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: Jerrelle Guy
https://www.chocolateforbasil.com/aboutus Jerrelle is an award-winning author and celebrated food photographer with a passion for cooking, baking and storytelling. She received her Bachelors from the Rhode Island School of Design and her Master’s in Gastronomy from Boston University. She merges her backgrounds to create work that explores the intersection of food,…
Black Excellence: Whitney Roberts
https://cheesegrotto.com/blogs/journal/this-giving-tuesday-10-of-our-sales-go-to-cheese-culture-coalition?srsltid=AfmBOoptu95ZjC0SoED2mzpxbZtKltfEOydiC82mzNE3yOdjYKuuSeBv Founder Whitney Roberts has spent years working in the cheese industry as a monger, maker, and educator. For years she’d seen the lack of diversity and wondered how she could make cheese more accessible to BIPOC individuals. In the summer of 2020, she founded the Cheese Culture Coalition with…
Black Excellence: Kyra James
https://www.ownyourfunk.com/about Kyra (KEER-ah) James is a Professional Food Educator, Certified Cheese Professional (C.C.P.) and innovator in the American artisan food industry with 12+ years experience introducing consumers to the world of artisan cheese and specialty goods! Her passion, or borderline obsession, for non stop food learnings began out of necessity…
Black Excellence: Leap of Dance Academy
https://leapofdanceacademyng.com/#about Daniel Ajala started dancing while in University where his passion for dance grew as he started to research and self train. After graduating university Ajala stayed in his home town to pursue teaching the local kids in his area regardless of cultural expectations to pursue a traditional career. “Dance…
Black Excellence: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Jefferson-Wooden Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (née Jefferson; born February 21, 2001) is an American track and field sprinter. She won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 100 metres.[2]
Black Excellence: Christian Euman
https://christianeuman.bandcamp.com/album/allemong In the fall of 2014, Christian Euman left his hometown of Chicago and dove headfirst into an unknown future in Los Angeles. He was one of seven musicians selected to study at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, which involved a grueling combination of graduate courses and global…
Black Excellence: Dads on Duty, Shreveport LA
These Fathers Formed “Dads on Duty” to Prevent Violence at a Local High School On Thursday, September 16, 2021, just weeks into the school year, two groups of boys brawled across the courtyard at Southwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. The following day, two groups of girls picked up where…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Dads on Duty, Shreveport LA
Black Excellence: Elyse Venerable
https://news.ucsc.edu/2025/06/horse-teeth-hold-historical-clues-about-military-power-and-trade-in-western-africa/
Black Excellence: Brandee Younger
https://brandeeyounger.com Among the most celebrated jazz artists to emerge in the 21st century, Brandee Younger is a harpist, composer and bandleader whose music connects spiritual jazz and classical training to the rhythmic soulfulness of R&B and hip-hop. She grew up on Long Island, where she sang gospel, studied the harp…
Black Excellence: Virgil Abloh
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/25/nx-s1-5309670/make-it-ours-virgil-abloh-robin-givan-louis-vuitton From streetwear to luxury fashion: How Virgil Abloh reshaped an industry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Abloh Virgil Abloh (/ˈæbloʊ/; September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. A trained architect, Abloh founded his own line of luxury streetwear clothing under the moniker Pyrex Vision in 2012, which…
Black Excellence: Masego
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masego_(musician) Micah Davis (born June 8, 1993), known professionally as Masego (/məˈseɪɡoʊ/ mə-SAY-goh), is a Jamaican-American musician and singer, known for incorporating the saxophone into his music. Masego released two EPs in 2016, The Pink Polo EP with Medasin, and Loose Thoughts. He gained widespread attention with his collaborative record…
Black Excellence: Alex Isley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Isley Alexandra Isley (born April 16, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and producer. She released her debut EP The Love/Art Memoirs in 2012. Isley has worked with artists including Scarface, Terrace Martin, Masego, 9th Wonder, Rapsody, Tank and the Bangas, and Lucky Daye. Isley has been nominated for two Grammy…
Black Excellence: Steve Ray Ladson
https://www.steverayladson.net/bio Steve Ray is an artist, actor, vocalist, music producer, songwriter, arranger, and musician. His musical talents include banjo, Dobro, piano, Hammond organ, lead guitar, bass guitar, accordion, spoons, and the harmonica. He has written, produced, and is currently traveling the world with 6-time Grammy Award winners and Grammy Lifetime…
Black Excellence: Bobby Carter
https://www.npr.org/people/302983377/bobby-carter Bobby Carter is the host and series producer for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. In 2014, Carter produced his first Tiny Desk concert. Since then, his work has been at the intersection of music, technology, and engagement. He turned a modest Tiny Desk celebration of Black History Month in 2021…
Black Excellence: Titus Kaphar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Kaphar Titus Kaphar is an American contemporary painter and filmmaker whose work reconfigures and regenerates art history to include African-American subjects. His paintings are held in the collections of Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, New Britain Museum of American Art, Seattle Art Museum, Mississippi Museum…
Black Excellence: Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation
https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2025/06/19/nx-s1-5439338/a-former-plantation-becomes-a-space-for-healing-art-and-reparative-history NPR’s Picture Show spoke with Tyler Jones who is part of a narrative studio based in Birmingham called 1504. They have been collaborating with the Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation to recenter the stories of Black descendant communities through creative, embodied storytelling.
