Famous African American Men Who Created History

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Thousands of men of African American descent have made the United States proud with their incredible accomplishments. It is amazing as to how members of this community suffered from oppression, slavery and racial discrimination for a really long time, but eventually rose to become prominent figures of their country. Many legendary personalities of African American origin have earned places in books of history for their remarkable achievements. Legendary leader and activist Martin Luther King Jr. is one such man who hasn’t just made his community proud, but is also hailed by millions of people around the world for raising his voice against injustice. He is praised for his ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott’ and ‘Selma To Montgomery Marches’ even today, almost 5 decades after his assassination. The leader was also awarded a Nobel Prize for his contribution towards the betterment of American society. Former ‘Democrat’ party leader Barack Obama created history back in 2009 after being sworn in as the first African American president of the United States. Not just politics, African American men are making waves in different fields, such as sports, cinema and literature. Will Smith and Eddie Murphy are two famous Hollywood stars who have been applauded time and again for their acting prowess. Smith won the hearts of movie lovers with his outstanding performances in films like ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ and ‘Men In Black’. You will find below a list of famous African American men who are legends in their own right.
Vote for Your Favourite African American Men Who Created History
 1 
LeBron James
(One of the Greatest Players in NBA History)
LeBron James
340
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 30, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio, United States
Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
 2 
Muhammad Ali
(The Greatest Heavyweight Boxer of All Time)
Muhammad Ali
190
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: January 17, 1942
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Died: June 3, 2016
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 3 
Tupac Shakur
( 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone)
Tupac Shakur
256
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 16, 1971
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 13, 1996
 4 
Prince
(Singer-songwriter & Multi-instrumentalist)
Prince
124
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 7, 1958
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Died: April 21, 2016
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 5 
Martin Luther King Jr.
(African-American Civil Rights Movement Leader Who Used Civil Disobedience to Combat Racism)
Martin Luther King Jr.
99
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 15, 1929
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Died: April 4, 1968
 6 
Mike Tyson
(One of the Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time and First to Simultaneously Hold WBA, WBC & IBF Titles)
Mike Tyson
94
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 30, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Fort Greene, New York, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 7 
Ice Cube
(Rapper - Contributed Significantly to the Development of 'Gangsta Rap')
Ice Cube
85
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 15, 1969
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Crenshaw, California, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 8 
Kyrie Irving
(American Professional Basketball Player)
Kyrie Irving
66
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 3, 1992
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 9 
Jay-Z
(One of the Most Influential Hip-Hop Artists in History)
Jay-Z
83
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 4, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 10 
Jackie Robinson
(First African-American to Play in Major League Baseball)
Jackie Robinson
47
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 31, 1919
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cairo, Georgia, United States
Died: October 24, 1972
 11 
Kawhi Leonard
(American Professional Basketball Player and 5-Time NBA All-Star Winner)
Kawhi Leonard
48
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 29, 1991
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
 12 
James Earl Jones
(One of the Greatest Actors in American History)
James Earl Jones
48
Birthdate: January 17, 1931
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Arkabutla, Mississippi, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 13 
Neil deGrasse Tyson
(American Astrophysicist, Planetary Scientist and Science Communicator)
Neil deGrasse Tyson
44
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 5, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 14 
Deion Sanders
(Former American Football Player, Coach and Only Athlete to Play in Both 'Super Bowl' and 'World Series')
Deion Sanders
33
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 9, 1967
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 15 
Lionel Richie
(Co-Lead Singer Of Funk Band The Commodores)
Lionel Richie
28
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 20, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tuskegee, Alabama, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 16 
Jon Jones
(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Former Two-Time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion)
Jon Jones
35
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 9, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
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 17 
George Foreman
(Two-Time World Heavyweight Champion)
George Foreman
32
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 10, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Marshall, Texas, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 18 
Louis Armstrong
(American Writer & Professor of Biochemistry Best Known for His Hard Science Fiction Novels)
Louis Armstrong
45
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: August 4, 1901
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: July 6, 1971
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 19 
Derek Jeter
(American Former Professional Baseball Shortstop and Executive)
Derek Jeter
26
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 26, 1974
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pequannock Township, New Jersey, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 20 
Vince Carter
(American Former Professional Basketball Player Who Played as the Shooting Guard / Small Forward )
Vince Carter
32
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 26, 1977
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Daytona Beach, Florida, United States
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
 21 
DMX
(Rapper)
DMX
31
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 18, 1970
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 22 
