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Grammy-winning hip-hop/rap artist Nelly began his career with St. Lunatics. He became a household name after the release of his debut solo album, Country Grammar, in 2000. He ranked third on Billboard’s list of the Top Artist of the Decade and has sold 21 million albums in the U.S.
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.
Tina Knowles is an American fashion designer and businesswoman. In 2004, she launched House of Deréon, a now-defunct ready-to-wear fashion line. While her fashion brands, such as Miss Tina and House of Deréon, have been generally regarded as one of her most important contributions, her biggest contribution to the society is letting her daughters, Beyoncé and Solange ,follow their passion.
Bernice King is an American minister best known as the daughter of the popular activist and leader Martin Luther King Jr. Over the years, Barnice King has supported many noble causes for which she has been honored with several awards. In 2009, she was honored at the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Convention for her service to women.
The son of a janitor and a domestic help, Herman Cain used his talent in math to join Purdue University. He had worked with the Navy and been an analyst for Coca-Cola. He later headed Pillsbury as its VP. He had announced his presidential candidacy in 2012 but later withdrew.
The first black African to be featured on the Forbes billionaires’ list, African Rainbow Minerals founder Patrice Motsepe also owns a football club. In 2021, he took over as the president of the Confederation of African Football. The mining tycoon has also signed The Giving Pledge.
The daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley and his singer wife Rita Marley, Cedella Marley dons many hats. She is not just a singer but is also a successful fashion designer, an author, and an entrepreneur. She began her singing career with The Melody Makers and now heads her father’s record label.
Ghanaian-British rapper Kwasi Esono Danquah III is better known as Tinchy Stryder, "Tinchy" being an indication of his short frame and "Stryder" indicating a game he played as a child. Famous for his album Star in the Hood, he also owns an apparel range of the same name.
Ursula Burns made history when she became the CEO of Xerox, becoming the first African-American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Raised by a working-class single mother, Burns grew up to graduate as a mechanical engineer. She has led the American STEM Education Coalition and served various corporate boards.
Ghanaian businesswoman Esther Afua Ocloo, better known as the founder of Women’s World Banking, had stepped into the world of business with less than a dollar. She initially sold marmalade in Ghana and then moved to England to learn food processing, eventually turning into a microlending pioneer.
The first North American Black woman to publish a newspaper, USA-born Mary Ann Shadd was the founder of the Canadian newspaper, The Provincial Freeman. Concurrently serving as its anonymous editor and contributor, she also became one of the first women to pursue journalism in Canada. She was also one of the first Black women to earn a degree in law.
Ghanaian actress, model and film-producer Yvonne Nelson chanced upon acting with the film Princess Tyra. Over the years, she has produced and starred in several movies, most-notably the Ghanaian-Nigerian comedy House of Gold that bagged many awards at 2013 Zulu African Film Academy Awards. She founded the Yvonne Nelson Glaucoma Foundation and is noted for her charity-work in fighting glaucoma.
The only son of former secretary-general of the UN, Kofi Annan, Kojo Annan is a serial entrepreneur who has been associated with various companies, such as Vector Global and Made in Africa. The Swiss-born Ghanaian-Nigerian was a talented college rugby player and works to provide sports scholarships to African students.
