This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Tom Bradley, an American politician, the first African American mayor of a predominantly white city, who served an unprecedented five terms as mayor of Los Angeles (1973-93).

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Vernon Forrest, an American boxer born Jan. 12, 1971, Augusta, Ga.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Wayman Lawrence Tisdale, an American basketball player and smooth jazz musician born June 9, 1964, Tulsa, Okla.

Biographical details on William Julius Wilson, an American sociologist whose views on race and urban poverty helped shape U.S. public policy and academic discourse.

Learn about American jockey, Willie Simms, who is the only African American to have won all three of the races that compose the Triple Crown of American horse racing: the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness Stakes.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features the Ink Spots, an American vocal group prominent in the late 1930s and '40s. One of the first African-American groups, along with the Mills Brothers, to reach both black and white...

This entry features Sun Ra, a black American jazz composer and keyboard player who led a free jazz big band known for its innovative instrumentation and the theatricality of its performances.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features James T. Rapier, a black planter and labor organizer who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama during Reconstruction.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jo Jones, a black American musician, one of the most influential of all jazz drummers, noted for his swing, dynamic subtlety, and finesse.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Kenny Dorham, a black American jazz trumpeter, a pioneer of bebop noted for the beauty of his tone and for his lyricism.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Lonne Elder III, an American playwright whose critically acclaimed masterwork, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (1965, revised 1969), depicted the dreams, frustrations, and ultimate endurance of...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Lugenia Burns Hope, an American social reformer whose Neighborhood Union and other community service organizations improved the quality of life for blacks in Atlanta, Ga., and served as a...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Matilda Sissieretta Jones, an opera singer who was considered the greatest black American in her field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Morgan Freeman, an American actor whose emotional depth and versatility made him one of the most-respected performers of his generation. Over a career that included numerous memorable...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Phylicia Rashad, an American actress who first gained fame for her work on the television series The Cosby Show (1984-92) and later became the first black woman to win (2004) a Tony Award...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, a freeborn black who was a Union officer in the American Civil War and a leader in Louisiana politics during Reconstruction (1865-77).

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Rex Stewart, a black American jazz musician unique for playing the cornet, rather than the trumpet, in big bands as well as small groups throughout his career. His mastery of expressive...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Sonny Stitt, a black American jazz musician, one of the first and most fluent bebop saxophonists.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Val McCalla, a Jamaican-born British publisher who founded The Voice, an influential British newspaper focusing on black issues and interests.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Walter Page, a black American swing-era musician, one of the first to play "walking" lines on the string bass. A pioneer of the Southwestern jazz style, he was a star of the Count Basie...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Wes Montgomery, a black American jazz guitarist, probably the most influential postwar improviser on his instrument.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Isiah Thomas, an American basketball player, considered one of the best point guards in the history of the game. He led the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jim Parker, an American professional gridiron football player who, during his 11-year career with the Baltimore Colts, established himself as one of the finest offensive linemen in...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features LaDainian Tomlinson, an American professional gridiron football player who was one of the most productive running backs in National Football League (NFL) history.