African Americans From Georgia

Creative from a very young age, Kanye West dreamed of becoming a rapper since very early in his life. He became an award winning American rapper whose creativity in music is widely appreciated by critics. However, his outspoken views, comments and behaviour have quite often landed him controversies.

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.

A leader in the civil rights movement in the mid-twentieth century, Martin Luther King Jr. is best remembered for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience. A man of Christian faith who was inspired by Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent activism, he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting racial inequality.  

Known for his portrayal of domineering and aggressive characters in his films, Laurence Fishburne began his stint on screen as a child actor in projects such as Apocalypse Now. The play Two Trains Running won him multiple theater awards. However, fans remember him best as Morpheus from The Matrix.

Coco Gauff is an American tennis player who became the youngest singles WTA Tour title-holder since 2004 when she won her first WTA title at the 2019 Upper Austria Ladies Linz at the age of 15. Coco Gauff, who has achieved a career-high ranking of 23 in singles, is the youngest player ranked by the WTA in the top 100.

American professional basketball player, Dwight Howard, is known for his athleticism and his powerful physique. He is in the Los Angeles Lakers team of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for NBA’s Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. He was part of the US men’s national basketball team which won the 2008 Olympics gold medal.

Spike Lee is a celebrated and one of the most decorated American filmmakers of his generation. Most of his critically acclaimed films explore political issues, such as urban crime and poverty, colorism in the African-American community, and race relations. Four of his films have been selected for conservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Ray Charles went on to become a great singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist, despite suffering blindness due to glaucoma early in his life. One of the most respected and decorated musicians of all time, Ray Charles has been named in lists, such as 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. He pioneered the soul music genre, which remains his greatest contribution.

Emmy Award-winner improv comedian Wayne Brady of Whose Line Is It Anyway? has also mesmerized audiences with his acting skills in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. If that wasn’t enough, the multitalented performer was also nominated for a Grammy for his rendition of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come.

The second African-American justice to serve on the Supreme Court of America, the appointment of Clarence Thomas in 1991 was controversial. He was accused of sexual harassment by lawyer Anita Hill in public hearings, but was eventually cleared. He is on the conservative side of the court and has been criticised by liberals for opposing issues like gay marriage.

Larry Holmes is an American retired boxer whose left jab is often ranked among the best in the history of professional boxing. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing, Holmes' title defense against 19 boxers is the second-most in history. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.

Khalid is an American singer-songwriter whose work in Logic’s hit single 1-800-273-8255 earned him a nomination at the Grammy Awards. He has also received prestigious awards, such as Billboard Music Awards, MTV Video Music Award, and American Music Awards. In 2019, he was named in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People.

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American boxer. Considered one of the greatest boxers ever, Robinson held a 91-fight unbeaten streak from 1943 to 1951, the third-longest in the history of professional boxing. Also known for his flamboyant and classy lifestyle outside the ring, Sugar Ray Robinson unsuccessfully tried his hand at a career as an entertainer after retiring from boxing.

Civil rights activist and educator Betty Shabazz, or Betty X, was the wife of Black nationalist leader Malcolm X. Raised by her adoptive parents in Detroit, she met Malcolm X at a Nation of Islam event in Harlem. She died when her apartment was set on fire set by her grandson.

2 Chainz is an American rapper, media personality, songwriter, and basketball player. One-half of the now-defunct hip hop duo Playaz Circle, 2 Chainz is credited with founding The Real University, his own independent record label. Also an entrepreneur, 2 Chainz owns Dabbing Sweaters, his own line of sweaters, and CEO Millionaires, a line of hoodies.

Track and field sprinter Christian Coleman has two World Championship golds in his kitty. Born into a sports-oriented family, with his sister being a track and field athlete, he was naturally drawn toward sports. He was banned for missing his drug tests and, as a result, missed the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Gunna is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. On May 22, 2020, Gunna released his second album Wunna, which debuted at number one position on the Billboard 200 chart. Like many other rappers, Gunna has had his share of controversies; he was arrested in 2018 for possession of marijuana and was released the next day on a bond of $2,500.

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.