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“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Mandisa Nomcebo Mfeka (July 14, 1989) is a pilot. She is known to be the first Black female combat pilot in South Africa.

Tameka Dianne Cottle Harris (July 14, 1975) known professionally by her nickname Tiny, is a singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the multi-platinum R&B vocal group Xscape. She received a Grammy Award for her writing contributions to the TLC hit “No Scrubs”. She is known for her marriage to T.I.

She was born in College Park, Georgia to Dianne Cottle and Charles “Speedy” Pope.

She joined the R&B quartet Xscape while attending Tri-Cities Performing Arts High School. Jermaine Dupri discovered Xscape.

She has contributed to three of the band’s platinum albums: Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha, Off the Hook, and Traces of My Lipstick. She has received two Soul Train Music Awards for Best New R&B Artist and Best R&B Album and the A-Town Music Award for Best Duo/Group. She sang lead vocals on six of Xscape’s hit singles: “Understanding”, “Do You Want To?”, “All I Need”, “Love’s a Funny Thing”, “My Little Secret”, and “Am I Dreamin’”. She has recorded on soundtracks for Soul Food, Panther, Bad Boys, and Love Jones. The band parted ways.

She and fellow former Xscape group member Kandi Burruss were honored with a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Her other accomplishments include an American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers award in the R&B and Pop Music categories, as well as the ASCAP Rap Award for her work on the Sporty Thievz track “No Pigeons”. She has worked with T.I., 8Ball & MJG, Lil’ Kim, and Bow Wow.

She reunited with sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott and added a new member, Kiesha Miles, to release an Xscape album entitled Unchained as well as the single, “What’s Up”.

She is involved in a project with Kiesha Miles called the OMG Girlz. Her daughter, Zonnique, is a part of the musical trio. In June 2009, Tiny and Toya made their debut.

She returned to the music industry under her new label Pretty Hustle, with her first solo single “What The Fuck You Gon Do?”.

She and Kandi Burruss have writing credits on Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”.

Latasha Lavon Harlins (July 14, 1975 - March 16, 1991) whose life came to a violent end amid racial tensions in Los Angeles, became a major spark for the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. She was born in East St. Louis to Crystal Harlins and Vester Acoff Sr. She has a brother and a sister.

The family moved to South Central Los Angeles when she was six. Her mother was found brutally shot on November 27, 1985. The children’s maternal grandmother, Ruth Harlins, raised her and her siblings.

She became a victim of these racial tensions on the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991. She entered Empire Liquor, which was owned by a Korean family, to purchase a bottle of orange juice. As she approached the counter, Soon Ja Du, one of the storeowners, accused her of stealing after seeing her place the bottle in her backpack, even though she was holding the $2 payment for the $1.79 juice. Du grabbed the bag, and the two women had a violent scuffle. She threw the juice bottle back on the counter and turned to leave the store when Du pulled a .38-caliber handgun and shot her in the back of the head.

Du was arrested, and her trial was held on November 15, 1991. Security camera footage, which showed she attempted to pay for the juice and the scuffle between the two women, convinced a jury to find Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter and call for the maximum 16-year jail sentence. Judge Joyce Karlin rejected the jury’s recommendation and instead sentenced Du to five years’ probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine.

Yolanda Gill, or Loni Love (July 14, 1971), is a comedian, television host, actress, author, and former Electrical Engineer. While working in the early 2000s, she switched to Music Engineering and launched a career in stand-up comedy. She was the runner-up on Star Search in 2003 and was named among the “Top 10 Comics to Watch” in both Variety and Comedy Central in 2009. She was one of the co-hosts of The Real.

She was born in Detroit and grew up in the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects. After graduating from Cass Technical High School, she worked for a time on the General Motors assembly line, putting doors on Oldsmobile Cutlasses. This job ignited her interest in Electrical Engineering. She received her BS in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. She minored in Music and was a member of the Eta Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. It was there that she discovered stand-up comedy after winning a $50 competition, and she performed frequently during her college years.

After finding work as an engineer at Xerox in California, she continued to do stand-up after work in clubs and became a regular at the Laugh Factory. After eight years at Xerox, she resigned during a layoff to pursue comedy, preventing someone else from losing their job. She did I Love the 2000s, in which she gives her view on pop culture highlights. She was a panelist on the late-night talk show Chelsea Lately. She appeared in an episode of Supermarket Sweep on July 24, 2000.

She has served as a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real. The Real was picked up into a series the following year. She appeared in the comedy film Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and the action film Bad Asses on the Bayou. She won the ninth season of Worst Cooks in America. She and her Real co-hosts won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host.

She hosts a show on Instagram Live under the hashtag #quarantinewithloni.

