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Shericka Jackson (July 16, 1994) is a Jamaican sprinter competing in the 60 m, 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m. In the 100 m, she’s the sixth -fastest woman of all time, while in the 200 m, she’s the second-fastest woman in history.

She started her career as a 400 m sprinter, winning individual bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, 2015 World Championships, and 2019 World Championships. She won silver in the 4 x 400 m relay at the 2016 Olympics, and gold and bronze at the 2015 and 2019 World Championships, respectively. At the 2019 Championships, she won gold in the 4 x 100 m relay.

After she shifted to shorter sprints in 2021, she won bronze in the 100 m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and added a gold and a bronze in the 4 x 100 m and 4 x 400 m relays. She achieved a sub-10.80 s personal best in the 100 m and sub-22 s in the 200 m. With her sub-49.5 s best in the 400 m, she became one of the few women to reach such marks at those events. At the 2022 World Championships, she won a silver medal in the 100 m, gold in the 200 m (setting a national record), and a silver in the 4 x 100 m relay. She was the 2022 Diamond League 200 m champion.

Philando Divall Castile (July 16, 1983 – July 6, 2016) was fatally shot during a traffic stop by police officer Jeronimo Yanez of the St. Anthony police department in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

He was born in St. Louis. He graduated from Saint Paul Central High School in 2001 and worked for the Saint Paul Public School District (2002-16). He began as a nutrition services assistant at Chelsea Heights Elementary School and Arlington High School. He was promoted to nutrition services supervisor at J. J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in August 2014. He was stopped by the police at least 49 times over 13 years for minor traffic and equipment violations, most of which were dismissed.

He was driving with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter when, at 9:00 p.m., Yanez and another officer in Falcon Heights, a suburb of Saint Paul, pulled him over. After being asked for his license and registration, he told Officer Yanez that he had a firearm (he was licensed to carry), to which Yanez replied, “Don’t reach for it then”. He responded, “I’m, I, I was reaching for...”, to which Yanez replied, “Don’t pull it out”. He replied, “I’m not pulling it out”, and Reynolds said, “He’s not...”. Yanez repeated, “Don’t pull it out.” Yanez proceeded to fire seven close-range shots at him, hitting him five times. He died of his wounds at 9:37 p.m. at Hennepin County Medical Center, about 20 minutes after being shot.

Franklin Roberto Lashley (July 16, 1976) known by his ring name Bobby Lashley, is a professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is now signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand, and is the leader of The Pride stable. He is an 8-time world champion, having been a 2-time WWE Champion, 2-time ECW World Champion, and 4-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He is known for his mixed martial arts career in Bellator MMA and Strikeforce.

He debuted in WWE in 2005, appearing on the SmackDown brand where he became a one-time US Champion. He became a two-time ECW World Champion. He had a high-profile rivalry with the company’s chairman, Vince McMahon.

He pursued a career in MMA and made his professional debut in December 2008. He signed with Bellator MMA in 2014, where he won all five of his career bouts (2014-16).

He began appearing in professional wrestling promotion TNA, where he became a four-time TNA/Impact World Heavyweight Champion. He was a one-time X Division Champion and the final King of the Mountain Champion. After returning to WWE, he was assigned to the Raw brand, becoming a two-time Intercontinental Champion and winning a second and third US Championship. He won the WWE Championship twice.

He has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WWE and TNA/Impact, including the 2016 edition of the latter’s flagship event, Bound for Glory. He is one of the two wrestlers to have won the WWE, ECW, and TNA/Impact world championships. He is the only wrestler to have multiple reigns with the aforementioned championships.

He was born in Junction City, Kansas, the son of an Army drill sergeant. He has three older sisters. He graduated from Junction City High School, where he continued to wrestle.

He attended Missouri Valley College, where he was the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Wrestling Champion. He graduated with a BA in Human-Service Agency Management and Recreation Administration. During his three years in the Army, he won a gold and silver medal in the International Military Sports Council senior freestyle wrestling event.

Robinne Lee (July 16, 1974) is an actress and author. She made her screen debut in Hav Plenty and has appeared in films National Security (2003), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Hitch (2005), Seven Pounds (2008), Fifty Shades Darker (2017), and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

She was born to Jamaican parents of Chinese, British, and African descent.

She was born in Mount Vernon. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School. She spent the following years working in smaller films and co-starring in television movies, including The Runaway. She guest-starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Numbers. She appeared in R&B singer Usher’s music video for his 2004 single “Confessions Part II”.

