Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Arthur Tappan
Biographical sketch of the life of Arthur Tappan, American philanthropist who used much of his energy and his fortune in the struggle to end slavery.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Augusta Savage
Read interesting facts about the life of American sculptor and educator, Augusta Savage, who battled racism to secure a place for African American women in the art world.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Augustus Tolton
Summarizes the life and career of Augustus Tolton, an American religious leader who is regarded as the first African American ordained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: August Wilson
Read about the life of African-American playwright, August Wilson, author of a cycle of plays, each set in a different decade of the 20th century, about black American life. He won Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1986) and The Piano Lesson...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bayard Rustin
Biographical information on Bayard Rustin, African-American civil rights activist who was a close adviser to Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bessie Smith
Biographical details on American singer, Bessie Smith, one of the greatest of blues vocalists.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Betty Shabazz
Biographical sketch of American educator and civil rights activist, Betty Shabazz, who is perhaps best known as the wife of slain black nationalist leader Malcolm X.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bill Robinson
Learn about the life and career of Bill Robinson, an American dancer of Broadway and Hollywood, best known for his dancing roles with Shirley Temple in films of the 1930s.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bill Russell
Biographical information on Bill Russell, an American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive center in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the sport's greatest icons.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Billy Strayhorn
Learn biographical details about American pianist and composer, Billy Strayhorn, who spent his entire career in collaboration with and as amanuensis to the composer and bandleader Duke Ellington.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bobby Seale
Learn about the life of Bobby Seale, African-American political activist, founder, along with Huey Newton, and national chairman of the Black Panther Party. Seale was one of a generation of young African-American radicals who broke away...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Carl Rowan
Learn about the life and career of Carl Rowan, an American journalist, writer, and radio and television commentator, who was one of the first African American officers in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Carl Stokes
Biographical sketch of American lawyer and politician, Carl Stokes, who became the first African-American to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city, having been elected to that office in Cleveland, Ohio (1967-71).
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Carl Van Vechten
Learn about Carl Van Vechten, a U.S. novelist, music and drama critic, and an influential figure in New York literary circles in the 1920s.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Carrie Mae Weems
Provides biographical details on the life of Carrie Mae Weems, American artist and photographer known for creating installations that combine photography, audio, and text to examine many facets of contemporary American life.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Charles Clinton Spaulding
Brief account of the life of Charles Spaulding, American business leader who built the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company into the nation's largest black-owned business by the time of his death, when it was worth about $40...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Chick Webb
Features a biographical sketch of Chick Webb, black American jazz drummer who led one of the dominant big bands of the swing era.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Cicely Tyson
learn about the life and career of Cicely Tyson, an American model and actress noted for her vivid portrayals of strong African American women.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Clarence Thomas
Learn biographical details on Clarence Thomas, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1991, the second African-American to serve on the court.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Condoleezza Rice
Learn about the life and career of Condoleezza Rice, an American educator and politician, who served as national security adviser and secretary of state to U.S. Pres. George W. Bush.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Cootie Williams
Learn about the life of Cootie Williams, an African-American trumpeter whose mastery of mutes and expressive effects made him one of the most distinctive jazz musicians.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Cornel West
Read about the life of Cornel West, American philosopher, scholar of African American studies, and political activist.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Daley Thompson
Provides a biographical sketch of British decathlete, Daley Thompson, who became only the second competitor in history to win the decathlon at two Olympic Games, capturing gold medals in 1980 and 1984.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Daniel Hale Williams
Learn about the life of Daniel Hale Williams, American physician and founder of Provident Hospital in Chicago, credited with the first successful heart surgery.