This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Mississippi John Hurt, an American country-blues singer and guitarist who first recorded in the late 1920s but whose greatest fame and influence came when he was rediscovered in the early...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Missy Elliott, an American rapper and music producer who made a mark on the male-dominated hip-hop world with her talents for writing, rapping, singing, and music production.

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 Moses Malone, an American professional basketball player, who was the dominating center and premier offensive rebounder in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 1980s. He...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Myrlie Evers-Williams, an African American activist and the wife of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, whose racially motivated murder in 1963 made him a national icon. In 1995-98...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Nikki Giovanni, an African-American poet whose writings ranged from calls for violent revolution to poems for children and intimate personal statements.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Nipsey Russell, an American actor and comedian known for the clever impromptu verses that he created for his television appearances.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Odetta, an American folk singer who was noted especially for her versions of spirituals and who became for many the voice of the civil rights movement of the early 1960s.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Oscar Micheaux, a prolific African American producer and director who made films independently of the Hollywood film industry from the silent era until 1948.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Oscar Peterson, a Canadian jazz pianist best known for his dazzling solo technique.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Oscar Robertson, an American basketball player who starred in both the collegiate and professional ranks and was considered one of the top players in the history of the game. As a player...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Paul Winfield, an American film and television actor perhaps best known for his role in the film Sounder (1972).

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Percy Ellis Sutton, an American attorney, politician, and businessman born Nov. 24, 1920, San Antonio, Texas. This site, rich in detail and breadth of coverage, includes a wealth of...

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 Professor Longhair, an American singer and pianist who helped shape the sound of New Orleans rhythm and blues from the mid-1940s.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Prudence Crandall, an American schoolteacher whose attempt to educate African American girls aroused controversy in the 1830s.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Rafer Johnson, an American athlete, who won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Ralph Metcalfe, an American sprinter and member of the American 4 x 100-meter relay team that won a gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. At his peak, in 1934-35, he was called...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Randy Moss, an American professional gridiron football player who is considered one of the greatest wide receivers in National Football League (NFL) history.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Randy Weston, an American jazz pianist and composer noted for his use of African rhythms.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Ray Dandridge, an American professional baseball player who spent most of his career between 1933 and 1955 playing in the Negro leagues and on teams outside the United States.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Redd Foxx, an American comedian and television actor known for his raunchy stand-up routines. His style of comedy, often described as "blue" for its foul language and highly adult subject...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Reggie Jackson, a professional baseball player.