Pastor Dr. Michael J. Jones (July 14, 1967) is a pastor and politician. He has been a member of the Virginia Senate since 2026. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 77th district from 2023 to 2025. A Democrat, he was elected in 2023 and served on the Richmond City Council from 2016 to 2023.

A single mother raised him.

He earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Heobtained a MDi from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, and a DMi from McCormick Theological Seminary.

He worked as a pastor at Fourth Baptist Church in Richmond, then founded the Village of Faith church with his then-wife Tanya Jones, where he has worked as a full-time pastor since 2005. In 2018, the church had around 900 members and two locations in Sandston and Midlothian.

In 2017, he introduced a proposal to remove Confederate statues, which did not pass. In December 2019, he introduced a resolution requesting that the Virginia General Assembly grant Richmond authority over local monuments. In January 2020, the Richmond City Council passed a resolution in support of that request.

Pastor Dr. Herman ‘Skip’ Mason, Jr. (July 14, 1962) born in Atlanta to Herman Mason and Deloris Hughes, is a pastor, archivist, author, and educator.

He serves as the senior pastor of West Mitchell Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta. He served as the Director of Library Service and Assistant Professor of African American History and Religion at Voorhees College. He currently serves as the President of the International Theological Center.

He served as professor of history, college archivist, director and dean of students, and vice president of student services at Morris Brown College and Morehouse College.

He has authored numerous books, including Black Atlanta in the Roaring Twenties, Black Entertainment in Atlanta, African American Life in DeKalb County, Black American Series: East Point, Georgia, and Politics, Law and Civil Rights in Atlanta. He has curated major exhibitions, including the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Centennial Exhibition; Crowns and Gowns: The Legacy of the Homecoming Queen; and Hidden Treasures: Black Photographers in Atlanta.

He earned a BA at Morris Brown College. He earned an MA in Library and Information Science with a concentration in African American studies and archives/museum management at Clark Atlanta University. He obtained an M.Div and a D.Min from the Interdenominational Theological Center.

He served as the 33rd general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and as a member of the National Board of Directors of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation. He is a member of numerous fraternal, social, and civic organizations, including Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and St. James Lodge No. 24 (Prince Hall).

Ambassador Pamela Leora Spratlen (July 14, 1954) is a Diplomat. She is the former Ambassador to Uzbekistan and Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.

She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and was raised in Washington State and California. Her father, Thaddeus Spratlen, was a professor in the Department of Marketing at the University of Washington’s School of Business. Pamela Spratlen’s mother, Lois Price Spratlen, was an Associate Professor and Ombudsman at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing.

She graduated from Crenshaw High School and earned her BA from Wellesley College. She has an MA from the Army War College and UC Berkeley. She speaks Russian, French, and Spanish.

She volunteered for Volunteers in Service to America and served for almost nine years as a staff member in the California State Legislature.

She joined the Foreign Service in 1990. Her first tour as a Foreign Service Officer was in Guatemala (1990–92). Her past assignments include the US Mission to the Organization of American States (1992–94), the US Mission to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (1995–98), and the Executive Secretariat (1999–2000). She has served as Assistant Coordinator at the Embassy in Moscow (2002–04), Special Assistant to the Counselor of the Department of State (2005–06), Director of Central Asian Affairs (2006–07), Director of Western European Affairs (2007–08), and Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan. She served as Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan (2011-14). She was named as a Department of State official overseeing the response to the so-called “Havana Syndrome”.

She was nominated by President Barack Obama on July 28, 2014, and confirmed by the Senate on November 20, 2014. She was sworn in as Ambassador to Uzbekistan on December 18, 2014.

She has received several Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards from the State Department.

Stan Shaw (July 14, 1952) is an actor.

He started his acting career in the Chicago production of the musical Hair, and in the Broadway production of The Me Nobody Knows. Peter Hall directed his last Broadway show, Via Galactica.

Born in Chicago, he is the son of Bertha Shaw and saxophonist Eddie Shaw and cousin of the late soul singers Sam Cooke and Tyrone Davis. His brother is Vaan Shaw, a guitarist. He is married to Dr. Zoe Shaw, who is an author and psychotherapist.

He was a karate, judo, and jujutsu instructor in Chicago. He holds a first-dan Black belt in judo and jujutsu and a second-dan in karate. He appears in The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings. He appears in Rocky as Dipper, a rival boxer who taunts Rocky after being given his locker. He plays a professional fighter in Tough Enough, Harlem Nights, and Snake Eyes.

One of his most notable roles was his appearance as Alex Haley’s maternal grandfather Will Palmer in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Another role was Private Washington in The Boys in Company C. He plays Toomer Smalls in The Great Santini. After a part in the film Fried Green Tomatoes, he had a role in the comedy Houseguest and appeared in Cutthroat Island. He appeared in the films Daylight and Freedom Song.