As the lead actress, she starred in This Is Not a Test, and co-starred in Hotel for Dogs.

She had a recurring role in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and shot an independent film called This Is Not a Test. She played Avery Daniels in the first season of Being Mary Jane. She starred in Superstition.

Chantay Renee Savage (July 16, 1971) is an R&B/dance singer. She experienced some success in the 1990s on various Billboard singles charts, one of which was “I Will Survive”, a reworking of the Gloria Gaynor hit song.

She scored various charting hits on other US charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Dance Chart, and R&B Chart. She has spent 452 weeks on various Billboard singles charts, and her albums have spent 81 weeks on various Billboard charts.

She parlayed success into gigs as a session musician, singer, and songwriter with artists such as CeCe Peniston and Tanya Blount. She co-wrote “We Got a Love Thang”. She released her first single “If You Believe” from her debut album Here We Go... Her follow-up “Betcha’ll Never Find” was a top 20 dance and R&B hit on the Billboard chart. She released the singles “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” and “Give It to Ya”.

She teamed up with Aaliyah, En Vogue, TLC, BlackGirl, Mary J. Blige, Vanessa Williams, SWV, and others for the single “Freedom”.

She released “I Will Survive” on her second album I Will Survive (Doin’ It My Way). It peaked at #24 on the pop charts, and #5 on Billboard’s R&B chart. It reached 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was certified gold by the RIAA for US single sales of over 500,000 units. She, along with Deborah Cox, Heavy D, and Brownstone, performed “That’s the Way Love Goes” at the Soul Train Music Awards. She scored a minor hit with “Reminding Me (Of Sef)”, performed by Common. It was a top 10 hit for Common on Billboard′s Hot Rap chart.

Rain Pryor (July 16, 1969) is an actress and comedian. She is the daughter of comedian Richard Pryor.

She was born in Los Angeles; her mother was a Jewish go-go dancer, and she was raised with her maternal grandparents. Her award-winning solo show Fried Chicken and Latkes explores racism in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Regarding her background, she has joked that while growing up she felt “proud, but guilty about it.”

She graduated from Beverly Hills High School.

She went on to star in Head of the Class. Her role was created from a series of characters she performed at her audition for the producers. She starred for several years as Jackie on Rude Awakening and has guest-starred on The Division and Chicago Hope. She has appeared numerous times on both The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Tavis Smiley Show.

Her stage credits include playing the title role of Billie Holiday in the UK tour of The Billie Holiday Story and the title role of Ella Fitzgerald in the UK premiere of Ella Meets Marilyn. She performed in the Los Angeles productions of The Vagina Monologues; Joan, in which she portrayed Joan of Arc; Cookin’ With Gas; The Exonerated; and The Who’s Tommy at the La Jolla Playhouse.

She is a jazz/blues vocalist, having performed to sold-out crowds in Los Angeles, DC, Hong Kong, Scotland, and London, where she released a performance CD titled Rain Pryor Live in London. Her live cabaret show received four stars and was critically acclaimed as “not to be missed.”

She appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

She was named the artistic director of Baltimore’s Strand Theater.

She received the inaugural British Urban Film Festival honorary award from Ellen Thomas on behalf of her father, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film and television. The festival screened the UK premiere of “That Daughter’s Crazy,” a documentary about her life living in the spotlight of her father.

Rain Pryor (July 16, 1969) is an actress and comedian. She is the daughter of comedian Richard Pryor.

She was born in Los Angeles; her mother was a Jewish go-go dancer, and she was raised with her maternal grandparents. Her award-winning solo show Fried Chicken and Latkes explores racism in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Regarding her background, she has joked that while growing up she felt “proud, but guilty about it.”

She graduated from Beverly Hills High School.

She went on to star in Head of the Class. Her role was created from a series of characters she performed at her audition for the producers. She starred for several years as Jackie on Rude Awakening and has guest-starred on The Division and Chicago Hope. She has appeared numerous times on both The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Tavis Smiley Show.

Her stage credits include playing the title role of Billie Holiday in the UK tour of The Billie Holiday Story and the title role of Ella Fitzgerald in the UK premiere of Ella Meets Marilyn. She performed in the Los Angeles productions of The Vagina Monologues; Joan, in which she portrayed Joan of Arc; Cookin’ With Gas; The Exonerated; and The Who’s Tommy at the La Jolla Playhouse.

