Category: Artists

Richard Wright (1908-1960) was a pioneering African American writer whose work powerfully captured the struggles and aspirations of Black people in America during the early 20th century. Born on September…

Whitney Elizabeth Houston, born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, was a musical powerhouse whose influence still reverberates through the music industry today. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was…

Ira Frederick Aldridge, born on July 24, 1807, in New York City, was an African American actor who gained international acclaim in the 19th century, becoming one of the most…

Claude McKay, born Festus Claudius McKay on September 15, 1889, in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, was a pivotal figure in the Harlem Renaissance and a significant voice in African-American literature. He…

Arnaud Wendell Bontemps, known to the literary world as Arna Bontemps, was a prominent African American writer, poet, librarian, and educator whose works left an indelible mark on American literature…

Alain LeRoy Locke, widely known as the “Father of the Harlem Renaissance,” was a trailblazing philosopher, educator, writer, and advocate for African American culture and art. Born on September 13,…

Lorraine Hansberry, born on May 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, was a trailblazing playwright, author, and activist who left an indelible mark on American literature and the civil rights movement.…

Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison also known as Toni Morrison was an award-winning novelist, children’s writer, and professor. She became a notable figure in African American history due to the efforts…

Opened in 1920, Harlem’s Cotton Club was a red-hot venue. However, despite its location, the club’s audience was whites-only, in stark contrast to its cast of all-Black performers that for…

Mary Edmonia Lewis also called “Wildfire” was the first African American sculptor in black history to gain recognition both nationally and internationally. Lewis was born on July 4, 1844, in…