#1: Junior Bridgeman (March) - When most of us think of Black billionaire athletes, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson come to mind. But Bridgeman, a former NBA player, had an unmatched work ethic. He eventually owned more than 450 Wendy’s and Chili’s restaurants nationwide.
#2: Malcolm-Jamal Warner (July) - In the 1980s, Warner burst onto the scene as a talented young television actor, but as he matured, he came into his own as a poet and jazz musician.
#3: Assata Shakur (September) - This Black Panther, political prisoner, and Tupac’s godmother was forced to take refuge in Cuba. But she left an inspiring body of work on Black empowerment that will last forever.
#4: Angie Stone (March) and #5 D’Angelo (October) - R&B suffered a double blow this year, with both Angie Stone and D’Angelo joining the ancestors. But just because they’re gone doesn’t mean we can’t keep cruisin’ listening to their classics.
#6: Viola Fletcher (November) - Fletcher was the last survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. But we will continue her fight for reparations of survivors and descendants of the massacre in her spirit.