This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Lists of African Americans" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Lists of Americans
By US state
By ethnicity or nationality

This is a list of African Americans, also known as Black Americans (for the outdated and unscientific racial term) or Afro-Americans. African Americans are an ethnic group consisting of citizens of the United States mainly descended from various West African and Central African peoples with possible minor additional ancestry from Europe or indigenous Americans and other regions of Africa. As an ethnic group, African Americans are largely the modern-day descendants of West Africans and Central Africans brought to the US from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade who developed a new and distinct cultural identity during their time in the Americas.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and references showing the person is African-American.

Actors, actresses, and comedians

Main article: List of African-American actors
John Amos
James Avery
Angela Bassett
Halle Berry
Chadwick Boseman
Sterling K. Brown
Yvette Nicole Brown
LeVar Burton
Diahann Carroll
Dave Chappelle
Don Cheadle
Bill Cobbs
Bill Cosby
Ice Cube
Keith David
Viola Davis
Ossie Davis
Ruby Dee
Michael Dorn
Michael Clarke Duncan
Cedric the Entertainer
Dave Fennoy
Laurence Fishburne
Jamie Foxx
Morgan Freeman
Danny Glover
Whoopi Goldberg
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Louis Gossett Jr.
Kevin Hart
Steve Harvey
Dennis Haysbert
Ernie Hudson
Samuel L. Jackson
Michael B. Jordan
James Earl Jones
Regina King
Sanaa Lathan
Phil LaMarr
Martin Lawrence
Spike Lee
Tommy Lister Jr.
Bernie Mac
Tim Meadows
Paul Mooney
Tracy Morgan
Charlie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Nichelle Nichols
Khary Payton
Jordan Peele
Richard Pryor
Ving Rhames
Kevin Michael Richardson
Naya Rivera
Craig Robinson
Chris Rock
Richard Roundtree
Jada Pinkett Smith
Will Smith
Wesley Snipes
Chris Tucker
Glynn Turman
Denzel Washington
Carl Weathers
Forest Whitaker
Jaleel White
Fred Williamson
Billy Dee Williams
Michael K. Williams
Oprah Winfrey
Jeffrey Wright
Alfre Woodard

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Artists

Main article: List of African-American visual artists

B

C

D

G

H

J

L

M

P

S

T

W

Astronauts

Main article: List of African-American astronauts
Guion Bluford
Mae Jemison

Beauty queens and fashion models

Fashion designers

Food

Businesspeople and entrepreneurs

Sports executives and businesspeople

Don King

Businesspeople

LaVar Ball
Herman Cain

Cinematographers

B

D

H

J

K

M

S

Y

Civil rights leaders and activists

For a more comprehensive list, see List of African American activists.
Ralph Abernathy
Maya Angelou
James Baldwin
Marion Barry
James Bevel
Ralph Bunche
Shirley Chisholm
Fannie Lou Hamer
Jesse Jackson
Martin Luther King Jr.
John Lewis
Thurgood Marshall
James Meredith
Rosa Parks
Bayard Rustin
Malcolm X
Andrew Young

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

V

W

X

Y

Government and politics

See also: List of civil rights leaders

President

Vice president

Supreme Court Justices

Governors

Other political fields

Health care

Historical

Journalism and media

Ta-Nehisi Coates
Harris Faulkner
Don Lemon
Candace Owens
Al Sharpton

Lawyers

Johnnie Cochran
Christopher Darden
Eric Holder
Loretta Lynch
Deval Patrick
Clarence Thomas
Mel Watt