She is a jazz/blues vocalist, having performed to sold-out crowds in Los Angeles, DC, Hong Kong, Scotland, and London, where she released a performance CD titled Rain Pryor Live in London. Her live cabaret show received four stars and was critically acclaimed as “not to be missed.”

She appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

She was named the artistic director of Baltimore’s Strand Theater.

She received the inaugural British Urban Film Festival honorary award from Ellen Thomas on behalf of her father, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film and television. The festival screened the UK premiere of “That Daughter’s Crazy,” a documentary about her life living in the spotlight of her father.

Barry Sanders (July 16, 1968) is a former football player who was a running back for the Detroit Lions. A Pro Bowl invitee in each of his ten NFL seasons and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, he led the league in rushing yards four times and established himself as one of the most elusive runners in pro football with his quickness and agility. He was ranked by NFL Network’s NFL Top 10 series as the most elusive runner in NFL history and topped its list of greatest players never to play in a Super Bowl. He is regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.

He was born in Wichita, Kansas, the seventh of eleven children to William and Shirley Sanders.

He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where, as a junior, he compiled what is considered one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history, rushing for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns in 12 games. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy. He was first inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and, in that same year, into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

He joined the Lions, winning the NFL’s Rookie of the Year award. He averaged over 1,500 rushing yards per season and just under 100 rushing yards per game. He became the third player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season and was named the NFL MVP. He retired from football after the 1998 season, 1,457 yards short of breaking the NFL’s all-time rushing record. His #20 jersey was retired by the Lions, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

Daryl “Chill” Maurice Mitchell (July 16, 1965) is an actor and rapper. He is known for such roles as Dexter Walker on The John Larroquette Show, Tommy Webber in Galaxy Quest, Leo Michaels on Veronica’s Closet, Eli Goggins III on Ed, and Patton Plame on NCIS: New Orleans.

He was born in the Bronx to a mother who was a secretary and a father who was a bus driver. He grew up in Wyandanch.

After a career in hip hop in the 1980s with Groove B. Chill, he had considerable success as an actor, appearing in House Party and its sequel, Sgt. Bilko, Galaxy Quest, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Veronica’s Closet. He has appeared in the sitcoms Becker, The Game, and Desperate Housewives. In 2009, he co-starred in Brothers. In 2018, he joined the cast of Fear the Walking Dead, portraying Wendell.

He was profiled on TV One’s biographical documentary program Life After.

The Groveland Four (or the Groveland Boys) were four young African American men, Ernest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd, and Walter Irvin, who were accused of raping 17-year-old Norma Padgett and assaulting her husband on July 16, 1949, in Lake County, Florida.

Ernest Thomas fled and was killed by a sheriff’s posse in South Madison County between Moseley Hill and Greenville; Greenlee, Shepherd, and Irvin were arrested. They were beaten to coerce confessions, but Irvin refused to confess. The three survivors were convicted at trial by an all-white jury. The medical evidence didn’t show any signs of Padgett being raped, and an all-white jury found the three men guilty. Greenlee was sentenced to life because he was only 16 at the time of the crime; the other two were sentenced to death. SCOTUS ordered a retrial after hearing appeals by Shepherd and Irvin, with Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund leading the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. It ruled they had not received a fair trial because of excessive adverse publicity and because African Americans had been excluded from the jury.

The case of two defendants reached the SCOTUS on appeal, with Thurgood Marshall as their defense counsel. The court overturned the convictions and remanded the case to the lower court for a new trial. Sheriff Willis V. McCall of Lake County shot Irvin and Shepherd while they were in his custody, killing Shepherd and seriously wounding Irvin. Irvin survived his wounds and later told FBI investigators that the sheriff had shot them in cold blood and that his deputy, Yates, had shot him in an attempt to kill him. Moore called for the governor to suspend McCall. A bomb went off below Moore’s house, fatally wounding both him and his wife; he died that night, and his wife followed nine days later.

Assata Olugbala Shakur (July 16, 1947 - September 25, 2025) a political activist, author, fugitive, and step-aunt of Tupac Shakur, was born JoAnne Deborah Bryon in New York City.

She enrolled in Borough of Manhattan Community College before transferring to City College of New York, where her exposure to Black Nationalist organizations impacted her activism. She attended meetings held by the Golden Drums, where she met her husband, Louis Chesimard. She participated in student rights, anti-Vietnam War, and Βlack liberation movements. She adopted a new name: Assata (“she who struggles”), Olugbala (“love for the people”), and Shakur (“the thankful”).

