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: Edwidge Danticat
https://edwidgedanticat.com/about Edwidge Danticat is the author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection, Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist, The Farming of Bones, The Dew Breaker, Brother, I’m Dying, Create Dangerously, Claire of the Sea Light, The Art of Death, Everything Inside, a Reese’s…
Black Excellence: James Earl Jones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor known for his film roles and for his work in theater. Jones has been described as “one of America’s most distinguished and versatile” actors for his performances on stage and screen.[1] He has also been…
Black Excellence: Marie Van Brittan Brown
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-marie-van-brittan-1922-1999
Black Excellence: Louise Little
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Little Louise Helen Norton Little (née Langdon; 1894 or 1897 – December 18, 1989)[1] was a Grenadian-born American activist. She was the mother of Malcolm X.
Black Excellence: Binyavanga Wainaina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binyavanga_Wainaina Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina (18 January 1971 – 21 May 2019) was a Kenyan author, journalist and 2002 winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. In 2003, he was the founding editor of Kwani? literary magazine. In April 2014, Time magazine included Wainaina in its annual Time 100 as…
Black Excellence: Njideka Akunyili Crosby
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Njideka_Akunyili_Crosby Njideka Akunyili Crosby // ⓘ (born 1983) is a Nigerian-born visual artist working in Los Angeles, California.[1] Through her art, Akunyili Crosby “negotiates the cultural terrain between her adopted home in America and her native Nigeria, creating collage and photo transfer-based paintings that expose the challenges of occupying these…
Black Excellence: Nathaniel Mary Quinn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Mary_Quinn Nathaniel Mary Quinn (1977) is an American painter. Quinn is known for his collage-style composite portraits that feature disfigured faces.[1][2] https://gagosian.com/artists/nathaniel-mary-quinn In his collage-like composite portraits derived from sources both personal and found, Nathaniel Mary Quinn probes the relationship between visual memory and perception. Fragments of images taken from…
Black Excellence: Son Little
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_Little Aaron Earl Livingston,[1] also known by his stage name Son Little, is an American rhythm & blues[2] musician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[3] https://www.npr.org/2024/09/02/g-s1-19861/son-little-field-recordings-aspen-ideas-festival Son Little’s songs radiate outdoors at the Aspen Ideas Festival
Black Excellence: Jonathan Scales
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Scales Jonathan Scales (born September 14, 1984) is an American steel pannist and composer. He has recorded and produced seven albums, the most recent being Mindstate Music, released in 2019 on Ropeadope Records. Since 2007, Scales has recorded and performed with Victor Wooten, Howard Levy, The Duhks, Roy “Future Man”…
Black Excellence: John H. Francis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Francis_(environmentalist) John H. Francis III (born 1946) is an American environmentalist nicknamed The Planetwalker. Born in Philadelphia, the son of a West Indian immigrant, he moved to Marin County, California, as a young man.
Black Excellence: Outdoor Afro
https://outdoorafro.org/about Outdoor Afro celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. Our national not-for-profit organization reconnects Black people to our lands, water, and wildlife through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Some examples of Outdoor Afro’s year-round activities range from fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, gardening, skiing, and more. https://ruemapp.com Rue…
Black Excellence: Emeline King
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emeline_King Emeline King (born December 16, 1957), is an American industrial designer, known for her automotive designs. In 1983, she was hired by Ford Motor Company, and became the first Black woman designer for the automobile manufacturer.[1][2][3] King also works as a motivational speaker, musician, and author.[4] She authored an…
Black Excellence: Corcoran Holt
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/29/nx-s1-5092043/on-the-beltway-a-dc-jazz-festival-playlist-curated-by-artist-in-residence-corcoran-holt On the Beltway, a DC Jazz Festival playlist curated by artist-in-residence Corcoran Holt https://www.corcoranholt.com/bio Corcoran Holt, a son of Washington, DC, began playing djembe and other West African percussion at the age of 4 as a member of Wose Dance Company under the tutelage of Baba Aidoo Holmes & Mahiri…
Black Excellence: Willie Mae Wong
https://aaregistry.org/story/willie-mae-wong-musician-born Willie Mae, also affectionately known as “Rabbit,” was one of the original members of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. They were the first multi-racial all-female big band in America. Wong had no visible musical skills when she was recruited to the group as a 15-year-old. She was out on the…
Black Excellence: Tazewell Thompson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tazewell_Thompson Tazewell Thompson is an American theatre director, the former artistic director of the Westport Country Playhouse (2006–07) in Westport, Connecticut and the Syracuse Stage (1992–95) in New York state. Prior to that he was an assistant director at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. He is the Director of Opera…
Black Excellence: Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon
https://tfma.temple.edu/directory/kimmika-williams-witherspoon Senior Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation in the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University and a Full Professor specializing in Urban Theater and Community Engagement in the Theater Department in the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. Immediate-past President of the Faculty…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon
Black Excellence: Malcolm Kenyatta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Kenyatta Malcolm Kenyatta (born July 30, 1990) is an American politician from the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the Pennsylvania State Representative for the 181st district since 2019.
