Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Ru Paul
Learn about RuPaul, the American entertainer who carved out an idiosyncratic place in popular culture as perhaps the most famous drag queen in the United States in the 1990s and early 21st century.
PBS
Classics for Kids: William Grant Still
A short biography of William Grant Still (1895-1978 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
PBS
Classics for Kids: Scott Joplin
A short biography of Scott Joplin (1868-1917 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
Nobel Media AB
The Nobel Prize: Nelson Mandela and the Rainbow Culture
This detailed article from the Nobel e-museum on the life of Nelson Mandela is organized into the following sections: "Equality and Pluralism," "The Development of 'Colour-blindness,'" "The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru,"...
Other
Hall of Fame Biographies: Christian Neethling Barnard
A concise biography of Christiaan Barnard (1922-2001), the famous surgeon who did the first heart transplant. Learn about his early life, education, and his learning process of performing heart transplants.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Zora Neale Hurston
Encyclopaedia Britannica provides a biography of Zora Neale Hurston, a famous novelist and first African American graduate of Barnard College.
Authors Calendar
Author's Calendar: Toni Morrison
A detailed biography on the works of African American writer and 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Toni Morrison. Contains information on the themes and subject matters of her most famous books while also giving some information on...
Other
Le Monde Diplomatique: Electing Dictators
This site dicusses information about how the people of Africa end up electing dictators and discusses the problems with corrupt and disorganized election processes as well as past issuesconcerning democracy in African countries.
BBC
Bbc Audio Interviews: Desmond Tutu
The BBC provides audio clips from a 1986 interview with South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Additional content includes a brief biography, a list of key works, and links to further material on the BBC network.
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: August Wilson
Learn more about the famous playwright August Wilson when you visit this educational site. This site features links to several resources ranging from biographical information to lesson plans.
Wisconsin Historical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society: Mathilde Anneke, 1817 1884
Mathilde Anneke was a remarkable woman. A feminist before the days of feminism, she worked tirelessly for the rights of women and of African Americans. She experienced firsthand the powerlessness of a nineteenth-century woman after her...
Talk Origins Archive
Talk Origins: Fossil Hominids: Richard Leakey
Biography of Richard Leakey that deals with his paleontological work and his efforts to preserve African wildlife.
Other
The Official Website of Misty Copeland
Learn about the background and artistic influence of ballet dancer Misty Copeland, the first African American female principal dancer for the acclaimed American Ballet Theater. The site also provides links to videos and magazine articles...
New York Times
New York Times: Helene Johnson, Poet of Harlem, 89, Dies
[Free Registration/Login Required] An obituary for Helene Johnson, a famous Harlem Renaissance poet. Includes quotations from some of her poems.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Art of the Stamp: Benjamin Banneker
View the artwork of Jerry Pickney honoring Benjamin Banneker on a stamp. Banneker predicted a solar eclipse, published farmers almanacs, and was famous for many more things.
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Stopping for Olympic Gold" by Angie Kay Dilmore
John Woodruff was an African American track athlete who won a gold medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In this informational text, Angie Kay Dilmore discusses John's life and famous race. As you read, take notes on how John achieved...
Nobel Media AB
The Nobel Prize: Wole Soyinka Biographical
Nobel E-Museum offers this biography of African author Wole Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Digital History
Digital History: The Supreme Court Orders Desegregation [Pdf]
This site is from a unit called 'African-Americans in the Land of Equality.' It looks at the 1954 decision by the Supreme Court in the Brown v. Board of Education case that ended school segregation.
Digital History
Digital History: Affirmative Action and the Case of Allan Bakke [Pdf]
The history of affirmative action was interwoven with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Read about how the federal government under both President Kennedy and President Nixon attempted to open up jobs to...
Utah State University
Teacher Link: Martin Luther King
What contributions did Martin Luther King Jr. make to the Human Rights effort? This site offers a lesson plan to develop student's knowledge of the accomplishments of this famous leader.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Black History Science
This StudyCards stack enables students to review facts about famous black scientists.
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.
New Georgia Encyclopedia: Joel Chandler Harris (1845 1908)
The famous Uncle Remus folktales were retold by this writer. Site offers a biography of Harris, a brief discussion of the Uncle Remus tales, and a list of suggested readings.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Spotlight Biography Modern Dance
Biographies of famous dancers, including Katherine Dunham, dancer and choreographer. Description of dance styles and influences.
Other
David Holt: The Roots of Mountain Music
This is a short history of the major influences that have combined to create mountain music, one of which is minstrel music. Provides a good decription of minstrel music in general. Includes names and descriptions of specific songs,...