Marcel Theo Hall  (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), [1]  better known by his stage name  Biz Markie , was an American  rapper , singer, DJ, record producer, actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his 1989 single " Just a Friend ", which became a  Top 40  hit in several countries. In 2008, "Just a Friend" made No. 100 on  VH1 's list of the 100 greatest hip hop songs of all time. [2]

The 14-year-old eighth-grader from Harvey, Louisiana, correctly spelled "Murraya" — a genus of flowering plants — to clinch victory Thursday night during the bee's live finals at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Suzzanne Douglas  (April 12, 1957 – July 6, 2021) was an American actress. [2]  She is best known for her role as matriarch Jerri Peterson on  The WB  sitcom  The Parent 'Hood , [2]  starring  Robert Townsend  which ran from 1995–1999. Douglas portrayed Amy Simms in the 1989 dance/drama film  Tap  alongside  Gregory Hines  and  Sammy Davis, Jr , for which she received an  NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture . In addition to Tap, Douglas has starred in several other motion pictures, among them  How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998),  Jason's Lyric  (1994),  The Inkwell (1994) as well as the 2003  Disney / ABC version of  Sounder  with  Carl Lumbly . Douglas is also best known for her portrayal as  Cissy Houston  in the  Lifetime  TV movie  Whitney  in 2015. In 2019, she appeared as the mother of one of the main characters in  When They See Us  ( Netflix ), directed by  Ava DuVernay .

Clarence Williams III  (August 21, 1939 – June 4, 2021) [2]  was an American actor, best known for playing the character "Linc Hayes" in the "hippie" cop show  The Mod Squad  from 1968 to 1973. He also appeared prominently in films such as  Purple Rain ,  52 Pick-Up ,  Tales from the Hood ,  Half Baked  and  Reindeer Games , and had a recurring role on Season 2 of  Twin Peaks .

Samuel Edward Wright  (November 20, 1948 – May 24, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known as the voice of  Sebastian  in  Disney 's  The Little Mermaid , for which he provided the lead vocals to " Under the Sea ", [1]  which won the  Academy Award for Best Original Song . He played  Dizzy Gillespie in the  1988 biographical film  about  Charlie Parker . Wright also played the part of  Mufasa in the original cast of  The Lion King  on Broadway and voiced Kron the  Iguanodon  in Disney's 2000  CGI /live-action film  Dinosaur

Chi Modu  (born 1966) is an American documentary photographer of Nigerian descent, renowned for his photographs of hip-hop artists during the 1990’s, the defining years of the hip hop era.His subjects included Biggie, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg,Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, the Notorious B.I.G. and Wu-Tang Clan.His photos are especially notable for the personal and intimate camera angles of the famous music artists.

Paul Gladney  (August 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021), better known by the stage name  Paul Mooney , was an American comedian, [1]  writer,  social critic , and television and film actor. He is best known as a writer for comedian  Richard Pryor , [1] [2]  playing singer  Sam Cooke in  The Buddy Holly Story  (1978) and Junebug in  Bamboozled  (2000), and his appearances on  Chappelle's Show .

Earl Simmons  (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), [2]  known by his stage name  DMX  ("Dark Man X"), was an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album  It's Dark and Hell Is Hot  in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies within its first week of release. [4] [5]  He released his best-selling album,  ... And Then There Was X , in 1999, which included the hit single " Party Up (Up in Here) ". His 2003 singles " Where the Hood At? " and " X Gon' Give It to Ya " were also some of his most popular.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler  (born  Marvin Nathaniel Hagler ; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) [2]  was an American  professional boxer and film actor who competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987. He reigned as  undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987, [3] making twelve successful defenses of that title, and holds the highest  knockout percentage of all undisputed middleweight champions, at 78 percent, while also holding the  third-longest unified championship reign in boxing history  at twelve consecutive defenses. At six years and seven months, his reign as undisputed middleweight champion is the second-longest of the last century, behind only  Tony Zale , whose reign included several years of inactivity during his service in  World War II . In 1982, annoyed that network announcers often did not refer to him by his nickname "Marvelous", Hagler legally changed his name to "Marvelous Marvin Hagler

Meet  Maia Chaka , the first Black woman ever named to the NFL's officiating staff. Lorenzo Reyes. 0:00. 1:13.  Maia Chaka  has been a health and physical education teacher, working with students with unique needs at Renaissance Academy in Virginia Beach, Va. since 2006.