Black Excellence: GZA and the Soul Rebels Tiny Desk Concert
https://www.npr.org/2018/05/02/607358481/gza-the-soul-rebels-tiny-desk-concert GZA’s performance at the Tiny Desk was a rare appearance for the legendary Wu-Tang Clan emcee, in part because he’s notoriously introverted, and because he brought along The Soul Rebels, an eight-piece New Orleans brass ensemble.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: GZA and the Soul Rebels Tiny Desk Concert
Black Excellence: Nicholas Buamah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Buamah Nicholas Buamah (born 17 February 2011) is a Ghanaian-born writer based in Snellville, Georgia, United States.[1][2] He became a bestselling author on Amazon with a piece written for a school assignment.[3] He was honored with a proclamation from the Mayor and city council of Snellville, and honoured by the…
Black Excellence: Monica Sorelle
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/20/nx-s1-5073880/mountains-film-miami-little-haiti Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood is on borrowed time. A film is documenting it all.
Black Excellence: Kaliis Smith
https://www.nepm.org/people/kaliis-smith Kaliis Smith is a radio host and producer for NEPM’s The Fabulous 413. She was most recently host and producer at The River 93.9/WRSI where she appeared on Mornings with Monte for the Nerdwatch segment and hosted weekday evenings. A guitarist, she’s in several local bands including Ex-Temper, The…
Black Excellence: Charles Thompson
https://www.charlesthompson.net/blank-1 Charles Thompson makes furniture and carvings in a humble workshop on a humble hill in Heath, MA.
Black Excellence: Sam French
https://www.gillccwoodworks.com/about We are rooted deep in the tradition of craftsmanship. Over the years, owner and woodworker Sam French has developed his own voice in this tradition through reshaping nature’s raw displays of beauty into new yet familiar forms. Sam creates unique pieces of custom made wood furniture and custom live…
Black Excellence: Carlos Simon
https://www.carlossimonmusic.com/biography Carlos Simon is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, whose music ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism. Simon is the Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the inaugural Boston Symphony Orchestra Composer…
Black Excellence: Keyon Harrold
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/15/g-s1-17011/keyon-harrold-tiny-desk-concert It’s a family reunion when jazz, R&B and hip-hop get together, and Keyon Harrold brought it all to his Tiny Desk, where he talked about “the good, the band, and the ugly of what life can be.”
Black Excellence: Africanus Okokon
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/08/16/g-s1-16960/african-art-exhibit-statues-barbershops-colonial-era Africanus Okokon, a Rhode Island-based artist who is the American-born son of a Ghanaian mother and a Nigerian father.
Black Excellence: Ernestine Carrol “Tiny” Davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Davis Ernestine Carroll Davis, (August 5, 1909 – January 30, 1994)[1][2] better known as Tiny Davis, was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Ernestine Carrol “Tiny” Davis
Black Excellence: Wally Amos
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/14/g-s1-17050/wally-amos-famous-amos-cookies-dead Wally Amos, the entrepreneur behind the Famous Amos cookie enterprise, has died. He was 88 years old.
