthing the connections between healing, community accountability and our most inspired visions for social transformation. Prentis is a therapist, somatics teacher and facilitator, political organizer, writer and the founder of The Embodiment Institute. For over 10 years, Prentis has been working with individuals and organizations…
Black Excellence: Charles R. Drew Public Charter School Varsity Boys Golf Team
https://blacknews.com/news/charles-r-drew-charter-school-varsity-golf-team-all-black-players-state-championship/
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Charles R. Drew Public Charter School Varsity Boys Golf Team
Black Excellence: Mayor Acquanetta Warren
https://www.fontanaca.gov/2788/Acquanetta-Warren-Mayor Elected as mayor in December 2010 and re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022 Acquanetta Warren is serving her fourth term as the mayor of the City of Fontana. Mayor Warren focuses her administration on bolstering economic development, creating educational opportunities, improving public safety, and advocating for a healthier community.
Black Excellence: Randolph Wilson “Bill” Bromery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_Bromery Randolph Wilson (“Bill”) Bromery[1] (January 18, 1926 – February 26, 2013) was an American educator and geologist, and a former Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1971–79). While Chancellor, Bromery established the W.E.B. Du Bois Archives at the University of Massachusetts, and was one of the initiators of…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Randolph Wilson “Bill” Bromery
Black Excellence: Sheila E.
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/g-s1-22384/sheila-e-tiny-desk-concert Sheila E. is a portrait of motion. Not just the movement of her body as one of the world’s most recognized drummers, but also as a versatile musician who glides easily from genre to genre with the ease of a master. For her time behind the Desk, she assembled…
Black Excellence: Sarah Willie-LeBreton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Willie-LeBreton Sarah Susannah Willie-LeBreton is an American sociologist and academic administrator serving as the 12th president of Smith College since 2023. She was previously the provost and dean of faculty at Swarthmore College from 2018 to 2023. https://www.smith.edu/discover-smith/president-sarah-willie-lebreton Sarah Willie-LeBreton is the 12th president of Smith College. An accomplished and…
Black Excellence: Luis Tiant
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/08/nx-s1-5146523/luis-tiant-dead-baseball Luis Tiant, the charismatic Cuban with a horseshoe mustache and mesmerizing windup who pitched the Red Sox to the brink of a World Series championship and pitched himself to the doorstep of the baseball Hall of Fame, has died. He was 83.
Black Excellence: Mustafa
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/08/g-s1-26454/mustafa-dunya-poet-toronto-review Throughout its history, hip-hop has spotlit the turmoil faced by Black communities, in housing projects and neighborhoods from coast to coast — and, eventually, around the world. Who is there to preserve the memories and traditions of the lost, as folklorists for the streets? For years, the poet and…
Black Excellence: Andrea Joy Campbell
https://www.andreacampbell.org/story Andrea Joy Campbell has dedicated her life to fighting for greater equity and opportunity. At a time when so many people have lost faith in our government’s ability to solve problems, she continues to work hard everyday as your Attorney General because there has never been an office or…
Black Excellence: Arshay Cooper
https://www.arshaycooper.com/meet-arshay ARSHAY COOPER is a Rower, Benjamin Franklin award-winning author, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film “A Most Beautiful Thing,” a Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing, motivational speaker, and activist, particularly around issues of accessibility for low-income families.
Black Excellence: Cheryl Freeman-Smith
https://magazine.northwestern.edu/people/cheryl-freeman-smith-olive-harvey-college-manufacturing-transportation-engineering-career-education When Cheryl Freeman-Smith looked around at Commencement in 1992, she was one of only 39 Black engineers in her Northwestern graduating class out of around 400. And there were “only four of us in industrial engineering,” she recalls. Today, Freeman-Smith, who grew up in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, is…
Black Excellence: Roger Thomas Ward
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2024/01/29/dr-roger-thomas-ward-brilliant-athlete-and-engineer-died-at-76/
Black Excellence: Daphne Maxwell Reid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Maxwell_Reid Daphne Etta Reid (née Maxwell; July 13, 1948) is an American actress, comedian, designer, and former model. She is best known for her role as the second Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1993 to 1996.