Leon Spinks  (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American  professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the  undisputed   heavyweight  championship in 1978 after defeating  Muhammad Ali  in a  split decision , in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Spinks was later stripped of the  WBC  title for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by  unanimous decision .

Deborah Archer has been elected president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), becoming the first  Black  person to lead the organization in its 101-year history. Archer was elected unanimously in a virtual meeting by the organization’s 69-member board of directors, and announced on Feb. 1

Henry Louis Aaron  (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed " Hammer " or " Hammerin' Hank ", was an American professional  baseball   right fielder  who played 23 seasons in  Major League Baseball  (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. He spent 21 seasons with the  Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves  in the  National League  (NL) and two seasons with the  Milwaukee Brewers  in the  American League  (AL).

Cicely Tyson  (December 19, 1924 – January 28, 2021) was an American  actress  and  fashion model . In a career spanning more than seven decades, she became known for her portrayal of strong  African-American women . [3] [4]  Tyson was the recipient of three  Primetime Emmy Awards , four  Black Reel Awards , one  Screen Actors Guild Award , one  Tony Award , an  honorary Academy Award , and a  Peabody Award .

Quiñones was born and raised in  Chicago ,  Illinois , United States; his father was Puerto Rican, and his mother was African American. His mother raised him as a single parent from the age of three. [4]  He had a younger sister, Fawn Quiñones, who was also a dancer, and frequently featured on the musical variety television program  Soul Train . [5]  He died at age 65 in December 2020, at his home.

Ecstasy, born on June 7, 1964, formed Whodini with Jalil Hutchins in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1982. DJ Grandmaster Dee later joined the group in 1986. Together, they went on to record hit singles, “The Haunted House of Rock,” “Friends,” “Freaks Come Out at Night,” becoming a vital name in the hip hop scene.

SO MANY PLAYERS SO MUCH HISTORY ALL DESERVE IT MEN AND WOMEN THEY INSPIRED THE BALL PLAYERS OF TODAY

Thomas  " Tiny "  Lister Jr.  (June 24, 1958 – December 10, 2020) was an American  character actor  and occasional  professional wrestler  known for his roles as the neighborhood bully Deebo in the 1995 film  Friday  and its  2000 sequel  and as President Lindberg in  The Fifth Element . He had two short  professional wrestling  stints, wrestling  Hulk Hogan  in the  World Wrestling Federation (WWF) after appearing as  Zeus  in the 1989 movie  No Holds Barred  and resuming the feud as  Z-Gangsta  in 1996 for  World Championship Wrestling  (WCW). [1]  He was  blind  in his right eye.

David Norman Dinkins  (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th  Mayor of New York City  from 1990 to 1993, becoming the first American with African ancestry to hold the office.

Chadwick Aaron Boseman [5]  (November 29, 1976 – August 28, 2020) was an American actor and producer. He was best known for his portrayals of real-life historical figures, such as  Jackie Robinson  in  42  (2013),  James Brown  in  Get on Up  (2014) and  Thurgood Marshall  in  Marshall  (2017), and for his portrayal of the superhero  Black Panther  in the  Marvel Cinematic Universe  films, most notably in  Black Panther  (2018), for which he won a  NAACP Image Award  and a  Screen Actors Guild Award ,  Captain America: Civil War (2016),  Avengers: Infinity War  (2018), and  Avengers: Endgame  (2019). He also starred in films such as  21 Bridges  (2019) and  Da 5 Bloods  (2020). Boseman died at age 43 following a four-year battle with  colon cancer . [6]   [7]

Raymond Gilmore Allen  (March 5, 1929 – August 10, 2020) was an American television actor. He was best known for his appearances on television during the 1970s. He had recurring roles as Ned the  Wino  on  Good Times , as  Aunt Esther 's husband, Woodrow "Woody" Anderson on the  NBC  sitcom series  Sanford and Son , and as  mechanic  Merle the Earl on  Starsky and Hutch . He reprised his role as Uncle Woody Anderson in the  Sanford and Son   spin-off ,  The Sanford Arms . Allen also made guest appearances on  The Jeffersons ,  What's Happening!! ,  The Love Boat  and the film  Wattstax

