Black Excellence: Jakayla Armstrong

https://www.wkrg.com/news/i-made-history-meet-the-first-african-american-female-eagle-scout-in-alabama

‘I made history’: Meet the First African-American female Eagle Scout in Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — In tonight’s What’s Working, a huge honor for a Murphy High School senior. Jakayla Armstrong of Troop 283 at Liberty Missionary Baptist Church has become the first African American female in the Mobile Area Council to achieve the Eagle Scout rank. This is the highest rank you can earn in the Boy Scouts of America. She is also the first African American female in the state of Alabama to achieve this honor.

Girls were allowed into the Boy Scouts back in 2019. Armstrong said she chuckled when Scoutmaster, and fellow choir member, Fred Young, suggested she join.

Black Excellence: Gale Livingstone, John Boyd Jr.

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5258105/black-farmers-among-those-left-in-limbo-amid-federal-funding-freeze

Black farmers among those left in limbo amid federal funding freeze

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – On a recent snowy afternoon, Gale Livingstone, a first generation farmer, is working in the propagation greenhouse at Deep Roots Farm, which she owns and operates. Four volunteers are putting collard greens, bok choy, kale and scallion seeds in seed starting trays — just a few of the vegetables Livingstone is growing this spring.

“It’s a pretty tedious, lengthy process,” she says.

Trained as an accountant, Livingstone turned to farming about 15 years ago to grow her own food. She started with five-gallon buckets, pierced holes at the bottom and filled them with soil and seeds.

Black Excellence: Ray Billingsley

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/27/1082938670/cartoonist-ray-billingsley-profile

For decades, cartoonist Ray Billingsley has depicted Black family life in ‘Curtis’

Ray Billingsley’s story is one of great tenacity and passion. A veteran cartoonist and comic artist, Billingsley is best known as the creator of the strip Curtis.

Debuting in 1988, Curtis was one of the first nationally syndicated comic strips to feature a mostly Black cast. Today, the strip is widely read in print and digital platforms. However, as a young Black cartoonist, Billingsley struggled to get the chance to portray his people through his work.

Black Excellence: Danielle Green

https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/Bouncing-Back-Stronger-Woman-Warrior-and-Purple-Heart-Recipient-Overcomes-Adversity-to-Live-with-Purpose

From the Streets of Chicago to the Notre Dame Basketball Court to a Battleground in Iraq, Danielle Green’s Story is One of Determination and Inspiration

LeBron James was there. Peyton Manning was, too. So were Derek Jeter, Stephen Curry, and the reigning World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. But the real hero at the 2015 ESPYs was Army veteran and wounded warrior Danielle Green.

Black Excellence: Charles Burnett

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Burnett_(director)

Charles Burnett (/bɜːrˈnɛt/; born April 13, 1944) is an American film director, film producer, writer, editor, actor, photographer, and cinematographer. His most popular films include Killer of Sheep (1978), My Brother’s Wedding (1983), To Sleep with Anger (1990), The Glass Shield (1994), and Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation (2007). He has been involved in other types of motion pictures including shorts, documentaries, and a TV series.

Black Excellence: Bartees Strange

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartees_Strange

Bartees Strange, is an English-born American musician. Strange was born in Ipswich, England,[1] raised in Mustang, Oklahoma, and is now based in Washington D.C.[3]

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/g-s1-45838/bartees-strange-tiny-desk-concert

Density is built into the music of Bartees Strange — he packs his tracks with lyrical insight and sonic gestures that, upon closer listen, reveal interwoven layers of story and sound. But the dude’s also an incredibly thoughtful and powerful live performer. At the Tiny Desk, he’s got the range, with crunching rock riffs, spitting bars and bringing us to the brink of tears.

Black Excellence: Ralph W. Adams, Jr.

https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Figures/Historical-Figures-View/Article/1620636/ralph-w-adams-jr

Ralph W. Adams, Jr., a graduate of the University of Nebraska, served in the Army Security Agency in Vietnam as a linguist in 1961, and came to NSA in 1965. Widely recognized for his near-native language skills, he served multiple tours in Vietnam as a language analyst for NSA. Mr. Adams served in Vietnam also as a senior language advisor to both the U.S. Army and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). He was one of the final NSA’ers to escape before the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Black Excellence: Chidozie Ibeabuchi

https://www.mlssoccer.com/playerengagement/bios/chidozie-ibeabuchi

Chidozie Ibeabuchi leads a team responsible for providing holistic player care resources, creating career pathways, and spearheading player commercial efforts to advance the league. For over a decade, Chidozie has worked with professional athletes across various sectors of the sports industry for several major sports leagues including the NBA’s New York Knicks, the NHL’s New York Rangers, and the NFL’s league office.