Trumpeter, composer and occasionally an actor, Louis Armstrong was one of the most prominent and famous African American musicians during the Harlem Renaissance. He is most famously remembered for being...
As a child born into slavery in Virginia in the mid 1850s, Booker T. Washington put himself through school, with very little support from friends, and became a teacher after the Civil War.
Henrietta Lacks was a black women who gave hold to one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of her time after enduring a tragedy; stage I cervical cancer. Neither she or her family knew that her cells...
[dropcap style="flat"]S[/dropcap]ince 1789, the practice of presidents commissioning portraits of themselves, whether to glorify their egos or to preserve their faces for future generations, has been...
Scott Joplin was born to perform and compose, entering a family of musicians. After studying at the George R. Smith College for Negroes in Sedalia, MO, Joplin wrote the "Maple Leaf Rag," which eventually became one of the most famous compositions of the 20th century.
Gwendolyn Brooks was one of the most respected and inspirational writers of the post-World War I time. On top of becoming the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950, her legacy continues to impact others to this day.
On April 4, 1928, Maya Angelou arrived into a world that would not be kind to her. Society found many ways to put her down for her gender and skin color. Angelou lived in St. Louis, Missouri until her...
Born from a Fashion Designer and a Storyteller, Faith Ringgold lived around creativity. Growing up in Harlem during the Great Depression, however, is what really pushed her to make her art unique.
Although...