Black Aries Celebrities

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.

Montero Lamar Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, soared to fame with his US Billboard Hot 100 charter country rap track Old Town Road. The gay singer initially became viral for his comedy videos on Facebook and Vine and then soared to fame on Spotify.

Sadio Mané is one of the greatest Senegalese football players of all time. He is Senegal's fifth all-time top goal-scorer and was named African Footballer of the Year in 2020. One of Liverpool's key players, Sadio serves as an inspiration to youngsters as he succeeded as a footballer in spite of his father forbidding him from playing as a child.

American singer Marvin Gaye is one of the most successful black artists ever and his albums have sold in millions. His success reached great heights with the 1972 song What's Going On. The 1982 single Sexual Healing was the biggest hit of his career and was a chartbuster. He was tragically shot dead by his father after a family altercation.

Martin Lawrence is a German born-American actor and comedian. Despite being traumatized after witnessing his parents' divorce at the age of eight, Lawrence went on to succeed as a comedian and later as a leading Hollywood actor. After a problematic 1990s, which included episodes of arrests, lawsuits, and health problems, he bounced back with several hit films.

Akon is one of the most successful R&B, hip hop and rap singers in the world. His albums Trouble, Konvicted, Freedom, El Negreeto and Akonda have many chartbusters songs. He has also founded record labels Akonik Label Group, KonLive Distribution and Konvict Mizik. He courted controversy in 2007 for an onstage act involving simulated sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Liza Koshy serves as an inspiration to many social media stars and YouTubers as she went on to become an actress and TV host after starting her career on Vine. She even received an Emmy nomination for hosting a game show called Double Dare. In 2019, she was named in Time magazine's 25 Most Influential People on the Internet list.

Brazilian MMA legend Anderson Silva began learning Taekwondo at 12. He holds the record of the longest reign by any UFC title-holder, being the middleweight champion from 2006 to 2013, and also has a record of 16 consecutive wins. He also has black belts in multiple martial art forms.

Adrian Peterson is an American football player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League (NFL), Peterson became the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards in 2013. He is currently playing for the Detroit Lions.

A four-time Grammy Award-winning artist, singer Tracy Chapman is best known for her hit single, Give Me One Reason. Interested in music from a young age, she learned to play multiple instruments as a child. She made her major-stage debut in 1985 and soon became a sensational hit. She is also known for her social activism.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Kyle Lowry has been an important player for the Canadian professional basketball team Toronto Raptors since 2012; he helped the team win their first NBA championship in 2019. Also a prominent player for the US national team, Kyle Lowry was part of the US team that won the Olympic gold in 2016.

Actor, voice actor, and artist Billy Dee Williams first rose to fame for his role in the Star Wars franchise in the early 1980s. Making his Broadway theater debut as a child actor, he went on to pursue a career as an artist. Eventually, he started acting again and achieved success as both an actor and an artist.

Jack Johnson was an American boxer and one of the most dominant champions of his generation. Considered one of the most influential boxers ever, Jack Johnson became the first African American to win the world heavyweight championship at the peak of the Jim Crow era. He is often credited with influencing popular boxers like Muhammad Ali.

Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne, popularly known by his stage name Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper. He is credited with co-founding a hip hop collective called Members Only. A controversial figure, Goulbourne has been on the wrong side of the law on a couple of occasions. In 2016, he was arrested for robbery and driving without a license.

Chris Bosh is an American former basketball player who represented The Toronto Raptors and The Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. A key player for the US national team, Bosh helped his nation win a gold medal at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. In 2004, he established the Chris Bosh Foundation to promote education and sports amongst youths.

Canadian actress Vanessa Morgan is best known for her role in the Disney Channel/Teletoon film My Babysitter's a Vampire. She began singing at community events as a child and was spotted by a Hollywood agent who encouraged her to join the show business. She made her acting debut in 2000 and has since acted in many TV shows and films.

Nigerian billionaire business magnate and philanthropist, Aliko Dangote, is the wealthiest person in Africa. He is also the richest black person in the world. Born into a wealthy family, he grew up to be an astute young man. He founded the multi trillion-naira conglomerate, The Dangote Group. A dedicated philanthropist, he has donated millions to health care in Nigeria.

Singer and actor, Paul Robeson, was as much known for his music and films as he was for his political activism. As a black man who had to endure great difficulties to establish himself, he was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement and other social justice campaigns. As a performer, he was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation and a co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. During his stint with the UN, he launched the UN Global Compact and worked to combat HIV/AIDS. 

Considered one of the fittest central defenders of the world, retired Belgian footballer Vincent Kompany had a successful stint with Manchester City, winning 4 Premier League titles, among other championships, with them. Post-retirement, the star footballer had turned to coaching and now manages the English club Burnley.

Blaise Matuidi is a French football player who has represented the France national team in prominent tournaments like FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Football Championships. He also played a major role in helping his team win the 2018 World Cup. Referred to as a strong and fierce tackler, Blaise Matuidi is renowned for his energy and physical strength.

American mathematician and aerospace engineer Mary Jackson went down in history as the first African-American woman to work as a NASA engineer. Initially a math teacher, she later joined NACA under Dorothy Vaughan and contributed to countless American space programs at a time when racial segregation was the norm.

Aminé is an American rapper, songwriter, and singer. He is best known for his hit single Caroline, which took the US Billboard Hot 100 by storm by peaking at number 11 on the chart. In 2017, Aminé was nominated at the BET Hip Hop Awards under the Best New Hip Hop Artist category.