Black Excellence: Joyce Kimutai
https://acdi.uct.ac.za/contacts/joyce-kimutai Joyce Kimutai is a Research Associate in the Analysis and Interpretation of Climate Data for Extreme Weather. Joyce completed her PhD under AXA Research Chair Programme in African Climate Risk as part of a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Cape Town and University of Oxford, working on research…
Black Excellence: Christopher Eubanks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Eubanks Christopher Eubanks (/ˈjuːbæŋks/ EW-bangks; born May 5, 1996)[1] is an American professional tennis player. He played college tennis for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Black Excellence: Jeffrey Louis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Louis Jeffrey Louis (born December 20, 1994),[1][2] also known mononymously as Jeffro,[2] is an American breakdancer. He has been breakdancing since the age of 12.[1]
Black Excellence: Max Irving
https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/mens-water-polo/roster/max-irving/424 He is back for his second Olympic Games in 2024…A three-time All-American, he played at UCLA where he helped lead the team to the 2017 NCAA Championship…Continued on to play professionally in Greece and Italy…Went from redshirt at UCLA to National Team in just three years.
Black Excellence: Nyjah Huston
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyjah_Huston Nyjah Imani Huston (born November 30, 1994) is an American professional skateboarder. With numerous sponsorships and competition prize winnings, Huston is one of the highest paid skateboarders in the world.[4][5]
Black Excellence: Lauren Scruggs
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/8/2/lauren-scruggs-gold-medal-team-usa-foil-fencing-olympics In the end, Lauren S. Scruggs ‘25 was never leaving Paris without gold. Scruggs propelled Team USA to victory in the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s team foil tournament on Thursday, holding off Italy’s three-time Olympian Arianna Errigo to give the United States its first-ever team gold medal in fencing.
Black Excellence: Julien Alfred
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/03/g-s1-15238/julien-alfred-shacarri-st-lucia-paris-100m Julien Alfred stuns Sha’Carri Richardson in 100m to win St. Lucia’s 1st Olympic gold
Black Excellence: Kyle Boatwright
https://www.umass.edu/theater/about/directory/kyle-boatwright Kyle Boatwright (she/her) is a director, actor, musician, and educator based in the Pioneer Valley. Kyle is the co-founder of Rise Up Productions, a Valley collective of performing artists that produces shows to support social justice organizations.
Black Excellence: Lydia R. Diamond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_R._Diamond Lydia R. Diamond (born April 14, 1969, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American playwright and professor. Among her most popular plays are The Bluest Eye (2007), an adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel; Stick Fly (2008); Harriet Jacobs (2011); and Smart People (2016). Smart People is being performed by Silverthorne…
Black Excellence: Anne Harris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Harris_(musician) Anne Harris (born February 2, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, violinist, recording artist and actress based in Chicago, Illinois.[1][2] She has independently produced and released six studio albums on her record label, Rugged Road Records: Anne Harris (2001), Open Your Doors (2003), Wine and Poetry (2005),[3] Gravity and…
Black Excellence: Toumani Diabaté
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/07/29/g-s1-13359/music-toumani-diabate-mali-kora Toumani Diabaté plucked the kora’s 21 strings. The world fell in love with his music “He played those 21 strings with love.” That’s the great American banjo player Bela Fleck talking about his duets with Toumani Diabaté of Mali — including the crowd-pleaser “Dueling Banjos.” Fleck called him “one…
Black Excellence: Corey Alston
https://thegullahculture.com Corey Alston has been recognized at the local, state, and national levels, receiving numerous awards and proudly displaying his art across the United States. As a 5th generation Sweetgrass Weaver, Corey practices the art of Sweetgrass Basket Weaving from his home in Charleston, South Carolina.
Black Excellence: Otis Taylor
https://www.npr.org/2011/04/13/135358034/otis-taylor-tiny-desk-concert I’d never think that a banjo player could find my musical sweet spot, which falls somewhere between Mali and The Velvet Underground, but Otis Taylor hits it, spot on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Taylor_(musician) Otis Taylor (born July 30, 1948,[1] Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American blues musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist…
Black Excellence: Erica Ash
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/29/nx-s1-5056291/erica-ash-dead Comedian, actor, singer and model Erica Ash has died at age 46. She was best known for MadTV, the sitcom Survivor’s Remorse, Rosie O’Donnell’s The Big Gay Sketch Show and the Kevin Hart series Real Husbands of Hollywood.
