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.
Black Excellence: Belle da Costa Greene
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 time for the Morgan’s 100th anniversary. It traces Greene’s life and her lasting influence as the library’s first director.
It was an unusually prominent role for a woman at the time — a Black woman who chose to pass as white to survive in a highly segregated America.
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, and grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.[1]: 128 After attending public schools[1] and self-educating,[3] he worked as a teacher and in the postal service.[1]: 128 .[3] While living in Pine Bluff, Gurley married Emma Wells, on November 6, 1889. They had no children. In 1893, he came to Oklahoma Territory to participate in the Land Run of 1893, staking a claim in what would be known as Perry, Oklahoma.[3] The young entrepreneur had just resigned from an appointment under president Grover Cleveland in order to strike out on his own.”[4] In Perry he rose quickly, running unsuccessfully for treasurer of Noble County at first, but later becoming principal at the town’s school and eventually starting and operating a general store for 10 years.[3]
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 of the 20th century, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, A. Philip Randolph, and Martin Luther King Jr. She also mentored many emerging activists, such as Diane Nash, Stokely Carmichael, and Bob Moses, as leaders in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).[1][2]
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 vehicles and a safety braking system for trucks and buses.
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 film, the documentary Dahomey. As an actress, she is known for the drama film 35 Shots of Rum (2008).
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 the event.