Military

Ministers and other religious leaders

Richard Allen

Novelists and poets

Samuel R. Delany
Ralph Ellison
Nikki Giovanni
Langston Hughes
Toni Morrison

Publishers

Singers and musicians

For a list of singers, see List of African-American singers.
Louis Armstrong
George Benson
Chuck Berry
James Brown
Ray Charles
Nat King Cole
John Coltrane
Sam Cooke
Miles Davis
Sammy Davis Jr.
Fats Domino
Dennis Edwards
Duke Ellington
Art Farmer
Ella Fitzgerald
Roberta Flack
Aretha Franklin
Marvin Gaye
Dizzy Gillespie
Buddy Guy
Isaac Hayes
Jimi Hendrix
Gil Scott-Heron
Billie Holiday
John Lee Hooker
Whitney Houston
Michael Jackson
Etta James
Rick James
Al Jarreau
Quincy Jones
B.B. King
Eartha Kitt
Gladys Knight
Patti LaBelle
Taj Mahal
Johnny Mathis
Curtis Mayfield
Aaron Neville
Jessye Norman
Billy Preston
Prince
Charley Pride
Lou Rawls
Otis Redding
Little Richard
Lionel Richie
Max Roach
Smokey Robinson
Nile Rodgers
Sonny Rollins
Diana Ross
Otis Rush
Nina Simone
Mavis Staples
Donna Summer
Cecil Taylor
Ike Turner
Tina Turner
Dionne Warwick
Dinah Washington
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
Muddy Waters
Lil Wayne
Barry White
Maurice White
Nancy Wilson
Bill Withers
Stevie Wonder
Lil Nas X

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Science and mathematics

Sports

Baseball

Satchel Paige
Jackie Robinson
Roy Campanella
Larry Doby
Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Ernie Banks
Bob Gibson
Lou Brock
Willie McCovey
Joe Morgan
Frank Robinson
Curt Flood
Barry Bonds
Ken Griffey Jr.
Derek Jeter
Barry Larkin
Giancarlo Stanton

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

P

R

S

M

N

W

Basketball

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Elgin Baylor
Charles Barkley
Kobe Bryant
Wilt Chamberlain
Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant
Julius Erving
Kevin Garnett
K. C. Jones
Sam Jones
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Karl Malone
Shaquille O'Neal
David Robinson
Oscar Robertson
Bill Russell
Dwyane Wade
Wes Unseld
Moses Malone
Robert Parish
Nate Thurmond

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

W

Y

Boxing

Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier
Jimmy Ellis
George Foreman
Larry Holmes
Ken Norton
Floyd Patterson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Earnie Shavers
Mike Tyson

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

P

Q

R

S

T

W

Fencing

Football

Jim Brown
Colin Kaepernick
Cam Newton
Jerry Rice
Deion Sanders
O. J. Simpson
Bubba Smith
Herschel Walker
Russell Wilson

B

C

E

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

S

T

V

W

Golf

Tiger Woods

Gymnastics

Hockey

Dustin Byfuglien
Kyle Okposo

Swimming

Tennis

Arthur Ashe
Althea Gibson
Serena Williams
Venus Williams

A

B

G

J

K

M

R

S

T

S

W

Y

Track and field

Otis Davis
Harrison Dillard
Charles Greene
Jim Hines
Michael Johnson
Florence Griffith Joyner
Vincent Matthews
Ralph Metcalfe
Jesse Owens
Wilma Rudolph
Tommie Smith
Eddie Tolan

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

W

Y

Wrestling

Motorsport

Martial arts

Soccer

First Ladies of the United States

Anthologies of biographies

There is a substantial body of literature, much of it by African Americans, that collects biographies of black leaders.[115] Notable examples in this genre are:

