Famous Black Media Personalities

Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most iconic figures in America who broke many barriers to become one of the most influential women in the country. She is a role model for the black community and is also a fierce feminist. Her path-breaking The Oprah Winfrey Show mostly based on lives of common people catapulted her to unprecedented stardom.

A political activist of color, Candace Owens first gained visibility as an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Having changed her political stance since then, she is now known for her increasingly pro-Trump activism. Her support for Trump and criticism of Black Lives Matter have made her a controversial figure.

W. E. B. Du Bois was an American civil rights activist, sociologist, and Pan-Africanist. Du Bois played an instrumental role in fighting for full civil rights for people of color around the world. A co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Du Bois also played an important role as the leader of the Niagara Movement.

Accomplished American comedian, actress, singer and Broadway star, Whoopi Goldberg is amongst the select few who have won all the four awards—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Moreover, she is also a political activist, author and talk show host. Her notable work include films Ghost, Sister Act and The Color Purple; Broadway show Thoroughly Modern Millie and talk show The View.

Aaron McGruder is an American writer, cartoonist, screenwriter, producer, and lecturer. He is best known for writing a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip titled The Boondocks. He also wrote its TV series adaptation where he served as the creator, head writer, and executive producer.

Author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates gained international prominence while serving as the national correspondent at The Atlantic. His writings on socio-political issues related to African Americans and white supremacy garnered him much appreciation. He is a recipient of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Prize for Writing to Advance Social Justice. He also writes fiction and comics.

Newscaster and TV host, Harris Faulkner, is currently associated with  Fox News Channel.  She hosts her own prime time political franchise called Town Hall America with Harris Faulkner and also a daily daytime show The Faulkner Focus. A much-respected figure in the TV industry, she is the recipient of six Emmy Awards and the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Sunny Hostin is an American journalist, lawyer, and television host. She is best known for co-hosting the popular talk show, The View, for which she has received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations so far. Before appearing on TV, Sunny Hostin served as a federal prosecutor; for successfully prosecuting sex offenders, Hostin was honored with a Special Achievement Award.

Brian McKnight is a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist in R&B and soul genres. Associated with labels like Motown, Mercury, and Warner Brothers, he is known for his albums, Back at One, and Anytime. The co-writer of the song Wait also hosted radio shows.

Rochelle Humes is an English television presenter and singer. She is best known for her association with the British-Irish girl group, The Saturdays, which was active from 2007 to 2014. She then established herself as a TV presenter and achieved fame after co-presenting shows like Ninja Warrior UK and The Hit List.

Tinie Tempah is a British television presenter and rapper. He is credited with creating a company named Disturbing London which operates mainly as a record label. Over the course of his career, Tinie Tempah has won many prestigious awards, such as Brit Awards, MOBO Awards, and Urban Music Awards.

Loni Love is an American comedian, actress, television host, and author. Love won the prestigious Daytime Emmy Award under the Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host category in 2018 for her work in the popular syndicated talk show, The Real. A former electrical engineer, Loni Love has worked in popular companies like Xerox Holdings Corporation and General Motors.

Nadiya Hussain is a British TV chef, television presenter, and author. She is best known for winning the sixth series of The Great British Bake Off. Over the years Nadiya Hussain has become a household name in the UK by hosting shows like Nadiya's Family Favourites. In 2017, she was mentioned in Debrett's' 500 most influential people in the UK list.

Nicholas Cannon is a comedian, rapper and television host. The Nick Cannon Show, America's Got Talent and The Masked Singer are some of his popular TV shows. He has also acted in films like Drumline, Love Don't Cost a Thing and Roll Bounce. Cannon has been accused of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks. He has called White people ‘savages’.

Mel B is an English television personality and singer-songwriter. She gained international recognition as part of the popular pop girl group Spice Girls, which has sold more than 85 million records. Over the years, Mel B has been an important TV personality, appearing in several reality series as a participant as well as a judge.

Trevor McDonald is a Trinidadian-British journalist and newsreader. Over the years, he has been contributing to the success of the Independent Television News' (ITN) Broadcast News division, working as its news presenter. In the 1999 Birthday Honours, McDonald was appointed Knight Bachelor for his services to journalism. At the 2011 BAFTA TV Awards, he was honored with a BAFTA fellowship.

Historian Carter Woodson was is remembered for pioneering Black studies in schools and colleges. He began the Negro History Week, which is now celebrated as the Black History Month. Poverty had pushed him to work in the coal mines initially, and he couldn’t join high school before 20.