African Americans From Tennessee

Widely regarded as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin was a singer-songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Aretha was ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list in 2010. Having sold over 75 million records, she is also one of the best-selling musicians ever.

NLE Choppa is one of the youngest male rappers to make a name for himself in the American rapping scene. Also a well-known Internet personality, NLE Choppa has posted several videos on his YouTube channel Awakened Choppa, inspiring many of his followers to fall back on spirituality and veganism.

Penny Hardaway is a college basketball coach who is currently serving as the head coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. A former player, Hardaway played for teams like Miami Heat and New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association where he was a two-time All-NBA First Team member and a four-time NBA All-Star. 

Sprinter Wilma Rudolph made history by becoming the first American female athlete to win three track and field gold medals in a single Olympic game. As a child, she needed orthopedic shoes to help her walk. The sports icon lost her life to cancer but was immortalized through books and movies.

Quinton Jackson is a mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler turned actor. He is famous for his eccentric personality traits and aggressive style of fighting. He is credited with making MMA a popular sport worldwide. As an actor, he has appeared in a few films, including Miss March and Bad Guys. He is a controversial person. 

Thomas Hearns is an American retired boxer who became the first boxer in the history of boxing to win world titles in five different weight classes. Nicknamed the Hitman, Thomas Hearns was named Fighter of the Year in 1980 by The Ring magazine. He was also named Fighter of the Year in 1984 by the Boxing Writers Association of America. 

Mary Church Terrell was an African-American suffragist and civil rights activist. She was one of the first women of African-American heritage to earn a college degree. Terrell helped establish the National Association of Colored Women and served as its first president. Mary Church Terrell was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2020.

Brownie McGhee was an American blues singer, songwriter and musician who developed an interest in guitar at the age of six and learned to play the piano at eight. Impressed by itinerant blues musicians, he later dropped out of school to perform at carnivals and minstrel shows, eventually forming a long-lasting partnership with Sonny Terry,  in-between publishing several solo albums, including Brownie's Blues.