Other notables

See also

References

  1. ^ "Zazie Beetz talks Donald Glover's new TV series 'Atlanta'". www.nylon.com. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "The Smollett family business: acting and activism". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  3. ^ "Zendaya's evolution from disney star to blockbuster darling". www.thisisinsider.com. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  4. ^ Halzack, Sarah (June 13, 2014). "Ruby Dee: Actress and activist who fought civil rights and broke through racial barriers on Broadway in films, and on TV". The Independent UK. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Hou, Kathleen (6 May 2016). "Kat Graham on Beauty and Changing the World". The Cut. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  6. ^ Akhalbey, Francis (2018-01-26). "Emotional Eritrea homecoming for comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish [Video]". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  7. ^ "Y&R star Christel Khalil shares on her immigrant ties". www.soapcities.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "Zoe Kravitz not restricted by race". Data Thistle. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  9. ^ "Lauren London Bio". www.interfaithfamily.com. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  10. ^ "Meghan Markle: I'm more than an other". www.elle.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  11. ^ https://theshaderoom.com/celebrity-draya-michele-2/ "Coming from mixed African American/Italian parents, she gained interest in beauty at an early age".
  12. ^ https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/arts-culture/471716-tyler-perry-just-opened-a-massive-film-studio-in "The star becomes the first African American to own a major film production facility".
  13. ^ "Paula Patton". www.m.imdb.com. Retrieved September 26, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "10 things you didn't know about Madison Pettis". www.tvovermind.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  15. ^ "Glee's Naya Rivera reveals how her mixed-race ethnicity made it tough to land roles". www.wetpaint.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  16. ^ "Tracie Ellis Ross and Malcolm Jamal-Warner talk read between the lines". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  17. ^ "18, Activist, Harvard-Bound: How Yara Shahidi Became the Face and Brain of Young Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter. 8 August 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  18. ^ https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0000586/bio "Her father is of African American descent and her mother is of Afro-Caribbean ancestry".[user-generated source]
  19. ^ "Oprah Winfrey: From poverty to America's first African American billionaire". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  20. ^ "Dr. Bernard Harris Jr: First Black Man To Walk in Space". www.essence.com. January 28, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  21. ^ "Mae Jemison Bio". www.britannica. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  22. ^ Trebay, Guy (May 8, 2019). "At 45, Tyra Banks is Back on the Cover of Sports Illustrated". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  23. ^ "Chanel Iman Strikes A Pose for 'the Edit' and speaks out again on Fashion Diversity". m.huffpost.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  24. ^ "North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst named Miss USA 2019". www.nbc.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  25. ^ "Miss USA 2017 is Kara McCullough". people.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  26. ^ "Sofia Richie touches on Race and Religion in new interview". www.vanityfair.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  27. ^ Newsome, Melba (February 9, 2021). "9 Black Chefs Who Have Changed the Way We Eat". Taste of Home.
  28. ^ Eligon, John; Julia Moskin (July 16, 2019). " "l 16 Black Chefs: Changing Food in America". The New York Times.
  29. ^ Vardon, Joe (October 16, 2017). "Koby Altman's path from real estate agent to Cavaliers General manager a whirlwind". Www.Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  30. ^ "Wayne R. Embry". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  31. ^ Debord, Matthew (March 27, 2012). "Magic Johnson buys the L.A. Dodgers for 2 billion". Www.scpr.org. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  32. ^ "Magic Johnson's group buys Los Angeles Sparks". Www.usatodayhss.com. February 5, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  33. ^ Ozanian, Mike (June 12, 2014). "Michael Jordan is a billionaire after increasing stake in hornets". Www.Forbes.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  34. ^ "Rosa Parks". www.history.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  35. ^ "Booker T. Washington". www.history.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  36. ^ "Douglas L. Wilder". www.wilder.vcu.edu. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  37. ^ "Valerie Jarrett". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  38. ^ "Valerie Jarrett's Extraordinary Family tree". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  39. ^ "List of Department of Housing and Urban Development appointments by Joe Biden", Wikipedia, 2023-10-15, retrieved 2023-10-15
  40. ^ "ESPN's Cari Champion calls the shots her way". www.vogue.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  41. ^ http://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/elle-duncan-espn-sportscenter-snapchat-adrienne-lawrence-lawsuit-robin-roberts-jimmy-pitaro/1lqciy01mip661eqfbzh1put7j Archived 2019-04-03 at the Wayback Machine "As the proud granddaughter of one of the famous African American Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, Duncan doesn't forget her roots."
  42. ^ "Fox News's Harris Faulkner is the only African-American woman in cable news with a daily show: it's a tremendous amount of responsibility". www.businessinsider.com. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  43. ^ Ellison, Sarah (September 6, 2019). "Lester Holt's Path from country music DJ to the most powerful perch in news". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  44. ^ "Don Lemon". www.washingtonexaminer.com. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  45. ^ "Former GOP insider on discrimination in her party". www.abcnews.go.com. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  46. ^ https://www.tvguide.com/news/cnn-sara-sidner-1041083/ "My mother is British, and my father is African American".
  47. ^ Pirani, Fiza (October 18, 2018). "Who is Louis Farrakhan? 10 things to know about the Nation of Islam leader, black activist". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  48. ^ https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0461498/bio "Knowles father, Matthew Knowles is African American, while her mother, Tina Knowles is of Louisiana Creole Descent."[user-generated source]