James Harris  (May 28, 1950 – August 9, 2020) was an American  professional wrestler , better known by the  ring name   Kamala . Nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant", Kamala portrayed a fearsome and simpleminded  Ugandan  who wrestled barefoot in  war paint and a  loincloth , and approached the ring wearing an  African mask  and carrying a spear and shield. He is best known for his appearances with the  World Wrestling Federation  (WWF) in the mid-1980s and early 1990s

BEAUTIFUL QUEEN JAZZIEBELLE SHE STARTED HER CAREER DOMINATING THE MODELLING ALL OVER THE WORLD INCLUDING THE TOP MAGAZINES COMPANIES. BEING A LOYAL HIP-HOP FAN SHE STARTED DOING RADIO INTERVIEWING THE TOP CELEBRITIES IN MUSIC MOVIE'S. MODELS. BUT HER PASSION IS HELPING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS TO GROW LIKE SHE DID 

  After nearly 110 years of naval aviation, the US Navy has welcomed its first Black female tactical jet pilot , Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle has made history as the US Navy's first Black female tactical aircraft pilot

Emmanuel Yarbrough  (September 5, 1964 – December 21, 2015) was an American  martial artist ,  professional wrestler ,  football player and  actor . He was particularly known by his career in  amateur sumo , holding the  Guinness World Record  for the heaviest living athlete. [

Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer  (July 11, 1950-June 8, 2020) was an American singer, most notable for being a member of the  Grammy Award –winning vocal group,  The Pointer Sisters . Pointer scored several moderate  solo hits  after leaving the Pointers in 1977, including a disco cover of  The Elgins ' " Heaven Must Have Sent You " which became a U.S. top 20 pop hit on September 1, 1979.

Westley Sissel Unseld  (March 14, 1946 – June 2, 2020) was an American professional  basketball  player, coach and executive. He spent his entire  National Basketball Association  (NBA) career with the  Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets . Unseld played  college basketball  for the  Louisville Cardinals  and was selected with the second overall pick by the Bullets in the  1968 NBA draft . He was named the  NBA Most Valuable Player  during his rookie season and joined  Wilt Chamberlain  as the only two players in NBA history to accomplish the feat. Unseld won an  NBA championship  with the Bullets in  1978 . After retiring from playing in 1981, he worked with the Bullets as a vice president, head coach and general manager.

Bessie Regina Norris  (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), [1]  better known by her stage name  Betty Wright [2] , was an American  soul and  R&B  singer, songwriter and background vocalist, who rose to fame in the 1970s with hits such as " Clean Up Woman " and "Tonight is the Night". She was also prominent in regard to the use of  whistle register .

Richard Wayne Penniman  (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), better known as  Little Richard , was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An influential figure in  popular music , Richard's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his dynamic music and charismatic showmanship laid the foundation for  rock and roll , leading him to be given the nickname " The Innovator, The Originator, and The Architect of Rock and Roll ". Characterized by his frenetic piano playing and raspy singing voice, Richard's music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including  soul and  funk . He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from  rock  to  hip hop , and his music helped shape  rhythm and blues  for generations to come.

Fred The Godson  aka  Fredrick Thomas  was born on January 1, 1985, and from South Bronx, New York, United States. He was a South Bronx rapper who passed away at the age of 35 due to COVID-19 Virus, his death was confirmed by his friend named DJ Self. He wrote on Instagram, he wrote: “Was loved by many never heard one bad thing about you RIP @fredthegodsonmusic Sleep Well my brother.” On April 23rd he was on Ventilator and was in the intensive care, according to the source his fever was peaked at 105 degrees and bad news was his kidney function has not been working. Unfortunately, he lost the battle against the COVID-19 virus, while he was admitted to the hospital in early April and even posted his picture after admitted to the Hospital, on April 7th he shared his photo and wrote “I’m in here wit this Corvus 19 shit! Please keep me in y’all prayers!!!!.”

