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.
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Birthdate: December 30, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio, United States
Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
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)
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)
Birthdate: June 7, 1958
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Died: April 21, 2016
5
Martin Luther King Jr.(African-American Civil Rights Movement Leader Who Used Civil Disobedience to Combat Racism)
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)
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')
Birthdate: June 15, 1969
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Crenshaw, California, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
8
Jay-Z(One of the Most Influential Hip-Hop Artists in History)
Birthdate: December 4, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Birthdate: January 31, 1919
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cairo, Georgia, United States
Died: October 24, 1972
10
Kawhi Leonard(American Professional Basketball Player and 5-Time NBA All-Star Winner)
Birthdate: June 29, 1991
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
Birthdate: January 17, 1931
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Arkabutla, Mississippi, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Birthdate: October 5, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Birthdate: June 20, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tuskegee, Alabama, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
14
Deion Sanders(Former American Football Player, Coach and Only Athlete to Play in Both 'Super Bowl' and 'World Series')
Birthdate: August 9, 1967
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
15
George Foreman(American Retired Professional Boxer and Two-Time World Heavyweight Champion)
Birthdate: January 10, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Marshall, Texas, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
16
Louis Armstrong(American Writer & Professor of Biochemistry Best Known for His Hard Science Fiction Novels)
Birthdate: August 4, 1901
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: July 6, 1971
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
17
Derek Jeter(American Former Professional Baseball Shortstop and Executive)
Birthdate: June 26, 1974
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pequannock Township, New Jersey, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
18
Jon Jones(American Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Former Two-Time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion)
Birthdate: July 9, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
19
Vince Carter(American Former Professional Basketball Player Who Played as the Shooting Guard / Small Forward )
Birthdate: January 26, 1977
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Daytona Beach, Florida, United States
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
20
Kid Cudi(Rapper who Rose to Fame with His Debut Mixtape 'A Kid Named Cudi')
Birthdate: January 30, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Birthdate: December 18, 1970
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
22
Jesse Owens(American Track and Field Athlete Who Won Four Gold Medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics)
Birthdate: September 12, 1913
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oakville, Alabama, United States
Died: March 31, 1980
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
23
Chuck Berry(One of the Most Influential “Rock 'n' Roll” Performers in Music History)
Birthdate: October 18, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: March 18, 2017
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Birthdate: November 29, 1976
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Anderson, South Carolina, United States
Died: August 28, 2020
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
25
Ludacris(Rapper & Actor Known for His Album ‘Incognegro’ and His Role in 'Fast & Furious' Series)
Birthdate: September 11, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Champaign, Illinois, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Birthdate: September 17, 1995
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tyler, Texas, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
Birthdate: March 20, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Birthdate: February 15, 1995
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
29
Joe Frazier(American Former Professional Boxer and Olympic Gold Medallist)
Birthdate: January 12, 1944
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Beaufort, South Carolina, United States
Died: November 7, 2011
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Birthdate: February 23, 1868
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 27, 1963
31
Nat King Cole(Singer and Jazz Pianist Best Known His Soft Baritone Voice)
Birthdate: March 17, 1919
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Died: February 15, 1965
Birthdate: March 3, 1992
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Birthdate: November 29, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Birthdate: May 27, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Birthdate: September 16, 1925
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berclair, Mississippi
Died: May 14, 2015
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
36
Hank Aaron(One of the Greatest Baseball Players in History)
Birthdate: February 5, 1934
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama, United States
Died: January 22, 2021
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Birthdate: May 17, 1956
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Birthdate: March 13, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Birthdate: May 8, 1911
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hazlehurst, Mississippi, United States
Died: August 16, 1938
Birthdate: November 10, 1968
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Birthdate: November 20, 1983
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Birthdate: April 20, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
43
Booker T. Washington(American Educator Who was the Dominant Leader of the African-American Community Between 1890 and 1915)
Birthdate: April 5, 1856
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Westlake Corner, Virginia, United States
Died: November 14, 1915
44
Johnnie Cochran(American Lawyer and Civil Activist Best Known for Defending and Acquitting 'O. J. Simpson')
Birthdate: October 2, 1937
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
Died: March 29, 2005
Birthdate: July 16, 1976
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Junction City, Kansas, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
Birthdate: October 8, 1980
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
47
Joe Louis(One of the Greatest and Most Influential Boxers of All Time.)
Birthdate: May 13, 1914
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chambers County, Alabama, United States
Died: April 12, 1981
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Birthdate: September 30, 1980
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
49
Bo Jackson(Former Baseball & Football Player, the Only Professional Athlete in History to be Named an 'All-Star' in Both)
Birthdate: November 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bessemer, Alabama, United States
Birthdate: July 15, 1961
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Longview, Texas, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)