Smith, Willard Carroll Jr.

Murphy, Eddie

1961-

Comedian, 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.

Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter)

1969-present

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 billionaire

Washington, Denzel

1954-

First Black actor to win Academy Awards in both lead and supporting acting categories

Lawrence, Martin Fitzgerald

1965-

Co-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 Mac