His TV credits include episodes of Starsky & Hutch, The Moneychangers, Matlock, The Young Riders, Hill Street Blues, Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files, Family Business, and CSI. He had a regular role in the TV series The Mississippi. He appeared as Isaac in North and South.

Lieutenant Governor Sheila Yvette Oliver (July 14, 1952 – August 1, 2023) was a politician who served as the second lieutenant governor of New Jersey (2018-23). A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first African American woman to serve in the position and the first woman of color elected to statewide office in New Jersey. She was born in Newark. She graduated from Lincoln University, graduating cum laude with a BA in Sociology. She received her MS from Columbia University in Community Organization, Planning, and Administration.

She was a non-profit administrator and consultant to a variety of non-profit organizations specializing in program development, grantsmanship, and financial management training. She was a faculty member of several colleges and universities and taught a course in non-profit management at the Rutgers Graduate School of Business Administration. She served as the Director of the Office of Youth Services and Special Projects for the City of Newark.

She was an Essex County Freeholder and served on the Board of Chosen Freeholders. She ran for mayor of the City of East Orange, losing by 51 votes. She became the Assistant County Administrator in Essex County. She served in the New Jersey General Assembly. She became New Jersey’s 169th Assembly Speaker. She was the second African American woman in American history to lead a legislative house.

Eric Gerard Laneuville (July 14, 1952) is a television director, producer, and actor. His first acting roles were in the science-fiction film The Omega Man (1971), Black Belt Jones (1974), Death Wish (1974), Shoot It Black, Shoot It Blue (1974), A Piece of the Action (1977), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), Back Roads (1981), and Room 222 (1970–73). His role as Luther Hawkins in St. Elsewhere is his best-known role. He starred in A Force of One (1979) playing Charlie. He directed such one-hour dramas as Blue Bloods and NCIS: Los Angeles. He directed the Body of Proof episode “Missing”. He appeared in Love at First Bite.

He was born in New Orleans, the son of Mildred, a guidance counselor, and Alexander Laneuville. He began acting while attending Audubon Junior High School in Los Angeles. He often played juvenile characters younger than his age. He appeared in several musicals staged at Audubon, including Bye Bye Birdie, Annie Get Your Gun, and Oklahoma! While taking drama courses at Susan Miller Dorsey High School, he began acting professionally. He appeared in three episodes of Sanford and Son, as Esther’s adopted son.

He began directing in 1984. His first directing assignments were for episodes of St. Elsewhere. He has directed episodes of L.A. Law (1986), Quantum Leap (1989), Doogie Howser, M.D.(1990), NYPD Blue (1993), ER (1995), 413 Hope St. (1997), Gilmore Girls (2004), Lie to Me (2009), Monk (2005), The Mentalist (2009–12), Invasion, Medium, Lost (2005–08), Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris, Prison Break, Blue Bloods, Ghost Whisperer, Grimm (2012–14) and Tommy, Chicago Fire.

He became the first African American television director to film in Russia, as he directed a two-part episode, “Mission to Moscow,” for the series Head of the Class. In 1992, he won an Emmy for directing the episode “All God’s Children” of I’ll Fly Away. He directed the 2004 television film, America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story.

Dr. Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga, known as Ron Karenga (Ronald McKinley Everett, July 14, 1941) is a professor of Africana studies, activist, and author, and is known as the creator of the pan-African and African American holiday Kwanzaa. He was active in the Black Power movement and co-founded, with Hakim Jamal, the Black nationalist group US Organization.

He was born in Parsonsburg, Maryland. His father, Levi Everett, was a tenant farmer and Baptist minister. He moved to Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles City College. He became active with civil rights organizations CORE and SNCC, took an interest in African studies, and was elected as LACC’s first African American student president.

He matriculated at UCLA and earned a BA and MA in Political Science. He studied Swahili, Arabic, and other African-related subjects. He took the name Karenga (Swahili for “keeper of tradition”) and the title Maulana (Swahili Arabic for “master teacher”).

He created Kwanzaa in 1966 to be the first pan-African holiday. He said his goal was to “give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and allow Blacks to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”

African “first fruit” traditions inspire Kwanzaa, and the name chosen is from Swahili, “matunda ya kwanza.” The rituals of the holiday promote African traditions and Nguzo Saba, the “seven principles of African Heritage,” which he described as “a communitarian African philosophy.”

He was awarded his first Ph.D. from the United States International University for a dissertation titled “Afro-American Nationalism: Social Strategy and Struggle for Community”.