Shε became acquainted with the Black Panther Party. She returned to New York City and joined the Harlem branch. She worked in the BPP breakfast program but grew critical of the BPP.

She left the BPP and joined the Black Liberation Army. The Bureau issued a warrant for her arrest in connection with crimes allegedly committed by the BLA.

Two state troopers stopped her and two BLA companions for a traffic infraction on the New Jersey Turnpike, an encounter that ended in the deaths of her friend Zayd Shakur and a State Trooper. Arraigned on charges that included first-degree murder, she went to trial seven times. She was convicted of murder regardless of her contention that the gunshot wound she sustained during the confrontation partially paralyzed her arm and rendered her incapable of firing a weapon. She was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years.

She escaped from the maximum security unit of the New Jersey Clinton Correctional Facility for Women. She traveled to Cuba, where she was granted political asylum and reunited with her daughter Kakuya Amala Olugbala, whom she delivered while imprisoned.

The FBI placed her on the Most Wanted Terrorist list, conferring upon her the dubious distinction of being the first woman and the second domestic terrorist to appear on the list. It increased her bounty to two million dollars.

Secretary Alexis Margaret Herman (July 16, 1947 - April 25, 2025) US Secretary of Labor, political activist, civic leader, social worker, and entrepreneur, was born in Mobile to politician Alex Herman and educator Gloria Caponis. She enrolled in Edgewood College and Spring Hill College before transferring to St. Xavier University of Louisiana, where she received her BA in Sociology. She joined the Gamma Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and supported this sorority throughout her career.

She worked with Catholic Charities in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and several other agencies promoting minority employment for women and youth. She fought for unskilled African Americans in the shipbuilding industry. She met Jimmy Carter while he campaigned in Atlanta. He appointed her to the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. She fought to improve conditions for women’s employment and succeeded in securing several corporations, including Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, to hire women for upper-level positions.

She formed A.M. Herman & Associates. She continued working for the Democratic Party and as vice chair for the DNC. With President Bill Clinton’s victory, she served as deputy director of the Presidential Transition Office.

She worked as the Public Liaison for the White House, and she became the first African American to hold the position of Secretary of Labor and only the fifth woman in the history of this office to be appointed. She orchestrated the passage of the 1998 Workforce Investment Act.

She married Dr. Charles L. Franklin, Jr. She was chair and chief executive officer of New Ventures, LLC, and holds positions on numerous boards, including Xavier University, the Toyota Diversity Advisory Board, the Sodexho Business Advisory Board, Entergy Inc., MGM Mirage, and the Coca-Cola Company. In 2007, she was inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame.

Mayor Barbara Jean Lee (July 16, 1946) is a politician who has served as the 52nd mayor of Oakland since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as a Representative from California (1998-2025, representing California’s 12th congressional district (numbered as the 9th district (1998-2013) and as the 13th district (2013-23). She served in both houses of the California State Legislature (1990-98).

She was elected to the House of Representatives in a 1998 special election to succeed Dellums. She chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus (2005-09) and the Congressional Black Caucus (2009-11). She is the vice chair and a founding member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, and a co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee. She has played a major role in the antiwar movement, notably in her vocal criticism of the Iraq War and for being the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization of the use of force following the September 11 attacks.

She was a candidate for the Senate in the 2024 election to succeed the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, a race that she would lose. She would forgo re-election to the House of Representatives.

She is the oldest of three daughters of Mildred Adaire and Garvin Alexander Tutt. She was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools. She was the only African American Girl Scout in El Paso,

She married Carl Lee (1964-66). Both of the sons now work in the insurance industry. Tony Lee is the CEO of Dickerson Employee Benefits, an African American-owned insurance brokerage and consulting firm, and Craig Lee is a senior executive at State Farm.

Judge George Henry Brown, Jr. (July 16, 1939) the first African American appointed to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court, was born and raised in Memphis. His father, Alfred, was a car cleaner for the Illinois Central Railroad, and his mother, Sara, was a teacher for the Memphis Public School District.

He graduated from FAMU with a BA in Political Science. He joined the ROTC and the university’s Marching Band. He served in the Army, and most of his military time was spent in Germany. He married Margaret Solomon (1961-94, until her death). They had two children. He married Lillian Hammon.