  49. ^ "Tamar Braxton becomes the first African American to win celebrity big brother". www.glittermagrocks.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  50. ^ "Blue Moon". JAZZIZ Magazine. Michael Fagien. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  51. ^ "Alicia Keys Biography". www.m.imdb.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  52. ^ "Revolt Sessions Bio: Kehlani". www.revolt.tv. Retrieved November 10, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  53. ^ https://www.biography.com/people/solange-21265489 "Her mother Tina is of Creole heritage, and her father, Matthew, is African American."
  54. ^ "Saweetie's Met Gala look honors Filipino & Black American roots". The Philippine Star.
  55. ^ "Rozonda Thomas Biography". www.m.imdb.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  56. ^ Darville, Jordan, "Young Thug Addresses Anti-Black Accusations: “Black Lives Matter Forever", Fader, December 8, 2016.
  57. ^ @youngthug (December 8, 2016). "African American I am." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  58. ^ "Lil Wayne's team tried to stop his 'Black Lives Matter' interview from airing on 'Nightline'". New York Daily News. 4 November 2016.
  59. ^ "Hank Aaron". Www.baseballhall.org. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  60. ^ "Dee Gordon". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  61. ^ "Curtis Granderson". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  62. ^ "Aaron Judge is showing why more black athletes should start taking their talents to baseball". www.afro.com. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  63. ^ "Derek Jeter's Surprising DNA test". www.blogs.ancestry.com. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  64. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article191367459.html "Jeter's mother Dorothy is of Irish-German descent, and his father Charles is African American."
  65. ^ "Matt Kemp". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  66. ^ "Jackie Robinson". www.baseballhall.org. Retrieved October 4, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  67. ^ "Giancarlo Stanton". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  68. ^ Witz, Billy (2 April 2018). "How Giancarlo Stanton embraced who he is". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  69. ^ "Mark Aguirre". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  70. ^ "LaMarcus Aldridge". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  71. ^ "Jarrett Allen". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  72. ^ "Lavoy Allen". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 24, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  73. ^ "Ray Allen". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  74. ^ "Tony Allen". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 24, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  75. ^ "Carmelo Anthony". Www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  76. ^ https://www.complex.com/sports/2018/12/timeline-carmelo-anthony-career/ "His mother is African American and his father was of Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, and African descent".
  77. ^ "Lonzo Ball". Www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  78. ^ "Charles Barkley". Www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  79. ^ https://thelab.bleacherreport.com/no-apologies/ "He was the first son of Henry Barnes, an African-American Marine with a short temper, and Ann, a white Italian mother who taught elementary school."
  80. ^ "Chris Bosh". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  81. ^ "Jaylen Brown". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  82. ^ "Antonio Blakeney". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  83. ^ "Jimmy Butler". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  84. ^ "Kobe Bryant". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  85. ^ "Kwame Brown". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  86. ^ "Trey Burke". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  87. ^ "Reggie Bullock". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  88. ^ "Chauncey Billups". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  89. ^ "Eric Bledsoe". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  90. ^ "Will Chamberlain". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  91. ^ "Penny Hardaway". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  92. ^ "Dwight Howard". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  93. ^ "Grant Hill". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  94. ^ "James Harden". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  95. ^ "LeBron James". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  96. ^ "Magic Johnson". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  97. ^ "Michael Jordan". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  98. ^ "How Michael Jordan became the first African-American superstar athlete". www.bleacherreport.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  99. ^ "Jabari Parker joins a small number of African American Mormons in the NBA". www.theroot.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  100. ^ "Bill Russell". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  101. ^ "Bill Russell Celtics Bio". www.nba.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  102. ^ "Anfernee Simons". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  103. ^ "Dennis Smith Jr". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  104. ^ "John Salmons". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  105. ^ Henneman, Kristen (27 February 2017). "Olympian Ruth White Found Freedom in Fencing". USA Fencing. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  106. ^ [1] "Mahomes, 23, became the second African American quarterback to win the NFL's MVP Award outright".
  107. ^ Gluck, Jeff (January 27, 2016). "I'm an African-American QB that may scare a lot of people with unique skills". USA Today. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  108. ^ Cassidy, Megan (November 4, 2018). "'O. J. strategy': Lawyers say prosecutors ask about guilt to cull black jurors". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  109. ^ Laine, Jenna (January 16, 2017). "MLK Day personal for Bucs QB, Alabama native Jameis Winston". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  110. ^ "Russell Wilson on race in the NFL". www.si.com. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  111. ^ "Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and racial identity in sports". www.espn.com. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  112. ^ "Simone Biles makes history as first African American woman to win 5 top gymnastics titles". www.essence.com. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  113. ^ "Arthur Ashe becomes first African-American male tennis player ranked No.1 in the U.S." Andscape. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  114. ^ "First Lady Michelle Obama". www.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  115. ^ Brown, Hallie Q. Homespun heroines and other women of distinction. Oxford University Press, USA, 1988. pxxxiii

External links

African Americans
African immigrants to the United States
More
Disambiguation icon
This article includes a people-related list of lists.
Categories