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation
Black Excellence: Chi Ossé
https://council.nyc.gov/district-36 Chi Ossé is the Council Member for New York City’s 36th District, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights. He entered politics as an organizer and prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter movement. At 23 years old, Ossé was elected in 2021 as the youngest member of this Council…
Black Excellence: Lynn Hamilton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Hamilton_(actress) Alzenia Lynn Hamilton (April 25, 1930 – June 19, 2025)[1] was an American actress. She was best known for her recurring roles as Donna Harris, Fred Sanford’s girlfriend and later fiancée on the sitcom Sanford and Son (1972–1977) and Verdie Grant Foster on The Waltons (1973–1981). She also portrayed…
Black Excellence: Otis Davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Davis Otis Crandall Davis (July 12, 1932 – September 14, 2024) was an American athlete, winner of two gold medals for record-breaking performances in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He set a new world record of 44.9 seconds in the 400 m and became the first person…
Black Excellence: Marcus Amaker
https://marcusamaker.com/bio/ https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/06/17/poet-laureate-charleston-church-shooting Ten years after a white supremacist killed nine parishioners of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the community is still coping with the loss and navigating the impact of the racial attack. Marcus Amaker, the first poet laureate of Charleston, South Carolina, said many…
Black Excellence: Tia Fuller
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tia_Fuller Tia Fuller (born March 27, 1976) is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator, and a member of the all-female band touring with Beyoncé. Fuller is currently a faculty member in the ensembles department at Berklee College of Music.[1] Fuller was a Featured Jazz Musician in Pixar’s animated film Soul.…
Black Excellence: Abbey Lincoln
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010),[1] known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist and songwriter. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s.[2][3] Lincoln made a career out of delivering deeply felt presentations of standards, as well as writing and…
Black Excellence: Lil Hardin Armstrong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Hardin_Armstrong Lillian Hardin Armstrong (née Hardin; February 3, 1898 – August 27, 1971) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer, and bandleader. She was the second wife of Louis Armstrong, with whom she collaborated on many recordings in the 1920s.[1] Her compositions include “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue”, “Don’t Jive…
Black Excellence: Mary Lou Williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lou_Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981[1]) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and LP versions).[2] Williams wrote and arranged for Duke Ellington…
Black Excellence: Jeremiah Collier
https://vicfirth.com/blogs/artist/jeremiah-collier-vf?srsltid=AfmBOor03UBhozVq93KtewbyoeWjLMAE2_S2xBSZ6LjNJTOAj5WZx0xQ I started playing drums in the church at an early age. That’s the place where I molded my passion for the drums and I eventually started playing gigs professionally. Later on I started developing a desire to play other genres of music besides Gospel, RnB and Funk. Playing with…
Black Excellence: Evan Garr
https://www.aldimeola.com/news American Jazz Violinist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGJJtKfaNSk
Black Excellence: Stanley Clarke
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/17/g-s1-70053/stanley-clarke-tiny-desk-concert Clarke’s storied career has been awash with showcases in his virtuosity on the acoustic and electric basses. He’s worked with fellow music titans like Chick Corea, George Duke, Jean Luc Ponty and Al Di Meola, and has scored for film and television. From 1974–1976, Clarke dropped a series of…
Black Excellence: Isabella Whittaker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Whittaker Isabella Whittaker (born February 15, 2002) is an American sprinter. She is the North American indoor record holder for the 400 m dash with a time of 49.24 seconds, set on March 15, 2025, in Virginia Beach.[1]
Black Excellence: Saul Nash
https://saulnash.com/pages/about Raised in North East London, Saul Nash is a designer who established his eponymous brand in 2018. At the core of the brand is Nash’s desire to create technical garments for movement; his body of work oscillates between the world of fashion and dance.
