- Ailey, Alvin Jr.Founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, creating a lasting home for Black dancers and choreographing 'Revelations,' one of the most performed ballets in the world1931-1989
- Allen, Debbie (Deborah Kaye)Tony-winning choreographer and dancer who served as principal choreographer of 'Fame'; founded the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in 2001, training thousands of young dancers regardless of financial background1950-
- Anderson, MarianOne of the finest contraltos of the twentieth century and a landmark civil-rights figure; the first Black singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera, whose 1939 open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial, after she was barred from Constitution Hall because of her race, became a defining moment of the era.1897-1993
- Armstrong, Louis DanielTransformed jazz from collective ensemble playing into a soloist's art form through his revolutionary 1920s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings, establishing the trumpet as jazz's premier solo instrument and pioneering scat singing, while later becoming, as “Satchmo,” one of the most beloved entertainers in American history1901-1971
- Bailey, DeFordHarmonica virtuoso, singer, and songwriter widely recognized as country music's first African American star and the first Black performer on the Grand Ole Opry; his train-imitating showpiece 'Pan American Blues' was the first tune played the night the program took the name 'Grand Ole Opry.'1899-1982
- Bassett, AngelaAcclaimed actress whose commanding performances across four decades broke new ground for Black women in Hollywood; the first performer to earn an Academy Award acting nomination for a role in a Marvel Studios film, and the recipient of an Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement.1958-
- Belafonte, Harry (Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.)Popularized calypso music with the first album by any artist to sell over a million copies; one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s closest confidants, financially backing the civil rights movement and personally supporting King's family1927-2023
- Berry, Charles Edward Anderson “Chuck”Refined rhythm and blues into the defining sound of rock and roll through songs including “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Johnny B. Goode,” earning the title “Father of Rock and Roll” and becoming one of the genre's first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 19861926-2017
- Berry, HalleFirst, and to date only, Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress1966-
- Bowser, Yvette LeeTelevision creator and showrunner who became the first Black woman to create, run, and produce her own U.S. prime-time series with Living Single1965–Present
- Burrows, StephenOriginated color-blocking and the 'lettuce hem' technique in fashion; one of five designers at the 1973 Battle of Versailles1943-
- Carroll, Diahann (Carol Diahann Johnson)First African American woman to star in her own television series in a non-domestic role, with 1968's 'Julia'; first Black woman to win a Tony Award for a leading musical role1935-2019
- Charles, Ray (Ray Charles Robinson)Pioneered soul music by fusing gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz, earning the nickname “The Genius” and becoming one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, with signature hits including “I've Got a Woman,” “What'd I Say,” and “Georgia on My Mind”1930-2004
- Coltrane, John WilliamTransformed jazz saxophone playing and pioneered modal jazz alongside Miles Davis, creating his 1965 masterwork A Love Supreme as a spiritual meditation now considered one of the most influential and acclaimed albums in the history of American music1926-1967
- Cooke, Sam (Samuel Cook)Became known as the “King of Soul” and “inventor of soul music,” crossing over from gospel stardom with the Soul Stirrers to a thirteen-year run of pop hits including “You Send Me” and “Chain Gang,” and composed “A Change Is Gonna Come,” later ranked the No. 1 protest song of all time by Rolling Stone1931-1964
- Copeland, Misty DanielleFirst African American woman promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre's 75-year history1982-
- Cosby, William Henry Jr.Created and starred in 'The Cosby Show,' which revived the television sitcom format and became the most-watched program in America for five consecutive years; criminally convicted in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a conviction later vacated in 2021 on procedural due-process grounds unrelated to the underlying facts, with civil juries subsequently finding him liable for sexual assault in two separate cases involving other accusers1937-
