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James “Mac Daddy” Christopher Kelly (August 11, 1978 - May 1, 2013) was born in Atlanta. In 1990, Producer Jermaine Dupri discovered him and his friend, Chris Smith, in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall. Dupri, Smith, and he produced a demo tape that led to them signing with Ruffhouse Records.

He and Smith became the rap duo Kris Kross and soon released the song “Jump,” which was an enormous hit. Written and produced by Jermaine Dupri, “Jump” stayed at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight weeks in 1992. The album the song was on, Totally Krossed Out (1992), went multiplatinum, and its success led to Kris Kross performing with artists like Michael Jackson. Kris Kross fans also began to duplicate the duo’s style of wearing their clothes backward.

Following the success of “Jump,” Kris Kross continued to release hits, including “Warm It Up.” They released a video game, Kris Kross: Make My Video, and even recorded the “Rugrats Rap” for Nickelodeon’s Rugrats. But as he and Smith got older, they tried to toughen their image on subsequent albums. Though they released two successful albums, the duo would never again release a song as popular as “Jump.” They parted ways after releasing their 1996 album, Young, Rich and Dangerous.

He continued to be involved in music after leaving Kris Kross, including attending school to become a studio engineer.

Mayor London Nicole Breed (August 11, 1974) became the first African American woman elected as mayor of the city of San Francisco. A former city commissioner and district supervisor was born in San Francisco. She graduated with honors from Galileo High School. She received a BA from UC Davis. She earned an MA in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.

She worked as an intern for the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services. She became the executive director of the African American Arts and Culture Complex. She raised over $2.5 million to transform it into a vital and financially stable community resource, providing after-school arts and cultural programs for youth and senior residents.

She served on the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commission. Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed her to the Fire Commission. She won the election to the District 5 seat of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She wrote legislation to allow the San Francisco city attorney to pursue civil damages against graffiti taggers. She was elected president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She helped rehabilitate 193 units of unused public housing for homeless families.

Charles McRay Blow (August 11, 1970) is a journalist, commentator, and op-ed columnist for The New York Times and a current political analyst for MSNBC.

He was born and raised in Gibsland, Louisiana. He was educated at Gibsland–Coleman High School in his hometown, where he founded the school newspaper and graduated as valedictorian. He graduated magna cum laude from Grambling State University, with a BA in Mass Communication.

He interned at the Shreveport Times, News Journal, and The New York Times, edited the student newspaper, the Gramblinite, and founded the now-defunct student magazine, Razz. He served as president of Grambling State’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

He joined The Detroit News as a graphics artist. He joined The New York Times as a graphics editor. He became the head of the newspaper’s graphics department. He left to become the Art Director of National Geographic. He began writing a column in The New York Times. His column had originally appeared biweekly on Saturdays. It became a weekly feature and appeared twice a week. It appears every Monday and Thursday. He would appear on CNN and MSNBC during this period.

He published a book-length memoir entitled Fire Shut Up In My Bones. He published The Devil You Know: A Black Manifesto. He began hosting Prime with Charles M. Blow. He joined MSNBC as a political analyst.

Duane Martin (August 11, 1965) is an actor and former basketball player.

He was born in Brooklyn and graduated from New York University. He played NCAA Division III basketball at NYU and was signed by the New York Knicks as an undrafted free agent to a non-guaranteed NBA contract.

He first appeared on TV in Out All Night. He appeared in the Boyz II Men music video “I’ll Make Love to You”. He was a cast member of Getting Personal. He portrayed TV reporter Robert James on All of Us. He guest-starred on Rita Rocks and The Paul Reiser Show.

Notable feature film roles include White Men Can’t Jump, The Inkwell, Above the Rim, Deliver Us from Eva, and The Seat Filler. He portrays himself in Real Husbands of Hollywood. He portrayed Louil Silas, Jr. in The New Edition Story. He played Steven Lewis on Bel-Air.

Viola Davis (August 11, 1965) is an actress and film producer. Known for her work across screen and stage, she has earned accolades including the Triple Crown of Acting and the EGOT; Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century. She received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2025.

She attended Central Falls High School, where she credits her love of stage acting to her involvement in the arts. She was involved in the federal TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Student Support Services programs. While enrolled at the Young People’s School for the Performing Arts, her talent was recognized by the program’s director.

She studied at Rhode Island College, majoring in theater and participating in the National Student Exchange. She attended the Juilliard School and was a member of the school’s Drama Division “Group 22”. She graduated from the Juilliard School, and she won an Obie Award for her performance in Everybody’s Ruby. She played minor roles in several films and television series before winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in King Hedley II. Her film breakthrough came with her role in Doubt, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the play Fences. For The Help, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and won a SAG Award. She began starring in How to Get Away with Murder, and she became the first African American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She was in Suicide Squad and Fences, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to receive a BAFTA nomination for starring in Widows.