He and his family moved back to the US, where he graduated from the Howard University School of Law. He remained in the Army Reserves while attending law school. The family then returned to Memphis. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Tennessee.

He began his legal career at the law office of A. A. Latting in Memphis as an associate attorney. In 1968, he made his first electoral attempt, running as an independent for a Tennessee State Representative seat. He lost the election. He began to work for the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an investigator. He became a conciliator in the Memphis office. He was the first director of the Legal Services Association in Shelby County.

He and Walter Evans founded the law firm of Brown and Evans, where they served in private practice. He was elected to the Memphis Board of Education and served for thirteen years. He served as co-chair of Republican Lamar Alexander’s successful gubernatorial campaign.

Governor Alexander appointed him to fill the State Supreme Court’s vacancy. He was the first African American Supreme Court Justice to ever sit on the court and the first Republican since Reconstruction. He lost the electoral race to hold his seat. He returned to private practice.

William Bell (né Yarbrough; July 16, 1939) is a soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is known for his debut single, 1961’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water”; 1968’s top 10 hit in the UK, “Private Number”, a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976’s “Tryin’ to Love Two”, which hit #1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, he released the well-received memorial song “A Tribute to a King”.

As a songwriter, he co-authored the Chuck Jackson hit “Any Other Way” (which was a cover since Bell issued it first) as a follow-up to “You Don’t Miss Your Water”; Billy Idol’s 1986 hit “To Be a Lover”, which was first a hit for him under its original title “I Forgot to Be Your Lover”; and the blues classic “Born Under A Bad Sign”, popularized by both Albert King and Cream.

In 2017, he was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album for his record This Is Where I Live. He performed his hit “Born Under a Bad Sign” alongside Gary Clark Jr. at the 2017 Grammy Awards. He was featured on Rolling Stone’s “Best of the Grammys” for that year.

He was born in Memphis. He took the last name “Bell” as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle.

He sang in church as a child and considered himself a student of The Soul Stirrers, the popular gospel group led by Sam Cooke. At age ten, he began songwriting with the original composition “Alone on a Rainy Night”. At the age of 14, he won a talent contest and began making a name for himself singing in Memphis-area clubs.

He made his first leap into the music scene backing Rufus Thomas. In 1957, he recorded his first sides as a member of the Del Rios, a teenage vocal group that caught the eye of Stax Records.

In mid-2023, he released One Day Closer to Home on his Wilbe Records label, cited by critics as “a master at work”.

Congressman Donald Milford Payne (July 16, 1934 – March 6, 2012) was a politician who was the Representative for New Jersey’s 10th congressional district. He was a member of the Democratic Party. The district encompasses most of the city of Newark, parts of Jersey City and Elizabeth, and some suburban communities in Essex and Union counties. He was the first African American to represent New Jersey in Congress.

He did his undergraduate studies at Seton Hall University. He pursued post-graduate studies at Springfield College. He was an executive at Prudential Financial, VP of Urban Data Systems Inc., and a teacher in the Newark Public Schools. He became the first African American President of the National Council of YMCAs. He was Chairman of the World YMCA Refugee and Rehabilitation Committee.

His political career began when he was elected to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, where he served three terms. He was elected to the Newark Municipal Council and served three terms, resigning shortly after his election to Congress.

Denise LaSalle, born Ora Denise Allen (July 16, 1934 - January 8, 2018) was born on a plantation in Sidon, Mississippi. Her parents were Nathaniel A. Allen Sr. and Nancy Cooper. In 1947, her entire family moved to Belzoni, Mississippi. At the age of 13, she was a principal singer with an all-female gospel ensemble, the Sacred Five.

In 1962, she left Mississippi to join her oldest brother in Chicago. She continued to sing with the Sacred Five and signed a contract with Chess Records. She signed with Tarpon Records, where she released “A Love Reputation.” The song was a regional hit. She completed her GED.

She married Bill Jones (1969-74), another recording artist signed with the Crajon Records label. In 1971, her single, “Trapped by a Thing Called Love,” was released by Westbound Records. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard R&B chart, with 1 million in sales, and she received a gold disc from the Recording Industry Association of America. The following year, the single “Now Run And Tell That” peaked at #46.

She married James Wolfe, Jr. (1976), a disc jockey, and moved from Chicago to Jackson, Tennessee. They had three children. She signed with ABC Records and, in 1977, released “Love Me Right,” which peaked at 10 on the R&B chart and reached 80 on the Pop Chart.