- Dandridge, Dorothy JeanFirst African American nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for 1954's 'Carmen Jones'; Hollywood's first full-fledged Black movie star1922-1965
- Davis, Miles Dewey IIIStood at the forefront of nearly every major stylistic development in jazz across a five-decade career, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and jazz fusion, and led the sessions for Kind of Blue, the best-selling jazz album of all time1926-1991
- Davis, ViolaAward-winning actress and producer who became the first Black performer to achieve the 'Triple Crown of Acting' (competitive Oscar, Emmy, and Tony) and the first African American woman to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; later an EGOT winner.1965-
- Day, Daniel R. (Dapper Dan)Pioneered the fusion of luxury fashion logos with hip-hop streetwear from his Harlem boutique; first Black designer awarded the CFDA's Lifetime Achievement Award1944-
- Dee, Ruby (Ruby Ann Wallace)Pioneering stage and film actress and longtime civil rights activist who, with husband Ossie Davis, served as master and mistress of ceremonies at the 1963 March on Washington1922-2014
- Dunham, Katherine MaryPioneered Black theatrical dance by fusing African, Caribbean, and modern dance traditions, and developed the Dunham Technique, the first codified dance system based on African-diasporic movement; anthropologist, Kennedy Center Honoree (1983), and National Medal of Arts recipient (1989)1909-2006
- Dunkley, Kenneth J.Three Dimensional Viewing Glasses (3-DVG) for holography and 3D image viewing1939-
- DuVernay, AvaFilmmaker whose work centers on the African American experience and who broke a series of directing barriers: the first Black woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival, the first nominated for a Golden Globe for directing, the first to direct a Best Picture Oscar nominee, and the first to direct a live-action film with a budget over $100 million.1972-
- Ellington, Edward Kennedy “Duke”Composed more than one thousand pieces of music over a 50-year career as the leader of his own jazz orchestra, creating the largest recorded personal legacy in jazz and elevating the genre to concert-hall respectability through extended compositions like Black, Brown and Beige, while writing enduring standards including “Mood Indigo,” “Sophisticated Lady,” and “It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)”1899-1974
- Evans, Michael JonasOriginated the role of Lionel Jefferson on 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons'; co-created 'Good Times' with Eric Monte, already profiled in this collection, though he died believing his creative contributions had gone uncredited and uncompensated by producer Norman Lear1949-2006
- Flash, Grandmaster (Joseph Saddler)DJ turntablism techniques (scratching, breakbeat manipulation)1958-
- Foxx, Redd (John Elroy Sanford)Star of 'Sanford and Son,' one of television's first sitcoms built around a predominantly Black cast; pioneered the raunchy 'party record' comedy album format and personally mentored Flip Wilson and Richard Pryor1922-1991
- Franklin, Aretha LouiseBecame known as the “Queen of Soul” and, in 1987, the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, winning 18 Grammy Awards and recording enduring anthems including “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “Think” that became touchstones of the civil rights and women's movements1942-2018
- Gaye, Marvin Pentz Jr.Became one of Motown's most versatile and influential artists, known as the “Prince of Motown” and “Prince of Soul,” and in 1971 broke from Motown's producer-driven system to create What's Going On, a self-produced concept album addressing war, poverty, and the environment that Rolling Stone later ranked the greatest album of all time1939-1984
- Gelobter, LisaAnimation technology behind early web GIFs and Shockwave1971
- Goldberg, WhoopiSecond Black performer, and second Black woman, to win an Academy Award, for 'Ghost' in 1991, fifty years after Hattie McDaniel's win1955-
- Grier, Pamela SuzetteFirst African American woman to headline an action film; defined the female-led Blaxploitation genre with starring roles in 'Coffy' and 'Foxy Brown'; survived a stage-four cancer diagnosis given an 18-month prognosis1949-
- Hannah, Marc3D computer graphics technology; co-founder of Silicon Graphics (SGI)1956-
- Hendrix, James Marshall “Jimi”Widely regarded as the greatest and most influential electric guitarist in rock history, revolutionizing the instrument's sonic possibilities through pioneering use of amplifier feedback and effects, and delivering an iconic distortion-laden rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1969 Woodstock Festival1942-1970
