Lists of African Americans
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This is a list of African Americans, also known as Black Americans (for the outdated and unscientific racial term) or Afro-Americans. African Americans are an ethnic group consisting of citizens of the United States mainly descended from various West African and Central African peoples with possible minor additional ancestry from Europe or indigenous Americans and other regions of Africa. As an ethnic group, African Americans are largely the modern-day descendants of West Africans and Central Africans brought to the US from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade who developed a new and distinct cultural identity during their time in the Americas.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and references showing the person is African-American.
Activists[edit]
- List of African American activists
- List of African-American pioneers in desegregation of higher education
- List of African American suffragists
- List of African-American abolitionists
Artists[edit]
Businesspeople and entrepreneurs[edit]
Sports executives and businesspeople[edit]
- Katrina Adams, current president of the United States Tennis Association
- Koby Altman, current General manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers[1]
- Anucha Browne Sanders, former executive of the New York Knicks
- Pinball Clemons, current vice-chairman for the Toronto Argonauts
- Dell Demps, current vice president and general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans
- Joe Dumars, former President of Basketball Operations of the Detroit Pistons
- Wayne Embry, first African-American General manager and team president in NBA history, 2x NBA Executive of the Year[2]
- Rube Foster, former executive of the Chicago American Giants
- Rod Higgins, former president of Basketball Operations for the Charlotte Bobcats
- Billy Hunter, former executive director of the National Basketball Players Association
- Al Haymon, manager and adviser to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- Michael Huyghue, former Commissioner of the United Football League
- Stu Jackson, former executive vice president of the National Basketball Association, current associate Commissioner of the Big East Conference
- Magic Johnson, current president of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, owner of the Los Angeles Sparks, and co-owner of the Los Angeles Football Club[3][4]
- Michael Jordan, current principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets[5]
- Billy King, former general manager of the Brooklyn Nets
- Don King, former boxing promoter
- Billy Knight, former general manager and executive vice president of the Atlanta Hawks
- Billy McKinney, former vice president of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons, Executive vice president for both Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Storm
- Steve Mills, current executive of the New York Knicks
- Ozzie Newsome, current general manager of the Baltimore Ravens
- Jerry Reese, former general manager of the New York Giants
Businesspeople[edit]
- Alton Abraham, former social entrepreneur and business manager for Sun Ra
- Wally Amos, founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand
- Donna Auguste, former founder of Freshwater Software
- Leonard C. Bailey, business owner and inventor
- Tyra Banks, television personality, former model
- LaVar Ball, owner of the Big Baller Brand sports apparel
- Christiana Carteaux Bannister, hairdressing business
- ASAP Bari, co-founder of ASAP Mob and VLONE Clothing
- Andre Barnett, founder of the Information Technology Company WiseDome INC
- Beyoncé, co-founder of Tidal
- Sarah Bickford, former owner of Virginia City Water Company
- Dave Bing, owner of Bing Steel
- Chris Brown, founder of the record label CBE
- Herman Cain, business executive
- Kenton Clarke, CEO, Computer Consulting Associates International Inc.
- Demmette Guidry, music industry executive
- Griffin Sisters, vaudeville performers and entrepreneurs
- Kerry S. Harris, entrepreneur
- Robert L. Johnson, co-founder of BET and RLJ Companies
- Lisa S. Jones, founder and CEO of EyeMail Inc.