Black Excellence: Nicholas Daley
https://nicholasdaley.net/pages/about Community, craftsmanship and culture lie at the heart of Nicholas Daley’s work. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2013, the London-based designer launched his eponymous brand in 2015. Embedded in his lineage, his practise intertwines personal narrative with wider black British and diasporic themes, incorporating tradition, authenticity, and…
Black Excellence: Samuel Boakye
https://www.essence.com/fashion/designer-spotlight-kwasi-paul-samuel-boakye Samuel Boakye finds purpose in synthesizing the creativity of diasporic culture. It’s how he makes sense of the world. His early musical influences, Teddy Pendergrass and Fela Kuti, and his father’s affinity for the global Black musical tradition shaped Boakye’s appreciation for the diaspora’s expansive art styles.
Black Excellence: Tanda Francis
https://www.tandafrancis.com/statment-new Tanda Francis is a Brooklyn based artist with a primary focus of creating public art including monumental African heads. Her work addresses diasporic African people who are too often underrepresented in public art. She sees the rituals and customs rooted in a spiritual and ancestral past as a significant…
Black Excellence: Sly Stone
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/09/1209525990/sly-stone-obituary Sly Stone, the remarkable, eccentric frontman, singer, songwriter and producer of his family group, Sly & the Family Stone, died in Los Angeles on Monday, June 9. The musical icon had been battling lung disease, according to a statement provided by his family. He was 82.
Black Excellence: Lonnie Bunch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Bunch Lonnie Griffith Bunch III (born November 18, 1952) is an American educator and historian. Bunch is the fourteenth secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the first African American and first historian to serve as head of the Smithsonian. He has spent most of his career as a history museum curator…
Black Excellence: Tunde Adebimpe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunde_Adebimpe Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe (pronunciationⓘ; born February 25, 1975) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known as a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio, with whom he has recorded five studio albums. In April 2025, Adebimpe released his…
Black Excellence: J. Yolande Daniels
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Yolande_Daniels J. Yolande Daniels (born 1962) is an American architect, designer and educator. She is a founding principal of studioSUMO, an architecture firm that speaks to socio-cultural landscapes through design.[2] Daniels came to find her voice as a black woman, the figure she often found “objectified or negated in the…
Black Excellence: Ernesta G. Procope
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesta_G._Procope Ernesta Gertrude Procope (née Forster) (2 September 1923 – 30 November 2021) was an American investment banker and insurance executive who was the head of the largest insurance agency run by a Black woman.[1] Ernesta Gertrude Forster was born on Feb. 9, 1923, in Brooklyn and was raised in…
Black Excellence: Big Mama Thornton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mama_Thornton Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984),[1] was an American singer and songwriter of blues and R&B. The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul described Thornton by saying: “Her booming voice, sometimes 200-pound frame, and exuberant stage manner had audiences stomping their feet and…
Black Excellence: Chef Kwasi Kwaa
https://www.wcvb.com/article/these-new-england-chefs-are-semifinalists-for-a-james-beard-award/63703946 On a trip to Comfort Kitchen, your palate is your passport. Partners Biplaw Rai and Kwasi Kwaa say the restaurant’s global food concept extends beyond the plates. Their goal is to not only tantalate taste buds, but also track the history behind their ingredients and celebrate spices and culture…
Black Excellence: Ngugi wa Thiong’o
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/29/nx-s1-5415596/ngugi-wa-thiongo-kenyan-writer-dead Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the Kenyan writer and novelist who critiqued colonial rule as well as the post-colonial Kenyan government, died Wednesday in a hospital in Buford, Georgia. He was 87 years old.