Black Excellence: Belinda and Tony Jones
https://www.locallifesc.com/morning-glory-homestead
Black Excellence: Aya Nakamura
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aya_Nakamura Aya Danioko (born 10 May 1995), known professionally as Aya Nakamura, is a French-Malian singer-songwriter. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a61701969/aya-nakamura-paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-2024 Aya Nakamura Proves Why She’s France’s Biggest Star at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony Her standout performance comes after months of speculation and controversy over her Olympic appearance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJkg6z7eoRs
Black Excellence: The Wiz Tiny Desk Concert
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/11/g-s1-9486/the-wiz-tiny-desk-concert One afternoon the Tiny Desk traveled to Emerald City. Or rather, we got to meet the cast of the newest Broadway revival of The Wiz. Debuting in Baltimore, Md., in 1974, the musical unapologetically centered Black culture in its reenvisioning of The Wizard Of Oz and helped usher in…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: The Wiz Tiny Desk Concert
Black Excellence: Will Hammond Jr.
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/g-s1-8939/dont-think-heat-pumps-are-sexy-this-slow-jam-could-change-your-mind Don’t think heat pumps are sexy? This slow jam could change your mind
Black Excellence: Brooke Williams
https://www.brownstonecowboysmagazine.com/bsc-10/brooke-williams Who: Brooke Williams What: Activist/writer/founding member Resistance Revival Chorus and also Editor at Large for Brownstone Cowboy (!!) Where: @thisisauthentic We thought you’d also like to know that Brooke lives is Brooklyn, NY with her husband and daughter, was a National Organizer for the 2017 Women’s March, and…
Black Excellence: Rita Crockett
https://www.volleyhall.org/rita-crockett.html Considered as one of the best all-round volleyball players ever in the world, Rita Crockett has been a trailblazer in the sport of volleyball for parts of five decades and continues to be active in the sport today.
Black Excellence: Bernice Johnson Reagon
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/17/1213897036/bernice-johnson-reagon-sweet-honey-in-the-rock-obituary Bernice Johnson Reagon, a civil rights activist who co-founded The Freedom Singers and later started the African American vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, died Tuesday at the age of 81.
Black Excellence: Royal Ramey
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/18/nx-s1-5042174/wildfire-california-firefighters-prison-program “I didn’t really know, like, you know, what a wildland firefighter was. But once I got there, as time went on, I actually embraced it and I fell in love with it. It’s definitely a dangerous job, right? But that kind of thing kind of, you know, thrilled me,”…
Black Excellence: Eric Ian Farmer
https://vocallygrown.com/bio Born in State College, Pennsylvania and raised in North Carolina, Eric Ian Farmer has returned to his birthplace sharing his songs about relationships, social awareness, and finding one’s path in life while keeping alive classics by artists like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and Bob Marley. Eric learned how to…
Black Excellence: Peter Nyongesa
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/nx-s1-5039826/kenya-mangroves-hidden-beehives-combat-logging To protect mangroves, some Kenyans combat logging with hidden beehives
Black Excellence: Mayor Cavalier Johnson
https://city.milwaukee.gov/mayor/About Mayor Cavalier Johnson took office as Acting Mayor of the City of Milwaukee in late 2021 and set out immediately to build a safer city. He has prioritized violence reduction, economic development, and roadway safety. Before taking on his role as Acting Mayor, Johnson served as Common Council President…
Black Excellence: Mumu Fresh
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/11/627681339/mumu-fresh-feat-black-thought-dj-dummy-tiny-desk-concert Mumu Fresh sings that the teacher arrives when the student is ready. During a recent trip to the Tiny Desk, she came bearing life lessons from the depths of her soul.