Reed starred in the 1970 TV series  Barefoot in the Park  and played Virginia Tyndall in the 1979 TV miniseries  Women in White . Her most memorable film roles include  No Way Back (1976),  Car Wash  (1976),  A Piece of the Action (1977),  ...All the Marbles  (1981) and  Running Scared  (1986). She was also a  blackout gag player in the TV series  Love, American Style (1969–70, 1972–74).

William Horace Marshall  (August 19, 1924 – June 11, 2003) was an American actor, director and opera singer. He played the title role in the 1972  blaxploitation  classic  Blacula and its sequel  Scream Blacula Scream  (1973), and appeared as the King of Cartoons on the 1980s television show  Pee-wee's Playhouse and as Dr.  Richard Daystrom  on the  Star Trek television series. He was 6‘5” (1.96 m) tall and was known for his  bass  voice.

William Harrison Withers Jr.  (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. [1]  He recorded several major hits, including " Ain't No Sunshine " (1971), " Grandma's Hands " (1971), " Use Me " (1972), " Lean on Me " (1972), " Lovely Day " (1977), and " Just the Two of Us " (1980). Withers won three  Grammy Awards  and was nominated for four more. His life was the subject of the 2009 documentary film  Still Bill . [1]  He was inducted into the  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame  in 2015. [2] [3]

Bill Bailey  (December 8, 1912 – December 12, 1978) was an  African-American   tap dancer . He was the brother of  Pearl Bailey . Bill was the first person to be recorded doing the  Moonwalk , although he referred to it as the "Backslide", in the film  Cabin in the Sky  (1943), starring  Ethel Waters ,  Eddie "Rochester" Anderson  and  Lena Horne . He was trained briefly by  Bill "Bojangles" Robinson . He was married to Pernell Bailey, and had nine children and many grandchildren.

Fred "Curly" Neal (May 19, 1942 - March 26, 2020) was an American basketball player who played with the Harlem Globetrotters. Following in the footsteps of Marques Haynes, Neal became the Trotters' featured ballhandler, a key role in the team's exhibition act. Curly Neal Harlem Globetrotters Life and career Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Neal attended Greensboro-Dudley High School. He went to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. At Smith, he averaged 23.1 points a game and was named All-CIAA guard. Neal played for 22 seasons (1963–85) with the Globetrotters, appearing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries. His shaved head earned him his nickname, a reference to the Three Stooges' Curly Howard, and made him one of the most recognizable Globetrotters. In the 1970s, an animated version of Neal starred with various other Globetrotters in the Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon Harlem Globetrotters as well as its spinoff,

The enigmatic Ball was a former American slave born in South Carolina in 1765.  Following the end of the American Revolution, the free man relocated to Canada. Ball went on to own property on Oak Island and reportedly went into farming. In 1795, Samuel Ball married his wife, Mary, and the couple had three children, Andrew, Samuel and Mary. Ball’s will at the time of his death in 1846 indicates that he eventually remarried. His second wife was Catherine. At the time of his death, Ball owned over 100 acres both on Oak Island as well as on a nearby isle. His wealth has led many to believe that in addition to farming, Ball actually discovered riches on Oak Island.

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A'Lelia Walker  (June 6, 1885 – August 17, 1931) was an  American   businesswoman  and patron of the arts. She was the only surviving child of  Madam C.J. Walker , popularly credited as being the first self-made woman millionaire in the United States and one of the first African American millionaires. Early life A'Lelia Walker was born Lelia McWilliams in  Vicksburg, Mississippi , in 1885, the daughter of Moses McWilliams and the woman later known as Madam C. J. Walker. Her father died when she was 2. Her mother later married Charles Joseph Walker, a newspaper advertising salesman, and became an independent hairdresser and retailer of cosmetic creams. A'Lelia grew up in  St. Louis, Missouri  and attended  Knoxville College  in Tennessee before entering the family business. [1]

The Colored American Magazine  was the first  American  monthly publication that covered African-American culture. The magazine ran from May 1900 to November 1909. It was initially published out of  Boston  by the Colored Co-Operative Publishing Company, and from 1904, forward, by Moore Publishing and Printing Company of New York.  Pauline Hopkins , its most prolific writer from the beginning, sat on the board as a shareholder, was editor from 1902 to 1904, though her name was not on the  masthead  until 1903. Hopkins  was a journalist, playwright, historian, and literary. In 1904,  Booker T. Washington , in a hostile takeover, purchased the magazine and replaced  Hopkins  with Fred Randolph Moore (1857–1943) as editor. [1]

ANTOINE CLARK FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER OF LEGENDARY FED'S MAGAZINE HE CREATED ONE OF THE REALEST MAGAZINE'S THAT HELPED SO MANY ESPECIALLY INMATES TO KEEP THEM IN TOUCH WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE STREETS ESPECIALLY WHEN HE STARTED ADDED ALL THEM SEXY MODEL'S. 