- Walter P. Lomax Jr., founder of Lomax Health Systems
- Mary Ellen Pleasant, real estate magnate
- Henry A. Tandy, founder Tandy&Burns stone masonry and construction firm
- Vertner Woodson Tandy, first African American architect State of New York and founder of Kappa Phi Alpha fraternity
- Madam C. J. Walker, businessperson, hair care entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist
- Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis, owner of the Gertrude Geddes Willis Life Insurance Company and Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home
Cinematographers[edit]
B[edit]
- Charles Burnett, cinematographer, director
D[edit]
- Ernest Dickerson, cinematographer
H[edit]
- James E. Hinton, cinematographer
J[edit]
- Arthur Jafa, cinematographer
K[edit]
- Kira Kelly, cinematographer
M[edit]
- Jessie Maple, cinematographer
- Janks Morton, cinematographer
S[edit]
- Malik Hassan Sayeed, cinematographer
Y[edit]
- Bradford Young, cinematographer
Entertainers[edit]
- List of African-American actors
- List of African-American ballerinas
- List of African-American women in classical music
- List of African-American singers
Fashion[edit]
Beauty queens and fashion models[edit]
- Kimberly Clarice Aiken, Miss America 1994
- J. Alexander, fashion model
- Karen Alexander, fashion model
- K. D. Aubert, fashion model
- Tyra Banks, fashion model[6]
- Deshauna Barber, Miss USA 2016
- Blac Chyna, model
- Dorothea Church, fashion model
- Pat Cleveland, model
- Lynnette Cole, Miss USA 2000
- Yaya DaCosta, fashion model
- Bruce Darnell, male model
- Jordan Emanuel, Miss Black America New York 2018
- Jaimee Foxworth, actress, model and singer
- Tomiko Fraser, fashion model
- Kaliegh Garris, model
- Lakita Garth, Miss Black California 1995
- Carole Gist, Miss USA 1990
- Quiana Grant, model
- Ethel Ernestine Harper, African American educator and performer
- Tanisha Harper, model
- Shauntay Hinton, Miss USA 2002
- Chanel Iman (African-American father), fashion model[7]
- Beverly Johnson, model
- Jari Jones, model and trans activist
- Toccara Jones, model
- Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019[8]
- Donyale Luna, model and actress
- Eva Marcille, fashion model
- Kara McCullough, Miss USA 2017[9]
- Demetria McKinney, actress and model
- Nana Meriwether (African-American father), Miss USA 2012
- Draya Michele, model
- Kenya Moore, Miss USA 1993
- Fionnghuala O'Reilly, Irish American model
- Sofia Richie (African-American father), fashion model[10]
- Jasmine Sanders, model
- Neferteri Shepherd, model
- Kimora Lee Simmons (half Korean, half African American)
- Naomi Sims, model and businesswoman
- Chelsi Smith (African-American father), Miss USA 1995 and Miss Universe 1995
- Darine Stern, first African-American to be on the cover of Playboy magazine
- Renee Tenison, first African-American to be selected Playboy Playmate of the year
- Eugena Washington, model
- Veronica Webb, model
Fashion designers[edit]
- Virgil Abloh
- Karl Davis
- Kanye West
- Rasheeda
- Mychael Knight
- Pepper LaBeija
- Willi Smith
- Kimora Lee Simmons
- Stephen Burrows
Food[edit]
- Edna Lewis[11]
- B. Smith
- Hercules Posey
- Mashama Bailey[12]
- Ashleigh Shanti
- Nyesha Arrington
- Michael W. Twitty
Government and politics[edit]
- African Americans in the United States Congress
- African-American officeholders in the United States, 1789–1866
- List of African-American federal judges
- List of African-American jurists
- List of African-American leftists
- List of African-American officeholders during Reconstruction
- List of African-American United States Cabinet members
- List of African-American United States presidential and vice presidential candidates
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of African-American United States senators
- List of African-American speakers of U.S. state legislatures
- List of African-American officeholders during Reconstruction
- List of first African-American mayors
President[edit]
- Barack Obama, (Kenyan-American father) 2009–2017, 44th president of the United States
Vice president[edit]
- Kamala Harris, (Jamaican-American father) 2021–present, 49th vice president of the United States
First Ladies of the United States[edit]
- Michelle Obama (2009–2017), first African American First Lady and the 44th First Lady[13]
Supreme Court Justices[edit]
- Thurgood Marshall, 1967–1991
- Clarence Thomas, 1991–present
- Ketanji Brown Jackson, 2022–present
Governors[edit]
- Archie Alexander, former governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
- David Paterson (African-American mother), served as the 55th Governor of New York.
