Famous African Americans - List of Famous African Americans - page 2

African Americans were historically one of the most discriminated groups in the USA. However things began to change in the late 19th century with the likes of civil rights activists like John Lewis, Samuel Ringgold Ward, and Harriet Tubman raising their voices demanding equal rights for all. The civil rights movement received further momentum in the 20th century with the emergence of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Harry Burns. By the later part of the 20th century, African Americans had begun to make a name for themselves in varied fields such as science, technology, sports, music and literature. Diplomat Ralph Joseph Bunche created history by becoming the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for Peace. History was created by GuionBluford as well when he became the first African American astronaut to venture into space. More recently, Barack Obama claimed the honor of being the first African American to be elected to the US President’s office. Read on for more information about the life and works of famous African Americans.

The Most Famous African Americans
Name	Birthday	Nationality	Bio
Henrietta Lacks	August 1, 1920	American	Henrietta Lacks was a woman whose cancer cells were used as the source of HeLa cell line
Bill Withers	July 4, 1938	American	Bill Withers is an American singer-songwriter and musician
Thomas Sowell	June 30, 1930	American	Thomas Sowell is an American economist, syndicated columnist, writer and social theorist
Muhammad Ali	January 17, 1942	American	Muhammad Ali was a legendary boxer who became the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion
Orlando Brown	December 4, 1987	American	Orlando Brown is an African-American actor, rapper, voice actor, and singer
Chaka Khan	March 23, 1953	American	Chaka Khan, also popularly known as the Queen of Funk, is an American recording artist
Aaliyah	January 16, 1979	American	Aaliyah was an American singer best known for her album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number’
Huey P. Newton	February 17, 1942	American	Huey Newton was an African-American political activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party
Malcolm X	May 19, 1925	American	Malcolm X was a renowned African-American Sunni Muslim civil rights activist
Langston Hughes	February 1, 1902	American	Langston Hughes was an African-American poet who made significant contributions to the Harlem Renaissance