The Watts riots, known as the Watts Rebellion, occurred in Los Angeles (August 11 - August 16, 1965). The riot took 34 lives and injured 1,032 people. There were nearly 4,000 arrests and $40 million in property damage, the largest urban rebellion in the US in the 1960s.

Although it began on August 11, 1965, its roots go back at least two decades. Following WWII, over 500,000 African Americans migrated to West Coast cities in hopes of escaping racism and discrimination. For many Black Los Angeles residents who lived in Watts, their isolation in that community was evidence that racial equality remained a distant goal as they experienced housing, education, employment, and political discrimination. These racial injustices caused Watts’ African American population to explode, in what became the Watts Rebellion.

The rebellion began on August 11th when the Los Angeles Highway Patrol stopped Black Watts resident Marquette Frye and his brother, alleging that they were speeding. Back-up was called from the Los Angeles Police Department as a crowd of African Americans gathered to watch the scene. His mother emerged to find her son resisting arrest. Fearful that his arrest may ignite a riot, one LAPD officer drew his firearm. Catching a glimpse of the gun, Mrs. Frye jumped onto the officer’s back, causing the crowd to begin cheering. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested all three of the Fryes. Enraged by the family’s arrests, Watts’ residents protested as the police cars drove away.

The six-day revolt, which involved some 30,000 people, served as a stark testimony to the inequality and poverty that dominated the lives of thousands of Watts’s residents. Many of those engaged in the uprising looted items from local groceries and clothing stores, acquiring what they wanted and needed but often could not afford. Others battled the LAPD, which they held responsible for their poverty and alienation.

Dr. Erle S. Robertson (1964) is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and program director of the Abramson Cancer Center’s Tumor Virology Program. He is a leading expert in viral oncology. He has served on many national and international committees. He directs a laboratory that focuses on the mechanisms of oncogenesis mediated by infectious agents.

He received his BS in Microbiology from Howard University and his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Wayne University. He transferred to Harvard Medical School to complete his postdoctoral training. He was an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School before moving to the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Professor of Microbiology, Director of the Tumor Virology Training Program, and Associate Director of Research in the Department of Otolaryngology. He leads a virology lab with more than 10 postdoctoral fellows and has authored more than 200 publications, including 8 books.

His laboratory is involved in research on viral oncogenesis. Areas of investigation include basic molecular mechanisms that contribute to understanding the roles of oncogenic human gamma herpesviruses.

His team is involved in many studies aimed at understanding the role of the microbiome in cancer and the dysbiotic activities that may contribute to neoplastic events. His group is developing a drug discovery program with lead compounds that are now being used to develop more efficient analogs that are less toxic, have better solubility for administration, and are more bioavailable in preclinical animal studies.

Miguel A. Núñez Jr. (August 11, 1959) is an actor, public speaker, producer, and writer. He is known for his supporting roles in The Return of the Living Dead and Life, and his leading roles in Juwanna Mann, The Family Business, and Tour of Duty.

He was born in New York City to an African American mother and a Dominican father and was raised by his grandparents in Wilson, North Carolina.

One of his first major screen roles was the supporting role of Spider in The Return of the Living Dead, and his first major starring role was Marcus Taylor on the series Tour of Duty, where he was a main cast member for all three seasons. He appeared on the short-lived series My Wildest Dreams and the short-lived show Sparks. He held a recurring role in Joey and as a supporting villain in Street Fighter.

Dr. Muriel Eloise Poston (August 11, 1950) is an accomplished botanist and dedicated educator working to increase underrepresented populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Her extensive scientific career spans many universities and institutions, including Howard University and the National Science Foundation. Her expertise in botany lies in the flora of Central and South America.

She was born in Detroit to Eloise and Paul Poston. She had two brothers. After the death of her father, her mother moved the family to Danville, California. She married Everard H. Hughes (1973), a noted physician.

She attended Stanford University for her undergraduate studies, majoring in Biology. She earned her MA and her Ph.D. in Biology, both from UCLA. She worked at the Missouri Botanical Garden. She was the curator of the herbarium before becoming an assistant professor in Howard University’s Botany Department. She was promoted to associate professor. She was given little time away from her teaching load and departmental duties to conduct research. She decided to pursue a career in law.

She earned her JD from the University of Maryland. She spent over twenty years at Howard University as a professor. She chaired the University’s Natural Science Division and Academic Policy and Standards Committee, as well as the Faculty Senate. She became the program director of the National Science Foundation and was named Deputy Division Director for the foundation’s Division of Biological Infrastructure. She enhanced the infrastructure for biological research facilities and worked on initiatives to broaden participation by underrepresented students in STEM, including women, people of color, and those with disabilities.