- Houston, Whitney ElizabethKnown as “The Voice,” became the best-selling female recording artist of the 1980s and 1990s, scored a record seven consecutive number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles, and starred in The Bodyguard (1992), whose soundtrack remains the best-selling album by a female artist and the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time1963-2012
- Jackson, Michael JosephBecame known as the “King of Pop” after his 1982 album Thriller sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide to become the best-selling album in history, won a record-setting eight Grammy Awards in a single night in 1984, and transformed the music video into a cinematic art form while breaking racial barriers on MTV and radio1958-2009
- Jamison, Judith AnnAlvin Ailey's principal muse and star dancer for 15 years; succeeded him as artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 21 years, becoming the first African American woman to lead a major modern dance company1943-2024
- Jaxon, JayFirst African American to head a Parisian couture house; designed for Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior1941-2006
- Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter)Became one of the most commercially successful and influential rappers in history, with 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and 25 Grammy Awards, the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and the first living solo hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, while building a business empire that made him hip-hop's first billionaire1969-present
- Jones, Sissieretta (Matilda Sissieretta Joyner)Pioneering soprano celebrated as the first Black operatic prima donna; in 1892 she became the first African American to headline a concert on the main stage of Carnegie Hall, opening doors for Black classical singers decades before the opera stage was integrated.1868-1933
- Kani, Karl (Carl Williams)Widely credited as the originator and 'Godfather' of hip-hop streetwear fashion1968-
- Kelly, PatrickFirst American designer admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter, the official body governing French ready-to-wear fashion1954-1990
- Kitt, Eartha MaeSinger and actress whose career was deliberately destroyed by the CIA and blacklisted in the U.S. after she publicly denounced the Vietnam War at a 1968 White House luncheon1927-2008
- Kool Herc, DJ (Clive Campbell)Jamaican American DJ widely credited as the father of hip-hop; at a 1973 Bronx party he pioneered the 'breakbeat', using two turntables to isolate and loop the danceable instrumental 'break' of a record, creating the musical and cultural foundation from which rap and hip-hop grew.1955-
- La Rock, CokeWidely regarded as hip-hop's first MC; the vocalist who rhymed and shouted over DJ Kool Herc's breakbeats at the 1973 Bronx party now considered hip-hop's birthplace, establishing the role of the rapping master of ceremonies.1955-
- Lars, ByronDesigned Mattel's first collection of African American Barbie dolls authentically representing Black hair, complexion, and style1965–Present
- Last Poets, TheHarlem spoken-word collective, formed in 1968, whose confrontational, socially conscious poetry set to conga rhythms is widely credited as a direct forerunner of rap; often called 'the godfathers of hip-hop.' (Group/collective entry.)1968-
- Lawrence, Martin FitzgeraldCo-created and starred in 'Martin,' a Fox sitcom that became Black television's flagship Thursday-night program in the 1990s; hosted HBO's groundbreaking 'Def Comedy Jam,' launching the mainstream careers of Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, and Bernie Mac1965-
- Lee, Spike (Shelton Jackson Lee)Directed 'Do the Right Thing,' a landmark of independent Black American cinema whose 1990 Oscar Best Picture snub became one of the Academy's most cited controversies; won his first competitive Oscar for 'BlacKkKlansman' three decades later in a near-identical scenario1957-
- Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman)Self-proclaimed the “architect of rock and roll,” fused gospel, boogie-woogie, and rhythm and blues into an explosive new sound with 1955's “Tutti Frutti,” becoming one of the ten original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and a foundational influence on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and generations of rock performers1932-2020
- Lowe, AnnDesigned Jacqueline Bouvier's wedding dress for her 1953 marriage to John F. Kennedy1898-1981
- Mabley, Moms (Loretta Mary Aiken)First female comedian to headline at Harlem's Apollo Theater, where she performed more times than any other entertainer in the venue's history; pioneered stand-up comedy as a vehicle for addressing race, sexuality, and aging through a deliberately disarming grandmotherly persona1894-1975
- McDaniel, HattieFirst African American to win an Academy Award, for her supporting role in 'Gone with the Wind'1893-1952
