Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Sean Combs
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Sean Combs, an American rapper, record producer, and clothing designer, who founded an entertainment empire in the 1990s.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: De La Soul
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features De La Soul, an American rap group whose debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), was one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Barney Ewell
This entry features Barney Ewell, an American athlete, one of the world's leading sprinters of the 1940s. Although he was believed to be past his prime when the Olympic Games were resumed after World War II, he won three medals at the...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: George Dixon
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features George Dixon, a Canadian-born American boxer, the first black to win a world boxing championship. He is considered one of the best fighters in the history of the bantamweight and...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Buck O'neil
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Buck O'Neil, an American baseball player who was a player and manager in the Negro leagues.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Charles Morgan, Jr.
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Charles Morgan, Jr., an American attorney born March 11, 1930, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Floyd Mayweather, Jr., an American boxer whose combination of speed, power, and technical prowess made him one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of his generation.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Charlotte E. Ray
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Charlotte E. Ray, an American teacher and the first black female lawyer in the United States.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bill T. Jones
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bill T. Jones, an American choreographer and dancer who, with Arnie Zane, created the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Adah Isaacs Menken
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Adah Isaacs Menken, an American actress and poet widely celebrated for her daring act of appearing (seemingly) naked, strapped to a running horse.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Adelaide Hall
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Adelaide Hall, an American-born jazz improviser whose wordless rhythms ushered in what became known as scat singing.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Alan Page
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Alan Page, an American gridiron football player who in 1971 became the first defensive player to win the Most Valuable Player award of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Albert King
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Albert King, an American blues musician who created a unique string-bending guitar style that influenced three generations of musicians.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Alicia Keys
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Alicia Keys, an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress, who achieved enormous success in the early 2000s with her blend of R&B and soul music.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Arnold Jacob Wolf
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Arnold Jacob Wolf, an American rabbi and activist born March 19, 1924, Chicago, Ill. .
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Barry Sanders
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Barry Sanders, an American professional gridiron football player. In his 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions (1989-98), Sanders led the National Football League (NFL) in rushing four times...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bell Hooks
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features bell hooks, an American scholar whose work examined the varied perceptions of black women and black women writers and the development of feminist identities.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Big Mama Thornton
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Big Mama Thornton, an American singer and songwriter who performed in the tradition of classic blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. Her work inspired imitation by Elvis...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bill Dixon
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bill Dixon, an American jazz artist born Oct. 5, 1925, Nantucket, Mass.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Blind Lemon Jefferson
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Blind Lemon Jefferson, an American country blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, one of the earliest black folk-blues singers to achieve popular success.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bobby Mc Ferrin
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bobby McFerrin, an American musician noted for his tremendous vocal control and improvisational ability. He often sang a cappella, mixing folk songs, 1960s rock and soul tunes, and jazz...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bobby Short
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bobby Short, an American cabaret singer and piano player who in his personal and performance style came to represent a sophistication and elegance typical of an earlier era.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Brock Peters
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Brock Peters, an American actor who employed his powerful bass voice and strong presence in portrayals of a wide range of characters, notably in the role of Tom Robinson in To Kill a...
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Bruce Smith
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bruce Smith, an American professional gridiron football defensive end who holds the National Football League (NFL) career record for quarterback sacks (200).