- Deval Patrick, served as the 71st Governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015, so far the only African American to serve as Governor of Massachusetts.
- P.B.S. Pinchback, served as the 24th Governor of Louisiana from 1872 to 1873, the first African American to become governor of a U.S. State.
- Douglas Wilder, served as the 66th Governor of Virginia, became the first elected African-American governor, became the first African American to serve as governor of U.S. State since Reconstruction.[14]
Other political fields[edit]
- Stephen Bates, first African American sheriff in the state of Vermont.
- Perry B. Jackson, first African American elected judge in the state of Ohio.
- Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to former president Barack Obama, and co-chair of the Obama-Biden Transition project.[15][16]
- Mazi Melesa Pilip, Ethiopian-born American politician
- Dr. Kimbery A. McClain, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Housing of Urban Developement[17]
Journalism and media[edit]
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- JoNina Abron-Ervin, journalist and academic
- Daisy Bates, journalist
- Ed Bradley, former host of 60 Minutes, on CBS
- James Brown, host of The NFL Today on CBS
- Victor Blackwell, CNN news anchor
- Cari Champion, journalist, host of ESPN's SportsCenter.[18]
- Ta-Nehisi Coates, author, journalist
- Sway Calloway, journalist, radio personality.
- Elle Duncan (African-American father), sports anchor for ESPN's SportsCenter.[19]
- Harris Faulkner, television host and anchor for Fox News.[20]
- Bryant Gumbel, host of HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
- Charlamagne tha God, radio personality, television personality, radio host of The Breakfast Club.
- Greg Gumbel, sportscaster for NFL on CBS
- Nia-Malika Henderson, CNN political reporter
- Lester Holt, journalist and anchor for NBC News[21]
- Marc Lamont Hill, journalist-newscaster, political commentator employer of Al Jazeera English
- Jemele Hill, sports journalist for ESPN's The Undefeated
- Jay Harris, journalist and anchor for ESPN
- Omar Jimenez, journalist
- Jason Johnson, writer, political commentator
- Van Jones, CNN political commentator
- Sheinelle Jones, journalist and news anchor for NBC News and MSNBC
- Gayle King, journalist, television personality, co-anchor of CBS This Morning
- Don Lemon, journalist, author, CNN anchor[22]
- Craig Melvin, news anchor for NBC News and MSNBC
- Curt Menefee, host of Fox NFL Sunday
- Michelle Miller, national correspondent for CBS News
- Roland Martin, commentator for TV One
- Zerlina Maxwell, MSNBC political analyst
- Sophia A. Nelson, columnist[23]
- Candace Owens, conservative commentator, regularly appears on Fox News
- Rob Parker, sports analysis for Fox Sports
- Leonard Pitts, journalist for the Miami Herald
- April Ryan, journalist
- Eugene Robinson, 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner, columnist and associate editor of The Washington Post
- Max Robinson, broadcast journalist for ABC World News Tonight
- Al Roker, journalist
- Angela Rye, CNN political commentator
- Omari Salisbury, independent journalist and founder of Converge Media in Seattle, Washington
- David Swerdlick (African-American mother), journalist for the Washington Post
- Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC's PoliticsNation
- Bernard Shaw, former lead news anchor for CNN
- Sara Sidner, journalist, correspondent for CNN[24]
- Michael Smith, ESPN commentator
- Stuart Scott, former sports anchor for ESPN's Sports Center
- Stephen A. Smith, journalist, radio host for ESPN
- Symone Sanders, CNN political commentator
- Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator
- Kristen Welker (African-American mother), MSNBC White House Correspondent for NBC News
- Fredricka Whitfield, news anchor for CNN Newsroom
- LeRoy Whitfield, journalist
- Jason Whitlock, sports journalist
- Michael Wilbon, journalist, columnist
Ministers and other religious leaders[edit]
- Ralph Abernathy
- Richard Allen
- Thea Bowman
- Alexander Crummell
- Henriette DeLille
- Louis Farrakhan[25]
- Henry Highland Garnet
- Julia Greeley
- Wilton Gregory
- Jesse Jackson
- Mother Mary Lange
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Malcolm X
- Warith Deen Mohammed
- Elijah Muhammad
- Al Sharpton
- Augustus Tolton
- Pierre and Juliette Toussaint
- T. D. Jakes
- Benjamin Hooks
- Vashti Murphy McKenzie
- Raphael G. Warnock
- Calvin O. Butts III
- Kirbyjon Caldwell
- Delman Coates
- Fred Luter Jr.