- McKinney, Nina MaePioneering actress, singer, and dancer who starred in MGM’s Hallelujah! and became one of Hollywood’s earliest recognized Black female film starsc. 1912–1967
- Micheaux, OscarPioneering independent feature filmmaking and film production methods1884-1951
- Mitchell, ArthurFirst African American principal dancer at a major ballet company; founded Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969, the first major Black classical ballet company in the United States1934-2018
- Monte, Eric (Kenneth Williams)Created the characters and concepts behind 'Good Times,' 'The Jeffersons,' and 'What's Happening!!,' three landmark Black sitcoms of the 1970s, though credit and creative control were largely retained by producer Norman Lear until Monte won a lawsuit and settlement in 19771943–2022
- Murphy, EddieComedian, actor, and singer who became one of the defining box-office draws of the 1980s and one of the highest-grossing actors in film history; rose to fame as a cast member on 'Saturday Night Live' (1980-1984) and headlined blockbuster comedies including '48 Hrs.,' 'Trading Places,' 'Beverly Hills Cop,' and 'Coming to America,' opening doors for a generation of Black comedians and actors.1961-
- Parks, Gordon Roger Alexander BuchananDirected 'The Learning Tree,' the first feature film by a Black director financed by a major Hollywood studio, and 'Shaft,' which co-created the Blaxploitation genre and introduced the Black action hero to mainstream cinema1912-2006
- Perry, TylerPlaywright, actor, and filmmaker who built one of the largest film and television production complexes in the United States and is widely recognized as the first African American to solely own a major film studio; creator of the enormously popular Madea franchise and one of the most commercially successful Black filmmakers in history.1969-
- Poitier, SidneyFirst Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor1927-2022
- Pride, CharleyCountry music's first African American superstar; a warm-baritoned singer who broke the genre's racial barriers, scored dozens of number-one hits for RCA, and became the first Black artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame as a performer.1934-2020
- Primus, Pearl EileenPioneered the serious anthropological study and concert presentation of African dance in the United States; choreographed 'Strange Fruit' and 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' as direct artistic responses to lynching and racial injustice1919-1994
- Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson)Pioneered the genre-blending “Minneapolis sound” fusing funk, rock, R&B, and new wave, and in 1984 became the first artist to simultaneously hold the number-one film, album, and single in the United States with Purple Rain, a feat that also earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score1958-2016
- Pryor, Richard Franklin Lennox ThomasTransformed American stand-up comedy by bringing unflinching honesty about race, addiction, and his own troubled life to the stage; first recipient of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor1940-2005
- Reese, TracyFounded an eponymous fashion label known for color and inclusive sizing; became the sole African American member of the CFDA board1964-
- Reid, Timothy Lee Sr.Co-created and starred in 'Frank's Place,' a critically acclaimed 1987 dramedy; co-founded New Millennium Studios in Virginia, the first Black-owned film studio in the U.S. since the 1930s1944-
- Rhimes, ShondaTelevision writer, showrunner, and producer who reshaped American prime-time television; the first African American woman to create and executive produce a top-ten network series ('Grey's Anatomy') and the first woman to create three dramas that each reached the 100-episode milestone.1970-
- Robinson, Cleo ParkerFounded the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in 1970, building it into a major Denver-based dance institution now in its sixth decade; studied directly under Katherine Dunham and Arthur Mitchell, already profiled in this collection1948-
- Robinson, SylviaProduced "Rapper's Delight" (1979), the first commercially successful rap single -- the first to reach the Billboard Hot 100 and to sell a million copies -- and "The Message" (1982); founded Sugar Hill Records and is known as the "Mother of Hip-Hop"1935-2011
- Scott-Heron, GilPoet, musician, and author widely called the 'Godfather of Rap'; his socially conscious spoken-word recordings, above all 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised', fused poetry with jazz, blues, and soul and became a foundational influence on hip-hop.1949-2011
- Shakur, Tupac AmaruBecame one of the most influential and best-selling recording artists in hip-hop history, selling more than 75 million records worldwide, and in 2017 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the first solo rap artist so honored, in his first year of eligibility1971-1996
