Arts and Culture

Biography

Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz, known as the Queen of Salsa, was an internationally acclaimed singer and dynamic stage performer from the 1940s to the start of the 21st century.
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Biography

Mary Burrill

Mary P. Burrill was a celebrated playwright whose works inspired many prominent writers of the New Negro Movement/Harlem Renaissance.
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Biography

Frances Marion

The winner of two Academy Awards, Frances Marion is credited with writing more than 130 produced films during Hollywood’s silent and early sound eras.
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Biography

Rosie Lee Tompkins

Rosie Lee Tompkins was a renowned African-American quiltmaker whose dazzling work helped bring a new appreciation to the artistic form.
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Biography

Edith Kanaka'ole 

Edith Kanaka’ole (also affectionately called “Aunty Edith”), a native Hawaiian composer, chanter and dancer, was a champion for the preservation of native Hawaiian culture and arts.
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Biography

Lorraine Hansberry

In 1959, Lorraine Hansberry made history as the first African American woman to have a show produced on Broadway—A Raisin in the Sun.
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Biography

Nanfu Wang

A 2020 MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant winner, Nanfu Wang uses film to explore the relationship between individuals and governments.
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Biography

Laverne Cox

A prominent actress and the first openly transgender person nominated for an Emmy, Laverne Cox has promoted visibility and awareness on behalf of the transgender community.
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Biography

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald, known as “The First Lady of Song,” was a revolutionary American jazz singer who performed all over the world.
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Biography

Mary Lou Williams

One of the greatest jazz pianists, composers, and arrangers of all time, Mary Lou Williams was a swing and bebop icon.
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Biography

Nina Simone

“The High Priestess of Soul,” Nina Simone was a singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist.
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Biography

Shirley Horn

Jazz singer and pianist Shirley Horn was one of the leading jazz musicians of her generation.
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Biography

Toshiko Akiyoshi

Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her 60-year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music.
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Biography

Lois Curtis

Lois Curtis was one of the plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court case Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) that established the right of individuals with disabilities to live in the least restrictive settings possible.
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Biography

Alma Woodsey Thomas

As an artist and world traveler who never married or had children, Alma Woodsey Thomas circumvented society’s expectations for Black women born in the 19th century.
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