History Club Harlem was founded in 1935 by Leroy "Pop" Williams on the site of a dance hall called Fitzgerald's Auditorium.[a] Williams was a medical student at University of Pennsylvania when he managed to acquire enough money to buy Fitzgerald's; he left college after becoming the owner of the nightclub.[2] Williams gave the new nightclub the name of the Manhattan neighborhood because "a lot of black people live there".[3][4] The district, known as "Kentucky Avenue and the Curb", had become the home for African Americans in the racially segregated city since the end of World War I.[5] The new nightspot joined other popular black entertainment venues in the district such as Grace's Little Belmont, the Wintergarten, and the Paradise Club.[5] Along with Harlem's Cotton Club, it was a place for the moneyed set to enjoy an evening of African-American entertainment.[6] When the club opened in 1935, there were slot machines along

Katherine Johnson  -- the mathematician portrayed by  Taraji P. Henson  in the Oscar-nominated film "Hidden Figures" -- has died. NASA announced the pioneering figure died Monday. It was her groundbreaking math work that helped calculate the trajectories for  Alan Shepard 's history-making journey in space. She was also the one who gave the go-ahead for  John Glenn 's mission into orbit

Priscilla Taylor, an African American woman truck driver serving in the Women's Army Corps. 

Robert Francis Flemming Jr.  (July 1839 [1]  – February 23, 1919) was an American inventor [5]  and  Union  sailor in the  American Civil War . [7] [8]  He was the first crew member aboard the  USS  Housatonic  to spot the  H.L. Hunley  before it sank the USS  Housatonic . The  sinking of USS  Housatonic  is renowned as the first sinking of an enemy ship in combat by a  submarine . [6]

The Sylvers , (known as  The Little Angels  in their early years), were an American R&B/Soul family vocal group from  Watts, Los Angeles ,  California . The Sylvers were one of the most popular acts during the 1970s, recording the hit singles "Fool's Paradise", " Boogie Fever " and " Hot Line ". Prior to becoming the Sylvers, the four eldest members (Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, and James) recorded as the Little Angels, appearing on shows such as  Make Room for Daddy  and  You Bet Your Life , and opening for such acts as  Johnny Mathis  and  Ray Charles . During this time, two singles were released: "Santa Claus Parade" b/w "I'll Be a Little Angel" on  Warwick Records (United States)  and "Says You" b/w "Olympia" on  Capitol Records .

Esther Denise Scott  (April 13, 1953 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress. Scott began her career as voice actress on  Star Wars: Ewoks , before appearing on television shows including  Beverly Hills, 90210 ,  Full House ,  Party of Five ,  Ellen ,  The Steve Harvey Show , and  Sister, Sister

Early life Sarah Rector was born in 1902 near the all-black town of  Taft , located in the eastern portion of  Oklahoma , [2]  in what was then  Indian Territory . She had five siblings. Her parents, Joseph Rector and his wife, Rose McQueen (both born 1881) [3]  were African descendants of the Creek Nation  Creek Indians  before the  Civil war  and which became part of the Creek Nation after the  Treaty of 1866 . As such, they and their descendants were listed as  freedmen  on the  Dawes Rolls , by which they were entitled to land allotments under the  Treaty of 1866 made by the United States with the  Five Civilized Tribes . [4]  Consequently, nearly 600 black children, or Creek Freedmen minors as they were called, were granted 160 acres of land each. [ dubious   –  discuss ] [5]  This was a mandatory step in the process of integration of the Indian Territory with  Oklahoma Territory to form what is now the State of  Oklahoma . [6] [7] Sarah's father Joseph was the son