- Simone, Nina (Eunice Kathleen Waymon)Classically trained pianist who became one of the civil rights movement's most direct musical voices after a music conservatory's rejection she attributed to racial discrimination; wrote 'Mississippi Goddam' in under an hour following the 1963 Birmingham church bombing1933-2003
- Singleton, John DanielYoungest person and first African American ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, at age 24, for 1991's 'Boyz n the Hood,' which he directly described as inspired by seeing Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing'1968-2019
- Smith, LaQuanBuilt an internationally recognized womenswear brand after being rejected by both major fashion schools he applied to1988-
- Smith, Willard Carroll Jr.Starred in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' widely regarded as a watershed moment for hip-hop's entry into mainstream television; became the fifth Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor1968-
- Smith, WilliFounded WilliWear (1976); a pioneer of "street couture"/streetwear and, at his death in 1987, considered the most commercially successful Black American fashion designer of the 20th century1948-1987
- Smoot, LannyImmersive entertainment technology, robotics, special effects for theme parks1956-
- Tharpe, Sister RosettaElectric-guitar pioneer who fused gospel, blues, and driving rhythm and helped establish the musical foundations of rock and roll1915–1973
- Townsend, RobertSelf-financed and directed 'Hollywood Shuffle' in 1987, a satire of the racial stereotyping faced by Black actors, financed entirely through his own savings and multiple credit card applications1957-
- Tyson, Cicely LouiseDeliberately refused demeaning, stereotypical roles throughout the 1970s, accepting unemployment rather than play characters she considered characterless; earned an Academy Honorary Award in 2018 for a seven-decade career centering complex Black women1924-2021
- Valdes, Zelda WynnDesigned the original Playboy Bunny costume1905-2001
- Van Peebles, Melvin (Melvin Peebles)Wrote, directed, produced, edited, scored, and starred in 1971's 'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song,' the independently financed film that launched the Blaxploitation genre and was, at the time, the highest-grossing independent film ever made1932-2021
- Wallace, Christopher George Latore “The Notorious B.I.G.”Revived New York City's East Coast hip-hop scene with his 1994 debut album, Ready to Die, and became one of the most influential rappers in the genre's history, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 20201972-1997
- Washington, DenzelFirst Black actor to win Academy Awards in both lead and supporting acting categories1954-
- Washington, LulaFounded the Lula Washington Dance Theatre in 1980, building it into one of the most respected African American contemporary dance companies in the Western United States; choreographed for the films 'Avatar' and 'The Little Mermaid'1949-
- Waters, EthelFirst African American to star in her own television show in 1939; first African American woman nominated for a Primetime Emmy; second African American ever nominated for an Academy Award1896-1977
- Wayans, Keenen Ivory DesumaCo-wrote and co-starred in 'Hollywood Shuffle' alongside Robert Townsend, already profiled in this collection; created 'In Living Color,' the first major Black-led network sketch comedy show, launching the careers of Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and Jennifer Lopez1958-
- Williams, Ann Marie (Annie Marie Ferrell)Founded the Dallas Black Dance Theatre in 1976, the oldest continuously operating dance company in Dallas and one of the largest African American dance troupes in the country; studied directly under Arthur Mitchell, already profiled in this collection1937-
- Wilson, Flip (Clerow Wilson Jr.)First African American to host a successful weekly network variety show; his 'Geraldine' character's catchphrase 'What you see is what you get' inspired the computing term WYSIWYG1933-1998
- Winfrey, Oprah GailFirst Black woman billionaire; built one of the most influential and highest-rated talk shows in American television history1954-
- Wonder, Stevie (Stevland Hardaway Morris)A blind child prodigy signed to Motown at age 11, became one of the most decorated recording artists in history with 25 Grammy Awards, the most ever won by a male solo artist, and produced a run of 1970s albums including Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life widely regarded among the greatest in popular music1950-present
- Baker, JosephineInternationally celebrated entertainer, French military intelligence operative and Resistance supporter, decorated Free French servicewoman, and civil rights activist.1906–1975