Science and mathematics[edit]
- List of African-American astronauts
- List of African-American inventors and scientists
- List of African-American mathematicians
- List of African American women in STEM fields
- List of African-American women in medicine
- List of African-American mathematicians
Sports[edit]
- List of African American sportspeople
- List of black NHL players
- List of black starting NFL quarterbacks
- List of first black Major League Baseball players
- Lists of Negro league baseball players
Writers[edit]
Novelists and poets[edit]
- Ron Allen, poet, playwright
- Elizabeth Alexander, poet, essayist, playwright
- Maya Angelou, novelist, poet, and activist
- James Baldwin, novelist, playwright, and activist
- Amiri Baraka, poet, writer, activist, and essayist
- Gwendolyn B. Bennett, poet, writer, journalist, and artist
- Arna Bontemps, poet, novelist, and librarian
- Gwendolyn Brooks, poet, author, teacher
- Lucille Clifton, poet, writer, and educator
- Jayne Cortez, poet, activist, publisher
- Katherine Jackson, writer and novelist
- Countee Cullen, poet, novelist, and playwright
- Frank Marshall Davis, poet, journalist
- Samuel R. Delany, novelist, author, editor, professor, and literary critic
- Paul Laurence Dunbar, poet, novelist
- Ralph Ellison, novelist, literary critic, and scholar
- Percival Everett, novelist
- Nikki Giovanni, poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator
- Alex Haley, novelist, author
- Lorraine Hansberry, playwright
- Frances Harper, poet
- Yona Harvey, poet, professor
- Robert Hayden, poet, essayist, and educator
- Gil Scott-Heron, poet, author
- Chester Himes, novelist
- Langston Hughes, poet, activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist
- Erica Hunt, poet, essayist, and teacher
- Zora Neale Hurston, novelist
- Nella Larsen, novelist, librarian, and nurse
- Brent Leggs, historian and preservationist, writer, academic
- Alain LeRoy Locke, writer
- Louise Meriwether, novelist, essayist, journalist and activist
- Toni Morrison, novelist, essayist, editor, teacher and professor
- Walter Mosley, novelist
- Walter Dean Myers, novelist
- Marilyn Nelson, poet, translator, professor
- Pat Parker, poet, activist
- Leonard Pitts, novelist, commentator, journalist, and columnist
- Kevin Powell, poet, activist
- Ishmael Reed, poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor, and publisher
- Shawn Stewart Ruff, novelist
- Sonia Sanchez, poet, playwright, essayist, educator, and activist
- Patricia Smith, poet, playwright, author, teacher, and journalist
- Tracy K. Smith, poet, educator
- Ntozake Shange, novelist, playwright and poet
- Natasha Trethewey, poet, professor
- Alice Walker, novelist, writer, poet, and activist
- Margaret Walker, novelist, poet and writer
- Dorothy West, novelist, columnist
- Phillis Wheatley, poet
- Colson Whitehead, novelist
- John Edgar Wideman, novelist, author, and professor
- John A. Williams, novelist, journalist, and academic
- Harriet E. Wilson, novelist
- Richard Wright, novelist, poet, and essayist
- Sarah E. Wright, novelist
- Frank Yerby, novelist
- Al Young, poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and professor
- Kevin Young, poet, professor, editor, and literary critic
Publishers[edit]
- W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press
- Jayne Cortez, founder of Bola Press
- Charles F. Harris, founder of Amistad Press
- John H. Johnson
- Naomi Long Madgett, poet and founder of Lotus Press
- Haki Madhubuti, co-founder of Third World Press
- Dudley Randall, founder of Broadside Press
- Ishmael Reed
- Glenn Thompson, co-founder of Writers and Readers Cooperative
Anthologies of biographies[edit]
There is a substantial body of literature, much of it by African Americans, that collects biographies of black leaders.[26] Notable examples in this genre are:
- 100 Greatest African Americans
- The Afro-American Press and Its Editors
- Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance
- Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising
- Music and Some Highly Musical People
- Noted Negro Women: Their Triumphs and Activities
Other notables[edit]