Kid Cudi
(Rapper who Rose to Fame with His Debut Mixtape 'A Kid Named Cudi')
Kid Cudi
61
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: January 30, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
 23 
Jesse Owens
(American Track and Field Athlete Who Won Four Gold Medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics)
Jesse Owens
32
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 12, 1913
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oakville, Alabama, United States
Died: March 31, 1980
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 24 
Chuck Berry
(One of the Most Influential “Rock 'n' Roll” Performers in Music History)
Chuck Berry
34
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: October 18, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: March 18, 2017
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 25 
Ludacris
(Rapper & Actor Known for His Album ‘Incognegro’ and His Role in 'Fast & Furious' Series)
Ludacris
45
Birthdate: September 11, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Champaign, Illinois, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 26 
Spike Lee
(Film director)
Spike Lee
40
Birthdate: March 20, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 27 
Joe Frazier
(The First Boxer to Defeat Muhammad Ali)
Joe Frazier
29
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 12, 1944
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Beaufort, South Carolina, United States
Died: November 7, 2011
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 28 
W. E. B. Du Bois
(Civil Rights Activists)
W. E. B. Du Bois
28
Birthdate: February 23, 1868
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 27, 1963
 29 
Nat King Cole
(Singer and Jazz Pianist Best Known His Soft Baritone Voice)
Nat King Cole
13
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: March 17, 1919
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Died: February 15, 1965
 30 
Tyron Woodley
(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Tyron Woodley
42
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 7, 1982
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ferguson, Missouri, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 31 
B.B. King
(Singer-songwriter)
B.B. King
12
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: September 16, 1925
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berclair, Mississippi
Died: May 14, 2015
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 32 
Hank Aaron
(One of the Greatest Baseball Players in History)
Hank Aaron
29
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 5, 1934
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama, United States
Died: January 22, 2021
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 33 
Isaiah Thomas
(Professional Basketball Player Who Plays as a Point Guard)
Isaiah Thomas
40
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 7, 1989
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 34 
Common
(Rapper)
Common
36
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: March 13, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 35 
Sugar Ray Leonard
(One of the Greatest Boxers of All Time)
Sugar Ray Leonard
23
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 17, 1956
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 36 
Ronnie Coleman
(Regarded as One of the Greatest Bodybuilders of All Time)
Ronnie Coleman
20
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: May 13, 1964
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Monroe, Louisiana, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 37 
Chadwick Boseman
78
Birthdate: November 29, 1976
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Anderson, South Carolina, United States
Died: August 28, 2020
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 38 
Robert Johnson
25
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 8, 1911
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hazlehurst, Mississippi, United States
Died: August 16, 1938
 39 
Patrick Mahomes II
(The Third African-American Quarterback to Win A Super Bowl)
Patrick Mahomes II
132
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 17, 1995
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tyler, Texas, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 40 
Megan Thee Stallion
(The Second Female Rapper to Win Best New Artist at the Grammy's)
Megan Thee Stallion
161
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 15, 1995
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 41 
Bobby Lashley
(Professional Wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist)
Bobby Lashley
28
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 16, 1976
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Junction City, Kansas, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 42 
Tracy Morgan
(Actor)
Tracy Morgan
14
Birthdate: November 10, 1968
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 43 
Booker T. Washington
(American Educator Who was the Dominant Leader of the African-American Community Between 1890 and 1915)
Booker T. Washington
29
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 5, 1856
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Westlake Corner, Virginia, United States
Died: November 14, 1915
 44 
Virgil Abloh
(Fashion designer)
Virgil Abloh
11
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: September 30, 1980
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
 45 
Russell Wilson
(American Football Player Who Plays as a Quarterback)
Russell Wilson
49
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 29, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 46 
Joe Louis
(One of the Greatest and Most Influential Boxers of All Time.)
Joe Louis
15
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 13, 1914
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chambers County, Alabama, United States
Died: April 12, 1981
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
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 47 
Barry Bonds
(One of the Greatest Baseball Players of All Time)
Barry Bonds
14
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 24, 1964
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Riverside, California, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 48 
Arthur Ashe
(The Only Black Man to Win the Singles Title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open)
Arthur Ashe
9
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 10, 1943
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Died: February 6, 1993
 49 
Sugar Ray Robinson
(One of the Greatest Boxers of All Time)
Sugar Ray Robinson
14
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 3, 1921
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ailey, Georgia, United States
Died: April 12, 1989
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 50 
Future (Rapper)
(One of the Most Influential Rappers of His Generation)
Future (Rapper)
41
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: November 20, 1983
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States