Lists of African Americans

This is a list of African Americans, also known as Black Americans (for the outdated and unscientific racial term) or Afro-Americans. African Americans are an ethnic group consisting of citizens of the United States mainly descended from various West African and Central African peoples with possible minor additional ancestry from Europe or indigenous Americans and other regions of Africa. As an ethnic group, African Americans are largely the modern-day descendants of West Africans and Central Africans brought to the US from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade who developed a new and distinct cultural identity during their time in the Americas.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and references showing the person is African-American.

Activists

Artists

Businesspeople and entrepreneurs

Alton Abraham, former social entrepreneur and business manager for Sun Ra
Wally Amos, founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand
Donna Auguste, former founder of Freshwater Software
Leonard C. Bailey, business owner and inventor
Tyra Banks, television personality, former model
LaVar Ball, owner of the Big Baller Brand sports apparel
Christiana Carteaux Bannister, hairdressing business
ASAP Bari, co-founder of ASAP Mob and VLONE Clothing
Andre Barnett, founder of the Information Technology Company WiseDome INC
Beyoncé, co-founder of Tidal
Sarah Bickford, former owner of Virginia City Water Company
Dave Bing, owner of Bing Steel
Chris Brown, founder of the record label CBE
Madeline Bunch, founder of the Bunch Products Company, manufacturing Old South Brand beef and pork sausages
Herman Cain, business executive
Kenton Clarke, CEO, Computer Consulting Associates International Inc.
Demmette Guidry, music industry executive
Griffin Sisters, vaudeville performers and entrepreneurs
Kerry S. Harris, entrepreneur
Robert L. Johnson, co-founder of BET and RLJ Companies
Lisa S. Jones, founder and CEO of EyeMail Inc.
Walter P. Lomax Jr., founder of Lomax Health Systems
Mary Ellen Pleasant, real estate magnate
Henry A. Tandy, founder Tandy&Burns stone masonry and construction firm
Vertner Woodson Tandy, first African American architect State of New York and founder of Kappa Phi Alpha fraternity
Madam C. J. Walker, businessperson, hair care entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist
Gertrude Pocte Geddes Willis, owner of the Gertrude Geddes Willis Life Insurance Company and Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home

Chefs

Cinematographers

Entertainers

Fashion

Beauty queens and fashion models

Kimberly Clarice Aiken, Miss America 1994
J. Alexander, fashion model
Karen Alexander, fashion model
K. D. Aubert, fashion model
Tyra Banks, fashion model^[3]
Deshauna Barber, Miss USA 2016
Blac Chyna, model
Dorothea Church, fashion model
Pat Cleveland, model
Lynnette Cole, Miss USA 2000
Yaya DaCosta, fashion model
Bruce Darnell, male model
Jordan Emanuel, Miss Black America New York 2018
Jaimee Foxworth, actress, model and singer
Tomiko Fraser, fashion model
Kaliegh Garris, model
Lakita Garth, Miss Black California 1995
Carole Gist, Miss USA 1990
Quiana Grant, model
Ethel Ernestine Harper, African American educator and performer
Tanisha Harper, model
Shauntay Hinton, Miss USA 2002
Chanel Iman (African-American father), fashion model^[4]
Beverly Johnson, model
Jari Jones, model and trans activist
Toccara Jones, model
Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019^[5]
Donyale Luna, model and actress
Eva Marcille, fashion model
Kara McCullough, Miss USA 2017^[6]
Demetria McKinney, actress and model
Nana Meriwether (African-American father), Miss USA 2012
Draya Michele, model
Kenya Moore, Miss USA 1993
Fionnghuala O'Reilly, Irish American model
Sofia Richie (African-American father), fashion model^[7]
Jasmine Sanders, model
Neferteri Shepherd, model
Kimora Lee Simmons (half Japanese Korean, half African American)
Naomi Sims, model and businesswoman
Chelsi Smith (African-American father), Miss USA 1995 and Miss Universe 1995
Darine Stern, first African-American to be on the cover of Playboy magazine
Renee Tenison, first African-American to be selected Playboy Playmate of the year
Eugena Washington, model
Veronica Webb, model

Fashion designers

Government and politics

President

Barack Obama, (Kenyan-American father) 2009–2017, 44th president of the United States

Vice president

Kamala Harris, (Jamaican-American father) 2021–present, 49th vice president of the United States

First Ladies of the United States

Michelle Obama (2009–2017), first African American First Lady and the 44th First Lady^[8]