Black Excellence: Bingwa Thomas
https://www.cnn.com/travel/man-buys-cheap-house-italy-life-expectancy/index.html He bought a cheap house in Italy to improve his life expectancy Most people buying cheap houses in Italy are simply attracted by the idea of paying a bargain price for the opportunity to escape to somewhere warmer that has better food. But what if it could also help…
Black Excellence: Shaboozey
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/10/nx-s1-5027961/pop-charts-shaboozey Shaboozey’s slow-burning hybrid of hip-hop and country is finally the biggest song in the land
Black Excellence: Helen Wonjila
https://www.nola.com/gambit/events/foot-juggler-helen-wonjila-in-vaudeville-revival-may-26/article_7b029778-122e-11ef-8288-3396c5d93f2f.html Foot juggling is an old Chinese and Russian circus trick. It’s not very common in the U.S. Ethiopian-born performer Helen Wonjila learned foot juggling in China, at a school outside of Beijing. She calls it the result of “a happy accident,” and in recent months she’s performed at NBA…
Black Excellence: Sarah Akinbuwa
https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2024/07/03/a-somerville-teen-crocheted-her-prom-dress-in-three-days-her-video-of-the-design-process-went-viral A Somerville teen crocheted her prom dress in three days. Her video of the design process went viral.
Black Excellence: b. Robert Moore
https://www.iowapublicradio.org/arts-life/2024-07-02/b-robert-moore-in-loving-memory-exhibition-des-moines-art-center For b. Robert Moore, art is personal — and political. The Des Moines-based artist does not shy away from sharing the scars of his past in his new exhibition “In Loving Memory,” on display at the Des Moines Art Center through Oct. 20.
Black Excellence: Tessie Prevost
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/09/nx-s1-5034337/tessie-prevost-new-orleans-school-desegregation-dies NEW ORLEANS — Tessie Prevost, a pioneer of school desegregation in the Deep South, has died. She was one of the first young Black girls who integrated New Orleans public schools after federal courts forced the system to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown vs. the Board…
Black Excellence: Zarinah Lomax
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/05/nx-s1-5030382/gun-deaths-violence-victims-memories-honoring-art Zarinah Lomax is an uncommon documentarian of our times. She has designed dresses from yellow crime-scene tape and styled jackets with hand-painted demands like “Don’t Shoot” in purple, black, and gold script. Every few months, she curates exhibits of dozens of portraits of Philadelphians — vibrant, bold, bigger-than-life faces…
Black Excellence: Crystal Wilkinson
https://www.crystalewilkinson.net/bio Crystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir, Perfect Black, a collection of poems, and three works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence , Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries.
Black Excellence: Jo and Joy Banner
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/09/nx-s1-4893179/louisiana-woodland-plantation-slave-revolt-black-ownership Louisiana plantation where historic slave revolt started now under Black ownership https://www.thedescendantsproject.org Banner and her twin sister Joy are co-founders of the Descendants Project, a non-profit in Louisiana’s heavily industrialized river parishes – just west of New Orleans. Early this year, the group bought the Woodland Plantation Home, putting…
Black Excellence: World 2 the Whyze
https://www.world2thewhyze.com/about World 2 the Whyze belivies that the world is filled with wisdom and we should be guided by our curiosity to make our way around it and explore Who we are MIssion To create experiences and resources that encourage travelers folks to explore their connection and commitment to the…
Black Excellence: Quincy Wilson
https://sports.yahoo.com/sweet-16-quincy-wilson-headed-to-paris-as-youngest-us-male-track-olympian-ever-125655830.html Sweet 16: Quincy Wilson headed to Paris as youngest U.S. male track Olympian ever Wilson will be a part of the U.S. 4×400 relay team.
Black Excellence: Simone Manuel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Manuel Simone Ashley Manuel (born August 2, 1996[1]) is an American professional swimmer specializing in freestyle events.
