Table of Contents

Hank Aaron Kareem Abdul-Jabbar African American Aphorisms Alvin Ailey Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin Muhammad Ali Richard Allen Marian Anderson Maya Angelou Louis Armstrong Arthur Ashe Pearl Bailey James Baldwin Benjamin Banneker Imamu Amiri Baraka Charles Barkley Count Basie Daisy Bates Melba Pattillo Beals Romare Bearden Derrick Bell Lerone Bennett, Jr. Chuck Berry Mary McLeod Bethune Eubie Blake Julian Bond Cory A. Booker Arna Bontemps Donna Brazile Lou Brock Nathaniel H. Bronner, Sr. Gwendolyn Brooks Claude Brown James Brown Les Brown Ron H. Brown William Wells Brown Ralph J. Bunche Nannie Burroughs Bebe Moore Campbell Geoffrey Canada Stokely Carmichael Betty Carter George Washington Carver Wilt Chamberlain Ray Charles Charles W. Chesnutt Alice Childress Shirley Chisholm John Henrik Clarke Eldridge Cleaver Lucille Clifton Johnnie Cochran Johnnetta B. Cole Nat "King" Cole Ornette Coleman Marva Collins John Coltrane Anna Julia Cooper Bill Cosby Alexander Crummell Countee Cullen Evelyn Cunningham Angela Davis Miles Davis Ossie Davis Sammy Davis, Jr. Ruby Dee Martin R. Delaney Bessie (Annie Elizabeth) Delany Sadie (Sarah Louise) Delany Samuel R. Delany David Dinkins Frederick Douglass Rita Dove W. E. B. Du Bois Paul Laurence Dunbar Alice Dunbar-Nelson Katherine Dunham Michael Eric Dyson Marian Wright Edelman Joycelyn Elders Duke Ellington Ralph Ellison Medgar Evers Myrlie Evers-Williams Louis Farrakhan Jessie Redmon Fauset Ella Fitzgerald George Foreman James Forten Timothy Thomas Fortune Redd Foxx Aretha Franklin John Hope Franklin E. Franklin Frazier Joe Frazier Ernest J. Gaines Henry Highland Garnet Marcus Garvey Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Marvin Gaye Althea Gibson Bob Gibson Paula Giddings Dizzy Gillespie Nikki Giovanni Danny Glover Whoopi Goldberg Al Green Dick Gregory Charlotte Forten Grimke Francis J. Grimke Lani Guinier Alex Haley Arsenio Hall Fannie Lou Hamer Jupiter Hammon Fred Hampton Lionel Hampton W. C. Handy Lorraine Hansberry Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Dorothy Height Jimi Hendrix Anita Hill Chester Himes Gregory Hines Eric Holder, Jr. Billie Holiday bell hooks Benjamin L. Hooks Lena Horne Langston Hughes Alberta Hunter Zora Neale Hurston Jesse Jackson Mahalia Jackson Michael Jackson Reggie Jackson Harriet Ann Jacobs Judith Jamison Charles R. Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jack Johnson James Weldon Johnson John H. Johnson James Earl Jones Quincy Jones Barbara Jordan June Jordan Michael Jordan Jackie Joyner-Kersee Florynce R. Kennedy John Oliver Killens Jamaica Kincaid B. B. King Coretta Scott King Martin Luther King, Jr. Nella Larsen Lead Belly Spike Lee Sugar Ray Leonard Julius Lester John R. Lewis Alain Locke Audre Lorde Joe Louis Joseph E. Lowery Moms Mabley Paule Marshall Thurgood Marshall Benjamin E. Mays Willie Mays Nathan McCall Hattie McDaniel Claude McKay Kelly Miller Thelonius Monk Anne Moody Toni Morrison "Jelly Roll" Morton Elijah Muhammad Gloria Naylor Larry Neal William C. Nell Huey P. Newton Eleanor Holmes Norton Shaquille O'Neal Barack Hussein Obama Michelle Robinson Obama Jesse Owens Leroy "Satchel" Paige Charlie Parker Gordon Parks Rosa Parks Floyd Patterson Ann Petry William Pickens Sidney Poitier Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Colin Powell Leontyne Price Charley Pride Richard Pryor Robert Purvis Asa Philip Randolph J. Saunders Redding Ishmael Reed Condoleezza Rice Paul Robeson Jackie Robinson Chris Rock J. A. Rogers Diana Ross Carl T. Rowan Wilma Rudolph RuPaul Bayard Rustin Sonia Sanchez Arthur A. Schomburg Hazel Scott Bobby Seale Tupac Shakur Al Sharpton, Jr. Russell Simmons Nina Simone John Singleton Sister Souljah Shelby Steele Clifton L. Taulbert Susan L. Taylor Mary Church Terrell Clarence Thomas Howard Thurman Wallace Thurman Mamie Till-Mobley Melvin B. Tolson Jean Toomer Robert Townsend Sojourner Truth Harriet Tubman Henry McNeal Turner Nat Turner Tina Turner Cicely Tyson Mike Tyson Sarah Vaughan Alice Walker Madame C. J. Walker David Walker Margaret Walker Fats Waller Samuel Ringgold Ward Booker T. Washington Denzel Washington Harold Washington Ethel Waters Ida B. Wells Cornel West Phillis Wheatley Walter F. White John Edgar Wideman Ralph Wiley Roy Wilkins Serena Williams Venus Williams August Wilson Flip Wilson Oprah Winfrey George C. Wolfe Stevie Wonder Carter Godwin Woodson Richard Wright Malcolm X Frank Yerby Andrew Young Whitney Young, Jr.

About the Author

Joslyn Pine is well versed in American history and the editor of the popular Dover anthology, Presidential Wit and Wisdom.