Black Excellence: Gloria Gaynor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Gaynor Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943),[1][2][3] known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits “I Will Survive” (1978), “Let Me Know (I Have a Right)” (1979), “I Am What I Am” (1983), and her version of “Never Can Say Goodbye” (1974).[4][5]
Black Excellence: Archie Alexander
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Alexander Archibald Alphonso Alexander (May 14, 1888 – January 4, 1958) was an American architect and engineer. He was an early African-American graduate of the University of Iowa and the first to graduate from the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. He was also a governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Black Excellence: KanKouran West African Dance Company
https://www.jacobspillow.org/events/kankouran-west-african-dance-company-2025/ KanKouran, a beloved pillar of West African dance in Washington, D.C., returns to Jacob’s Pillow this summer after a thrilling Festival 2024 performance. Founded by Artistic Director Assane Konte and the late Abdou Kounta, the company brings together artists from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean to preserve…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: KanKouran West African Dance Company
Black Excellence: Robert O’Hara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_O%27Hara Robert O’Hara (born c. 1970)[1] is an American playwright and director. He has written Insurrection: Holding History and Bootycandy.[2] Insurrection is a time traveling play exploring racial and sexual identity.[3] Bootycandy is a series of comedic scenes primarily following the character of Sutter, a gay African American man growing…
Black Excellence: Omari Wiles
https://pacnyc.org/bio/omari-wiles-2 Ousmane “Omari” Wiles is an African American West African and Vogue dancer. Wiles is best known as, legendary Omari NiNa Oricci, founder of The House of Nina Oricci [est. Oct. 2019] and Creative Director of Les Ballet Afrik dance company.
Marie Basse-Wiles
https://maimounakeita.com/about-2/ Marie Basse-Wiles was born in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. The Granddaughter of Bambara singer and dancer Maimouna Keita, Marie began her professional career at the age of 9. She began teaching at the age of twelve as a member of the Ballet National of Senegal. Her professional accomplishments include…
Black Excellence: Talise A. Campbell and Weedie Braimah
https://www.djapo.com/artisticdirectors Executive Artistic Director Talise A. Campbell Talise A. Campbell is a dancer, choreographer, director and educator who strives to connect audiences to the beauty of diasporic music, history, art and folklore. Campbell creates multi-disciplinary and socially engaging dance for theater, screen, stage and the public space. Her work is…
Continue Reading Black Excellence: Talise A. Campbell and Weedie Braimah
Black Excellence: Charles Rangel
https://gothamist.com/news/charlie-rangel Charles Rangel, a longtime member of Congress from Harlem and founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, died Monday at age 94. Rangel, born in Harlem in 1930 and known as the “Lion of Lenox Avenue,” was first elected to Congress in 1971, defeating Rev. Adam Clayton Powell for…
Black Excellence: William Hunter Dammond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hunter_Dammond William Hunter Dammond (October 26, 1873 – December 8, 1956) was an American civil engineer. He studied civil engineering at the Western University of Pennsylvania and, in 1893, was the first African American to graduate from that institution. As a black man Dammond found it difficult to secure employment…
Black Excellence: Hattie Peterson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattie_Scott_Peterson Hattie T. Scott Peterson (1913–1993)[1] is believed to be the first African-American woman to gain a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.[2][3] In 1947, Peterson began working as a survey and cartographic engineer for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).[4] Peterson joined the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in…
Black Excellence: Ralph Brock
https://www.dougoster.com/doug-oster/ralph-brock-was-pennsylvanias-first-african-american-forester It was a box of letters discovered in 1966, which reintroduced the world to Ralph Elwood Brock, the first African-American forester in the United States. They date back to the early 1900s. Since then, the stack of letters, ledgers, and notes from Brock had been stored away at the…
Black Excellence: Toluse Olorunnipa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toluse_Olorunnipa Toluse “Tolu” Olorunnipa (Toe-Loo Oh-lo-roon-NEE-pa) is a Nigerian-American journalist and political commentator. He is the first reporter of native African and Nigerian descent to cover the White House.[1] Of Yoruba heritage, Olorunnipa was named the White House Bureau Chief for The Washington Post in July 2022.[2
Black Excellence: Gwynne Wilcox
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Wilcox Gwynne A. Wilcox is an American attorney who has served on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Career Wilcox is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.[citation needed] She is also a member of the Labor and Employment Law sections of both the American Bar Association…
Black Excellence: Melody Mobley
https://mountainjournal.org/first-black-woman-forester-shares-concerns-about-working-for-us-forest-service Melody Mobley, the first African-American woman forester in the storied land management agency, offers suggestions following a career punctuated by adversity
Black Excellence: Annette Addo-Yobo
https://360westmagazine.com/annette-addo-yobo-miss-texas/
Black Excellence: Traveling Black
https://traveling.black/about-us/ The TB Squad strives to bring you good content that will not only inspire you to gallivant the globe, but also encourage you to teach someone else the things you learn. We have writers, photographers, videographers, storytellers, travel hackers, hotel hustlers and luxury experts. We all work as a…
Black Excellence: Lovie Simone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovie_Simone Lovie Simone Oppong (born November 29, 1998)[1][2] is an American actress, best known for her role as Zora Greenleaf in drama series Greenleaf (2016–2020), and Keisha Clark in the critically acclaimed Netflix teen drama series Forever (2025).