Black Excellence: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_McLaughlin-Levrone Sydney Michelle McLaughlin-Levrone (née McLaughlin; born August 7, 1999) is an American hurdler and sprinter who competes in the 400 meters hurdles.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Black Excellence: Noah Lyles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Lyles Noah Lyles OLY (born July 18, 1997) is an American professional track and field sprinter who primarily competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
Black Excellence: Cynthia Davis
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/for-cynthia-davis-promoting-diversity-and-health-go-hand-in-hand.html Cynthia Davis’s journey in community leadership began with a focus on health and wellness. It’s why she founded Fit and Focused Lifestyle and the non-profit organization Flags for Health and Wellness, Inc. Through both, Davis is trying to create a space to address the health and wellness needs of…
Black Excellence: Jonathan Todd
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/29/nx-s1-5022937/jonathan-todd-timid-graphic-novel In ‘Timid,’ there is bravery under the surface
Black Excellence: Jocelyn Bioh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelyn_Bioh Jocelyn Bioh is a Ghanaian-American writer, playwright and actor.
Black Excellence: Nicole Coakley
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/nicole-coakley-is-committed-to-guiding-youth-to-success.html Nicole Coakley is a leader and activist in the Springfield area who focuses on education and youth issues but has a wide-reaching area of interest and influence.
Black Excellence: Dr. Ayo Sekai
https://www.uwpbooks.com/about/meet-dr-ayo-sekai https://www.uwpbooks.com
Black Excellence: Rachel Ratchford
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/rachel-ratchford-works-to-expand-health-care-access.html Rachel Ratchford works to expand health care access
Black Excellence: Rosemary Woods
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/gallery-owner-rosemary-woods-believes-in-the-true-power-of-art.html Gallery owner Rosemary Woods believes in the true power of art
Black Excellence: Karen Mapp
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2024-06-27/right-wing-activists-are-targeting-black-scholars-and-the-scholars-are-pushing-back Karen Mapp — a nationally known scholar who has been with the Harvard Graduate School of Education for nearly 20 years — wonders when “they” will come for her, whether she’ll be next.
Black Excellence: Cindy Gaynor-Harper
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/cindy-gaynor-harper-is-the-first-in-her-family-to-own-her-own-business.html Cindy Gaynor-Harper is the first in her family to own her own business
Black Excellence: Ali Haqq
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/06/ali-haqq-helps-artists-in-springfield-pursue-and-achieve-their-dreams.html Ali Haqq helps artists in Springfield pursue and achieve their dreams
Black Excellence: Khoi Young
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoi_Young Khoi Alexander Young (born December 31, 2002) is an American artistic gymnast. He was a member of the bronze medal winning team at the 2023 World Championships.
Black Excellence: Avery Sharpe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Sharpe Avery Sharpe (born August 23, 1954) is an American jazz double-bassist, electric bassist, composer, educator and founder of the artist-owned record label, JKNM Records.
Black Excellence: Ruth Ellis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ellis_(activist) Ruth Charlotte Ellis (July 23, 1899 – October 5, 2000) was an African-American woman known for being an LGBT rights activist and the oldest surviving open lesbian at the age of 101. Her life is celebrated in Yvonne Welbon’s documentary film Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100.[1]
Black Excellence: Tierra Whack
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/07/g-s1-1873/tierra-whack-tiny-desk-concert Tierra Whack and her band she dubbed “The Big Backs” might go down as having one of the best Tiny Desks in history. Why? Whack manages to keep all of us on our toes, pulling endless tricks out of her bag. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra_Whack Tierra Helena Whack (born August 11, 1995)[4][5]…
Black Excellence: Jocelyn Frye
Jocelyn Frye is President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. Under her leadership, the organization is focused on advancing economic justice, affordable and equitable health care, civil rights, and reproductive freedom for women who face the steepest barriers – including women of color, women with the lowest incomes,…
Black Excellence: Myke Connolly
https://businesswest.com/blog/myke-connolly-excels-at-getting-the-message-across
Black Excellence: Essie Chambers
https://www.recorder.com/Greenfield-native-to-debut-novel-Swift-River-appear-on-Today-Show-55546420 Greenfield native to debut novel ‘Swift River,’ appear on Today Show https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/essie-chambers-swift-river-novel A New Novel Explores How to Develop Black Identity in the Absence of Black Culture In Essie Chambers’s debut novel, Swift River, protagonist Diamond Newberry finds ways to fill the gaps in her family tree.