- African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska, including a list of notable African Americans from Omaha
- List of African-American Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Jewish African-Americans
- List of LGBT African Americans
- List of unarmed African Americans killed by law enforcement officers in the United States
- List of winners of the William E. Harmon foundation award for distinguished achievement among Negroes
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Vardon, Joe (October 16, 2017). "Koby Altman's path from real estate agent to Cavaliers General manager a whirlwind". Www.Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- ^ "Wayne R. Embry". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ Debord, Matthew (March 27, 2012). "Magic Johnson buys the L.A. Dodgers for 2 billion". Www.scpr.org. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- ^ "Magic Johnson's group buys Los Angeles Sparks". Www.usatodayhss.com. February 5, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- ^ Ozanian, Mike (June 12, 2014). "Michael Jordan is a billionaire after increasing stake in hornets". Www.Forbes.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- ^ Trebay, Guy (May 8, 2019). "At 45, Tyra Banks is Back on the Cover of Sports Illustrated". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ "Chanel Iman Strikes A Pose for 'the Edit' and speaks out again on Fashion Diversity". m.huffpost.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst named Miss USA 2019". www.nbc.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- ^ "Miss USA 2017 is Kara McCullough". people.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Sofia Richie touches on Race and Religion in new interview". www.vanityfair.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ Newsome, Melba (February 9, 2021). "9 Black Chefs Who Have Changed the Way We Eat". Taste of Home.
- ^ Eligon, John; Julia Moskin (July 16, 2019). " "l 16 Black Chefs: Changing Food in America". The New York Times.
- ^ "First Lady Michelle Obama". www.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^ "Douglas L. Wilder". www.wilder.vcu.edu. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^ "Valerie Jarrett". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- ^ "Valerie Jarrett's Extraordinary Family tree". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^ "List of Department of Housing and Urban Development appointments by Joe Biden", Wikipedia, 2023-10-15, retrieved 2023-10-15
- ^ "ESPN's Cari Champion calls the shots her way". www.vogue.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ http://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/elle-duncan-espn-sportscenter-snapchat-adrienne-lawrence-lawsuit-robin-roberts-jimmy-pitaro/1lqciy01mip661eqfbzh1put7j Archived 2019-04-03 at the Wayback Machine "As the proud granddaughter of one of the famous African American Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, Duncan doesn't forget her roots."
- ^ "Fox News's Harris Faulkner is the only African-American woman in cable news with a daily show: it's a tremendous amount of responsibility". www.businessinsider.com. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- ^ Ellison, Sarah (September 6, 2019). "Lester Holt's Path from country music DJ to the most powerful perch in news". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ "Don Lemon". www.washingtonexaminer.com. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- ^ "Former GOP insider on discrimination in her party". www.abcnews.go.com. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ https://www.tvguide.com/news/cnn-sara-sidner-1041083/ "My mother is British, and my father is African American".
- ^ Pirani, Fiza (October 18, 2018). "Who is Louis Farrakhan? 10 things to know about the Nation of Islam leader, black activist". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Brown, Hallie Q. Homespun heroines and other women of distinction. Oxford University Press, USA, 1988. pxxxiii
External links[edit]
- President Obama's Speech to the NAACP on July 16, 2009 - full video by MSNBC
- Famous African Americans
This article includes a people-related list of lists.