Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Michael S. Steele
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Michael S. Steele, an American politician, the first African-American to serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC; 2009-2011).
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Encyclopedia Britannica: R. Kelly
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features R. Kelly, an American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who became one of the best-selling rhythm-and-blues (R&B) artists of the 1990s and early 21st century....
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Richard D. Parsons
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Richard D. Parsons, an American businessman who was CEO (2002-07) of AOL Time Warner (now Time Warner) and later chairman (2009-12) of Citigroup.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Robert C. Weaver
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Robert C. Weaver, a noted economist who was the first African-American to serve in the U.S. cabinet.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Robert E. Park
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Robert E. Park, an American sociologist noted for his work on ethnic minority groups, particularly African Americans, and on human ecology, a term he is credited with coining. One of the...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Amanda Smith
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Amanda Smith, an American evangelist and missionary who opened an orphanage for African-American girls.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Gene Lipscomb
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Gene Lipscomb, an American gridiron football player and larger-than-life "character" whose exploits helped make professional football the most popular sport in the United States during the...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: George Allan Russell
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features George Allan Russell, an American jazz artist born June 23, 1923, Cincinnati, Ohio .
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Encyclopedia Britannica: George Washington Williams
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features George Washington Williams, an American historian, clergyman, politician, lawyer, lecturer, and soldier who was the first person to write an objective and scientifically researched history...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Harry Howell Carney
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Harry Howell Carney, an American musician, featured soloist in Duke Ellington's band and the first baritone saxophone soloist in jazz.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Isaac Burns Murphy
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Isaac Burns Murphy, an American jockey who was the first to be elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York; he is one of only two African American...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Isiah Thomas
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...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jackie Wilson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jackie Wilson, an American singer who was a pioneering exponent of the fusion of 1950s doo-wop, rock, and blues styles into the soul music of the 1960s.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: James Augustine Healy
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features James Augustine Healy, the first African American Roman Catholic bishop in the United States and an advocate for children and Native Americans.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: James Winkfield
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features James Winkfield, an American jockey, the last African-American to win the Kentucky Derby.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jamie Foxx
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jamie Foxx, an American comedian, musician, and actor, who became known for his impersonations on the television sketch-comedy show In Living Color and later proved himself a versatile...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Janet Jackson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Janet Jackson, an American singer and actress whose increasingly mature version of dance-pop music made her one of the most popular recording artists of the 1980s and '90s.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jay Z
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jay Z, an American rapper and entrepreneur, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop in the 1990s and early 21st century.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jean Baptist Point Du Sable
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable, a black pioneer trader and founder of the settlement that later became the city of Chicago.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jennifer Hudson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jennifer Hudson, an American actress and singer who won an Academy Award for best-supporting actress for her role in Dreamgirls (2006).
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jerry Rice
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jerry Rice, an American professional gridiron football player whom many consider the greatest wide receiver in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Playing primarily for the...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jimmy Reed
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jimmy Reed, an American singer, harmonica player, and guitarist who was one of the most popular blues musicians of the post-World War II era.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jimmy Smith
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jimmy Smith, an American musician who integrated the electric organ into jazz, thereby inventing the soul-jazz idiom, which became popular in the 1950s and '60s.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Jimmy Yancey
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jimmy Yancey, an American blues pianist who established the boogie-woogie style with slow, steady, simple left-hand bass patterns. These became more rapid in the work of his students...