General Dr. Jackson Lee Davis III, MD (August 11, 1944 - April 15, 2024) was a retired Brigadier General in the Air National Guard. He was an assistant to the command surgeon of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base. He served as the senior medical Air National Guard adviser to the command surgeon of the Air Mobility Command. He served as the medical liaison between the active Air Force and the Air National Guard.

He was born in DC. He attended Howard University. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force upon completion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He received his MD from Howard University College of Medicine and performed his Internship at Freedmen’s Hospital. He began his military career as a general medical officer at Bolling Air Force Base. He became a flight medical officer and clinic commander at the Air Force Clinic, Tainan Air Base. His last active duty assignment was as chief of aeromedical services at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Andrews Air Force Base. He performed his Urology Residency at Howard University Hospital.

As a former Chief Flight Surgeon in the ANG, he has 800+ flight hours on aircraft such as the F-4, KC-135A, P-3, C-130, C-141A, C-9, C-21A, and C-22. Some of his major assignments include Squadron Flight Surgeon at Andrews Air Force Base; Hospital Commander at 910th Tactical Hospital; Hospital Commander at 113th Tactical Hospital, Andrews Air Force Base; State Air Surgeon at headquarters, District of Columbia Air National Guard; Air National Guard Assistant to the Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base. He received the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with one oak leaf cluster.

He married Nadine E. Journiette-Davis. They had two children. He is an active member of the National Medical Association, where he has served as past Chair of the Aerospace, Military Medicine, and Urology Sections.

Kenneth Gamble (August 11, 1943) was born in Philadelphia. He is a songwriter and producer credited with developing the Philadelphia soul music genre with Leon Huff. In addition to forming their label, Philadelphia International Records, he and Huff have written and produced 175 gold and platinum records, earning them an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category.

His childhood in Philadelphia shaped his adult life: he recorded himself on various arcade recording machines, assisted the morning show DJs on WDAS, operated a record store, and sang with The Romeos. Before there was “Gamble & Huff,” there was “Gamble & Ross.” He was discovered and managed by Jerry Ross when he was only 17 years old. He teamed up with Leon Huff for the first time on a recording for Candy & The Kisses. Ross signed him to Columbia Records as a solo recording artist, releasing “You Don’t Know What You Got Until You Lose It”. He & Ross & Huff collaborated on the hit song “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”.

They produced their first Top 5 hit: “Expressway to Your Heart” by The Soul Survivors. They wrote and produced the top 10 hits “Cowboys to Girls” for the Philadelphia group Intruders. They worked with Atlantic Records artists Archie Bell & the Drells, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, and The Sweet Inspirations, as well as with Mercury artists Jerry Butler and Dee Dee Warwick.

He and Huff formed Philadelphia International Records. They approached Atlantic Records, which passed on the deal as being too expensive. CBS Records backed the venture and distributed Philadelphia International’s records. Philadelphia International released several hits, including “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, “Back Stabbers”, “For the Love of Money”, and “Love Train” by The O’Jays, as well as the Grammy-winning “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul. In collaboration with Bell, he and Huff formed the music publisher Mighty Three Music.

Otis Taylor, Jr. (August 11, 1942 – March 9, 2023) was a football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football at Prairie View A&M University. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round (29th overall) of the 1965 AFL Draft. He was selected in the 15th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He chose to play in the AFL for the Chiefs, where he would spend his entire career.

Vada Edward Pinson Jr. (August 11, 1938 – October 21, 1995) was a baseball player and coach. He played as a center fielder in MLB for 18 years (1958–75), most notably for the Cincinnati Reds, for whom he played (1958- 68) as a four-time National League All-Star. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1977. He batted and threw left-handed, combining power, speed, and strong defensive ability.

He was born in Memphis, and his family moved to Oakland when he was a child. He attended McClymonds High School. He had an interest in the trumpet in the school’s band, to the point where he considered playing trumpet as a career. Still, his baseball coach George Powles convinced him otherwise, developing him into a player by cultivating his athletic ability and talent.

In an 18-year career, playing for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, California Angels, and Kansas City Royals, he appeared in 2469 games, compiling a .286 batting average, with 2757 hits, 1365 runs, 485 doubles, 127 triples, 256 home runs, 1169 RBI, 305 stolen bases, 574 walks, .327 on-base percentage, and .442 slugging percentage. He had four 200+ hit seasons in 1959, ‘61, ‘63, and ‘65, batting over .300 in each season. He recorded a career .981 fielding percentage and was a two-time Gold Glove winner (1961 and 1962).