Black Excellence: Adrianne Todman
https://www.hud.gov/about/leadership/acting_secretary_Todman Adrianne Todman is Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She was previously confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Deputy Secretary of HUD in June, 2021.
Black Excellence: Joy Buolamwini
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Buolamwini Joy Adowaa Buolamwini is a Canadian-American computer scientist and digital activist formerly based at the MIT Media Lab.[2] She founded the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL), an organization that works to challenge bias in decision-making software, using art, advocacy, and research to highlight the social implications and harms of artificial…
Black Excellence: The Center for Black Health
https://www.centerforblackhealth.org The Center for Black Health & Equity envisions a world where all people of African descent are able to obtain optimal health outcomes. Our mission is to facilitate public health programs and services to benefit communities and people of African descent. The Center for Black Health & Equity (The…
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Black Excellence: Chequena Morris-Hall
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-chequena-morris-hall Elite Formation Studio of Dance goes beyond simply teaching dance. It contributes to a diverse community of dancers by fostering creativity, and promoting diversity. When my daughter started dancing, she did not see alot of dancers that looked like her. She begin to feel out of place and it…
Black Excellence: Lakecia Benjamin
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/05/g-s1-1872/lakecia-benjamin-tiny-desk-concert Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin burst into her Tiny Desk Concert like a meteor breaching the atmosphere. Benjamin approaches her music and performances with a take-no-prisoners attitude.
Black Excellence: Chef Dieuveil Malonga
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/03/1247880581/chef-rwanda-africa-cuisine-food This chef in Rwanda wants to create a revolution in African cuisine KIGALI, Rwanda — Chef Dieuveil Malonga gives off something of a Willy Wonka vibe. His infectious smile feels impish, mischievous.
Black Excellence: Omar Sy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Sy Omar Sy (French pronunciation: [ɔmaʁ si], Fula: 𞤌𞤥𞤢𞤪 𞤅𞤭, romanized: Omar Si; born 20 January 1978) is a French actor, best known in France for his sketches with Fred Testot on the Service après-vente des émissions television show on Canal+ (2005–2012). He gained wider recognition for his role in the…
Black Excellence: Baloji
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baloji_(rapper) Baloji (born 12 September 1978) is a Belgian rapper, singer and film director of Congolese origin. Known as MC Balo in the hip hop group Starflam, he continued as solo artist starting 2006. The name Baloji in Swahili translates to “man of science”.[1] His film Omen was selected as…
Black Excellence: Samual R. Delany
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_R._Delany Samuel R. “Chip” Delany (/dəˈleɪni/, də-LAY-nee; born April 1, 1942) is an American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society.
Black Excellence: Adrian Dantley
“Probably do it till I go under” – Adrian Dantley on his newfound passion as a pedestrian crossing guard in Utah For Dantley, there’s nothing more fulfilling than being a crossing guard in Utah.
Black Excellence: Morgan Guerin
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/09/1250032117/jazz-night-in-america-morgan-guerin There are multi-instrumentalists and then there’s Morgan Guerin
Black Excellence: Ayra Starr, Tems, and Tyla
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/31/g-s1-2221/ayra-starr-tems-tyla-women-african-pop As African pop crests again, women are leading the second wave New albums by Ayra Starr, Tems and Tyla mark a turning point for the continent’s global voice
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Black Excellence: Dr. Eno Mondesir
https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-sun/2020/09/09/randolph-haitian-american-to-lead-brockton-health-board/42953377 Dr. Eno Mondesir is the Health Director for the City of Brockton, MA.
Black Excellence: Michel Martin
https://19thnews.org/2023/04/the-voices-of-npr Martin, 63, first joined NPR in 2006 to launch “Tell Me More,” an interview-focused show that aired on NPR member stations nationwide from 2007 to 2014. She then became host of “Weekend All Things Considered,” a position she held until joining “Morning Edition” as one of the hosts in…
Black Excellence: Ernest Fredric Morrison (Sunshine Sammy Morrison)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine_Sammy_Morrison Ernest Fredric Morrison (December 20, 1912 – July 24, 1989) was an American child actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and dancer who also performed under the stage-name Sunshine Sammy Morrison.
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