Governors

Archie Alexander, former governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
David Paterson (African-American mother), served as the 55th Governor of New York.
Deval Patrick, served as the 71st Governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015, so far the only African American to serve as Governor of Massachusetts.^[9]
P.B.S. Pinchback, served as the 24th Governor of Louisiana from 1872 to 1873, the first African American to become governor of a U.S. State.
Wes Moore, serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since 2023, the first African American to serve as Governor of Maryland.
Douglas Wilder, served as the 66th Governor of Virginia, became the first elected African-American governor, became the first African American to serve as governor of U.S. State since Reconstruction.^[10]

Other political fields

Stephen Bates, first African American sheriff in the state of Vermont.
Perry B. Jackson, first African American elected judge in the state of Ohio.
Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to former president Barack Obama, and co-chair of the Obama-Biden Transition project.^[11]^[12]
Mazi Melesa Pilip, Ethiopian-born American politician
Dr. Kimbery A. McClain, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Housing of Urban Development^[13]

Journalism and media

List of African American journalists

Legal system

Military and law enforcement

Ministers and other religious leaders

Science and mathematics

Sports

List of African American sportspeople

Writers

Publishers

W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press
Jayne Cortez, founder of Bola Press
Charles F. Harris, founder of Amistad Press
John H. Johnson
Naomi Long Madgett, poet and founder of Lotus Press
Haki Madhubuti, co-founder of Third World Press
Dudley Randall, founder of Broadside Press
Ishmael Reed
Glenn Thompson, co-founder of Writers and Readers Cooperative

Other notables

References

^ Newsome, Melba (February 9, 2021). "9 Black Chefs Who Have Changed the Way We Eat". Taste of Home.
^ Eligon, John; Julia Moskin (July 16, 2019). " "l 16 Black Chefs: Changing Food in America". The New York Times.
^ Trebay, Guy (May 8, 2019). "At 45, Tyra Banks is Back on the Cover of Sports Illustrated". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
^ "Chanel Iman Strikes A Pose for 'the Edit' and speaks out again on Fashion Diversity". m.huffpost.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
^ "North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst named Miss USA 2019". www.nbc.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
^ "Miss USA 2017 is Kara McCullough". people.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
^ "Sofia Richie touches on Race and Religion in new interview". www.vanityfair.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
^ "First Lady Michelle Obama". www.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
^ Milevski, Laila (January 19, 2023). "How many Black governors have served in the U.S. before Wes Moore?". Baltimore Banner. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
^ "Douglas L. Wilder". www.wilder.vcu.edu. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
^ "Valerie Jarrett". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
^ "Valerie Jarrett's Extraordinary Family tree". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
^ "List of Department of Housing and Urban Development appointments by Joe Biden", Wikipedia, 2023-10-15, retrieved 2023-10-15
^ Pirani, Fiza (October 18, 2018). "Who is Louis Farrakhan? 10 things to know about the Nation of Islam leader, black activist". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 10, 2020.

External links

President Obama's Speech to the NAACP on July 16, 2009 - full video by MSNBC
Famous African Americans

This article includes a people-related list of lists.

[1] Newsome, Melba (February 9, 2021). "9 Black Chefs Who Have Changed the Way We Eat". Taste of Home.

[2] Eligon, John; Julia Moskin (July 16, 2019). " "l 16 Black Chefs: Changing Food in America". The New York Times.

[3] Trebay, Guy (May 8, 2019). "At 45, Tyra Banks is Back on the Cover of Sports Illustrated". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

[4] "Chanel Iman Strikes A Pose for 'the Edit' and speaks out again on Fashion Diversity". m.huffpost.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.

[5] "North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst named Miss USA 2019". www.nbc.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.

[6] "Miss USA 2017 is Kara McCullough". people.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.

[7] "Sofia Richie touches on Race and Religion in new interview". www.vanityfair.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.

[8] "First Lady Michelle Obama". www.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2019.

[9] Milevski, Laila (January 19, 2023). "How many Black governors have served in the U.S. before Wes Moore?". Baltimore Banner. Retrieved January 19, 2023.

[10] "Douglas L. Wilder". www.wilder.vcu.edu. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2018.

[11] "Valerie Jarrett". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 4, 2018.

[12] "Valerie Jarrett's Extraordinary Family tree". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.

[13] "List of Department of Housing and Urban Development appointments by Joe Biden", Wikipedia, 2023-10-15, retrieved 2023-10-15

[14] Pirani, Fiza (October 18, 2018). "Who is Louis Farrakhan? 10 things to know about the Nation of Islam leader, black activist". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 10, 2020.

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