Mayor Chester Luther Jenkins (July 14, 1938 – July 14, 2009) was the first African American mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1989-91), after having served on the Durham City Council for eight years. In 1994, following the defeat of his 1991 re-election bid, he became the city’s Director of Human Relations, holding that post until late 2000.

Dr. Annjennette Sophie McFarlin (July 14, 1935 - November 26, 2013) was the author of the 1976 book Black Congressional Reconstruction Orators and Their Orations and was considered the first recognized scholar of orator Hallie Quinn Brown. She was born in Pensacola, Florida, the eldest of three to Clifford and Thecimar McFarlin. Her parents moved from Florida to San Diego during WWII.

She began her nursing career after high school and earned a BA from Cal State Long Beach. Her career as a licensed vocational nurse was short-lived after she took a communications course at East Los Angeles Community College. She received an MA in Communications from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Rhetorical Studies from Washington State University. She was the second African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in any subject matter from WSU.

She was fluent in Spanish. She helped start Black Storytellers of San Diego, Inc., which is under the auspices of the national association based in Baltimore. She spent a great deal of time performing at local venues, reaching out to children and people of all ages as a “storyteller.”

She taught at Northern Illinois University, Southwestern College, the University of New Hampshire, San Diego State University, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and Washington State University. She served as the chair of the speech department at Grossmont College. She was the director of the San Diego-Imperial County Community College Association Regional Faculty Internship Project.

She was a renowned public speaker throughout San Diego County. She was called upon to speak at the NAACP, the YWCA, Phi Delta Kappa, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She was an active member and past president of Epsilon Xi Omega. She was instrumental in establishing two undergraduate chapters, Mu Iota (San Diego citywide chapter) and Kappa Sigma Chapter (Washington State University). She was president of the Martin Luther King Democratic Club and an active member of Bethel AME Church.

Robert Lee Elder (July 14, 1934 – November 28, 2021) was a golfer. In 1975, he became the first African American to play in the Masters Tournament, where he missed the cut. He was invited to the tournament after he won the 1974 Monsanto Open.

He did not play a full round of 18 holes until he was 16. He took jobs in pro shops and locker rooms, in addition to caddying, where he developed his game by watching his clients and playing when he had the opportunity. His game developed sufficiently for him to start hustling. His career took a big step after he played a match against heavyweight boxer Joe Louis, which led to Louis’s golf instructor, Ted Rhodes, taking him under his wing for three years.

He was drafted into the Army and sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. He had the good fortune to be under the command of Colonel John Gleaster, who was an avid golfer. Gleaster put him in a special services unit, which allowed him the opportunity to play golf on a steady basis.

Minister Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier (July 14, 1932) is an actor, singer, Protestant minister, and former football player. He was a football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place on the NCAA’s 100th-anniversary list of the 100 most influential student-athletes. He was a member of the New York Giants and the original Fearsome Foursome of the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the Pro Bowl twice.

He worked as a bodyguard for Senator Robert Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign. He was guarding Ethel Kennedy when Senator Kennedy was shot. Although unable to prevent the assassination, he took control of the gun and subdued the shooter, Sirhan Sirhan.

He hosted his Los Angeles television show and made approximately 70 guest appearances on various shows. He appeared in season three, episode 14 of The Love Boat.

He first released singles on the A label, and over the following twenty-five years he continued to record on various labels including Liberty, Ric, MGM, and A&M. His recording of a tribute to Robert Kennedy, “People Make the World”, was his only chart single, peaking at #128.

He has written several books and now travels the US as an inspirational speaker. He is a co-founder of American Neighborhood Enterprises, an organization that helps disadvantaged city dwellers buy homes and receive vocational training. He was ordained a Protestant minister in 1983, and the next year he founded his nonprofit resource center for inner-city teens, developing spiritual and educational programs for disadvantaged youths.

He is a prominent member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is on the Milken Family Foundation board of trustees and serves as its program administrator of community affairs.

Dr. Timothy Mofolorunso Aluko (July 14, 1918 – May 1, 2010) was a writer.

A Yoruba, he was born in Ilesha, Nigeria, and studied at Government College, Ibadan, and Higher College, Yaba, in Lagos. He studied Civil Engineering and Town Planning at the University of London. He held several administrative posts in his home country, including the Director of Public Works in Western Nigeria. He left the civil service in 1966 and, until his retirement in 1978, pursued a career as an academic, earning a Ph.D. in Municipal Engineering. He received several awards and honors, including Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1963 and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 1964.

His novels, including One Man, One Wife (1959), One Man, One Matchet (1964), Kinsman and Foreman (1966), Chief the Honorable Minister (1970), and His Worshipful Majesty (1973), are satirical in tone and deal with the clash of new and old values in a changing Africa.