Black Excellence: John Ewing Jr.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ewing_Jr. John Ewing Jr. (born April 18, 1961)[1] is an American politician, minister, former police officer, and the mayor-elect of Omaha, Nebraska. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in 2025, defeating incumbent mayor Jean Stothert. Previously, Ewing served as Omaha deputy police chief and had been…
Black Excellence: Butcher Brown
https://butcherbrown.com/#bio Butcher Brown’s limitless musical range shows no boundaries by genre and time. The Virginia-bred collective announces their new album Letters From The Atlantic will release on March 28 via Concord Jazz, offering a seamless blend of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, soul, bossa nova and more. The new record moves…
Black Excellence: Anthony Lee
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/11/nx-s1-5381156/trump-federal-workers-labor-union-collective-bargaining Lee is president of NTEU Chapter 282, the union representing close to 9,000 FDA employees.
Black Excellence: Cyril Ramaphosa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician serving as the 5th and current President of South Africa since 2018. A former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader, Ramaphosa is also the president (leader) of the African National Congress (ANC).
Black Excellence: Sampha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampha Sampha Lahai Sisay (born 16 November 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London.[1] Sampha has collaborated with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, Travis Scott, Kanye West, Solange and others.[2] Sampha has released two solo EPs: Sundanza…
Black Excellence: Linwood Riddick
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/10/nx-s1-5394509/college-grad-sc-state-orangeburg-massacre Linwood Riddick went to Vietnam to serve in the military, at an age when many people choose to go to college. Instead, he pursued his college diploma when many are busy enjoying retirement. On Friday, Riddick graduated from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., two days before his…
Black Excellence: Geoffrey Chanda
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/04/29/g-s1-63165/trump-100-days-hiv-positive-truck-drivers-sex-workers On a morning in early April, Geoffrey Chanda’s phone was going off almost constantly. Truck drivers were calling him. “They are crying: ‘We’ve got no [HIV] medicine. Where do you get [it] from?’ ” says Chanda, 54. For 15 years, Chanda has been meeting truckers in dusty parking lots…
Black Excellence: Rhoda Ray Jones
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2021/05/25/rhoda-ray-jones-gets-marker-springfields-hazelwood-cemetery-civil-rights-nathaniel-lyon-missouri/5187772001 More than a century after her death, an emancipated Black woman finally received a headstone. Rhoda Ray Jones was buried in an unmarked grave at Hazelwood Cemetery. Nearly 100 people visited the cemetery Sunday not just to see the unveiling of the marker for her, but to also recognize…
Black Excellence: Nyla Dinkins
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5380993/national-poetry-out-loud-high-school-students Four teens on why they like poetry District of Columbia: Nyla DinkinsAge: 16Benjamin Banneker Academic High SchoolWashington, D.C.Favorite poem to recite: Learning to Read by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper “Although it is a competition, there’s definitely community,” said Dinkins, who was a finalist in 2024. “I remember some of…
Black Excellence: The Kingdom of Kaabu
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/04/27/g-s1-61299/griots-legendary-africa-archaeology The kingdom of Kaabu held power from the 1500s through the 1800s and included modern-day Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The story of Kaabu’s royalty and reign has been told for generations through the songs of griots. In fact, much of what’s known about the kingdom and its capital city Kansala…
Black Excellence: Josephine Baker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker Freda Josephine Baker (née McDonald; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 French…
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…