He was a coach for the Seattle Mariners (1977–80; 1982–83), Chicago White Sox (1981), Detroit Tigers (1985–91), and Florida Marlins (1993–94) after his playing days ended. He coached on the inaugural editions of two expansion teams, the Mariners (1977) and the Marlins (1993).

He became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1981. In his 15 years on the ballot, his highest ballot total was 15.7% in 1988. He fell off the ballot in 1996, receiving just 10.9% of the votes.

Ambassador Carl Thomas Rowan (August 11, 1925 – September 23, 2000) was a prominent journalist, author, and government official who published syndicated columns across the US and, at one point, was the highest-ranking African American in the US government.

He was born in Ravenscroft, Tennessee, the son of Johnnie, a cook and cleaner, and Thomas Rowan, who stacked lumber. He was raised in McMinnville, Tennessee.

He worked cleaning porches at a tuberculosis hospital to attend Tennessee State University and Washburn University. He was one of the first African Americans to serve as a commissioned officer in the Navy. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He graduated from Oberlin College and was awarded an MA in journalism from the University of Minnesota. He began his career in journalism writing for the African American newspapers Minneapolis Spokesman and St. Paul Recorder. He went on to become a copywriter for The Minneapolis Tribune and later a staff writer, reporting extensively on the Civil Rights Movement.

He was denied membership in a club because it was racially segregated.

Chief Petty Officer Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was a writer and the author of the book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. It adapted the book into a television miniseries of the same name, which aired to a record-breaking audience of 130 million viewers. The book and miniseries raised public awareness of African American history and inspired a broad interest in genealogy and family history.

His first book was The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He was working on a second family history novel at the time of his death; the book was published as Queen: The Story of an American Family. It was adapted as a film, Alex Haley’s Queen.

He was born in Ithaca and was the eldest of three brothers and a sister. He lived with his family in Henning, Tennessee, before returning to Ithaca at age 5. His father was Simon Haley, a professor of agriculture at Alabama A&M University, and his mother was Bertha George Haley, who had grown up in Henning. The family had Mandinka, other African, Cherokee, Scottish, and Scottish-Irish roots. He spoke proudly of his father and the obstacles of racism he had overcome. He was enrolled at Alcorn State University and Elizabeth City State College. He began a 20-year career in the Coast Guard.

He began another phase of his journalism career. He became a senior editor for Reader’s Digest magazine. He wrote his only screenplay, Super Fly T.N.T.

He traced his maternal ancestry through genealogical research to Jufureh.

John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954) referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson) was a composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he spent much of his career in New York City. He is noted as the composer of the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, which has come to be known as the “Negro National Anthem”.

He was the younger brother of poet and activist James Weldon Johnson, who wrote the lyrics for “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. The two worked together on causes related to the NAACP.

He was trained at the New England Conservatory and studied in London. His career began as a public school teacher in his hometown of Jacksonville. He began his show business career along with his brother and composer Bob Cole. As a songwriting team, they wrote works such as The Evolution of Ragtime. Among the earliest works by the group was a suite of six songs of “Negro” music. They produced two successful Broadway operettas with casts of African American actors: Shoo-Fly Regiment and The Red Moon.

He performed in these operettas. He played a Tuskegee soldier who enlisted in the Spanish–American War in The Shoo-Fly Regiment.

They created and produced several “white” musicals: Sleeping Beauty and the Beast, In Newport, and Humpty Dumpty. He would collaborate to create Hello Paris. He wrote music for a theater review after serving a long residency. New York’s Music School Settlement for Colored appointed him as director.

He served as the first Deputy Marshal for the historic Negro Silent Protest Parade.

The London production of Blackbirds engaged him as musical director. He sang the role of Frazier in the original production of Porgy and Bess and took roles in other dramas as well. He reprised his role as Frazier on the studio recording of Porgy and Bess.

Congressman General Robert Brown Elliott (August 11, 1842 – August 9, 1884) was a member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina.

He was born in Liverpool. He attended High Holborn Academy in London and studied law, graduating from Eton College. He joined the British Royal Navy. He decided to settle in South Carolina. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar and began practicing law in Columbia.

He helped organize the local Republican Party and served as a delegate in the state constitutional convention. He was an associate editor of the South Carolina Leader. With William Whipper and Macon B. Allen, he formed the nation’s first known African American law firm, Whipper, Elliott, and Allen.

He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, appointed assistant adjutant-general, and became the first African American commanding general of the South Carolina National Guard. He also helped form a state militia to fight the Ku Klux Klan.

He was elected as a Republican to the Forty-second Congress. He was re-elected. He gave a notable speech on the “Bill to Enforce the Provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution”, known as the “Ku Klux Bill”. He “delivered a celebrated speech” in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1875. He resigned to serve as sheriff and fight political corruption. He served again in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he was elected as Speaker of the House.