People to Know in Black History & Beyond: Recognizing the Heroes and Sheroes Who Make the Grade - Volume 3

By Doctor Bob Lee

Black history is incredibly rich and has made an impact not only in America but throughout the world. People to Know in Black History & Beyond (Vol. 3)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Lee Enterprises
• Release date: Sep 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988896715

Doctor Bob Lee

Dr. Bob Lee, D.Cm aka "Doctor Bob Lee" earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Communications from New York Institute of Technology.. He later earned his Doctorate of Community Ministries (D.Cm.) degree at the New Seminary for Interfaith Studies. Dr. Lee is the President, Founder & CEO of the Make the Grade Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides mentoring and aid to school children. Make the Grade Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that facilitates and encourages academic achievement by implementing programs through the collaboration between parent, teacher, student, clergy and community by connecting and providing resources for today's youth. Bob is a man who brings back the fruits of his success to the youth and disenfranchised of communities in need. His posture of humbleness and quiet attentiveness precedes the underlying wealth of knowledge, creativity and experience just below the surface waiting to spring forth.

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DEDICATION

I dedicate PEOPLE TO KNOW IN BLACK HISTORY & BEYOND (Volume 3) to the late Hal Jackson, to the people of my community and to all the communities of the world who unselfishly express their love and compassion for those who are less fortunate and in need of a kind word and a helping hand.

During my early years on the radio, I had an incredible teacher, mentor, and friend, Hal Jackson, who taught me the importance of Community Service. He would often say it's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice. Instead of putting himself first, Hal was always concerned with how other people felt. His wisdom, compassion, and mentorship helped me to realize and understand that everyone I would meet would be important to me.

As a radio personality I engage with a community of thousands of people every day and the love I receive from them is immeasurable and incredible. My community enables me to bring light, energy, excitement, and words of wisdom whenever and wherever I connect with them, and I always do my best to lead by example. I applaud those of you who have become community leaders and taken it upon yourselves to teach those of every age group and ethnicity about the value of a strong and cohesive community.

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE: NOTABLE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE GRADE

CHAPTER ONE – THE PARENT

Featuring World Renowned Parents

Denzel & Pauletta Washington

Alicia Keys & Swizz Beats

Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade

LL Cool J & Simone Smith

Angela Bassett & Courtney Vance

CHAPTER TWO – THE TEACHER

Featuring Educators that Influenced the Nation

Mary Jane Patterson

William Leo Hansberry

Frederick Douglass Paterson

Edmund Gordon

Marva Delores Collins

Molefi Kete Asante

Willie Pearson

CHAPTER THREE –THE STUDENT

Featuring Students that Made a Difference

Misty Copeland

Yara Shahidi

Mo’ne Davis

Cory Nieves

Mikaila Ulmer

Marley Dias

Sandra Parks

Nyeeam Hudson

Egypt Ufele

Mari Copeny

CHAPTER FOUR - THE COMMUNITY

Featuring Civil Rights Leaders and Activists 18TH – 19TH CENTURY

Thomas l. Jennings

Charles Bennett Ray

David Ruggles

Mary Ann Shadd Cary

Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Sarah J. Tompkins Garnet

George Edwin Taylor

Civil Rights Leaders and Activists 20TH Century

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

John James Conyers Jr.

Jesse Louis Jackson

Eric Himpton Holder Jr.

Cori Anika Bush

CHAPTER FIVE – SPIRITUALITY

Featuring Religious Leaders

Lemuel Haynes

Arnold Josiah Ford

Samuel Woodrow Williams

Charles Sherrod

Renita J. Weems

Bishop David Oyedepo

Suzan Denise Johnson Cook

CHAPTER SIX – HEALTH & SCIENCE

Featuring Medical Professionals and Scientists

Solomon Carter Fuller

Jane Cooke Wright

Henrietta Lacks

Marilyn Hughes Gaston, MD

Kizzmekia Kizzy Shanta Corbett

CHAPTER SEVEN - FINANCIAL LITERACY

Featuring Business Moguls

William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr.

Arthur G. Gaston

David L. Steward

Folorunsho Alakija

Earvin Magic Johnson

Robert Frederick Smith

PART TWO: MORE NOTABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS TO MAKE THE GRADE

More Educators Who Make the Grade…

More Civil Rights Leaders and Activists Who Make the Grade …

More Religious Leaders Who Make the Grade…

More Business Moguls Who Make the Grade…

More Inventors and Scientists Who Make the Grade…

Athletes Who Make the Grade…

Actors and Actresses Who Make the Grade …

Professional Dancers Who Make the Grade…

Singers and Musicians Who Make the Grade…

Authors Who Make the Grade…

Publishers Who Make the Grade…

Politicians, Lawyers and Other Leaders Who Make the Grade…

Military Notables Who Make the Grade …

Media and Public Relations Experts Who Make the Grade…

PART THREE: 24 MAJOR EVENTS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR DOCTOR BOB LEE

IN CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

NOTES:

PREFACE

Black history is incredibly rich and has made an impact not only in America but throughout the world. The iconic figures responsible for the positive contributions to Black history range from change-making civil rights leaders and activists, essential inventors and scientists, amazing educators and students, heroic military notables, award-winning athletes, world-renowned authors and publishers, and showstopping entertainers. 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress are great resources to learn little-known facts about Black history and broaden our understanding of the culture, while People to Know in Black History & Beyond (Vol. 3) offers you an edited glimpse of the fathomless contributions of those who have enriched our history.

An estimated half a million African men, women and children were forcibly removed from the Motherland and sold into slavery to lay the foundation for the great nation that America has become. By 1860, four million Black people were enslaved… a prime field hand cost $1,000, while a female, with her childbearing capability, brought $1,500. Those Africans became the ancestors for the more than forty million African Americans aka Black Americans who live in America today.

Slavery is an African American success story because we found ways to survive, to preserve our culture and our families. Despite having obviously started with the greatest disadvantage, no other ethnic group in these United States has achieved so much politically, economically, and socially in the shortest amount of time.

Understanding Black History is key to every American’s growth and one of the most notable historians today is Henry Louis Gates Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and founding director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Since 2012, Gates has been host of the television series Finding Your Roots on PBS. The series combines the work of expert researchers in genealogy, history, and genetics historic research to tell guests about their ancestors' lives and histories. As a result of the DNA research, many white celebrities have been enlightened about their ancestors who were slave owners.

In remembering our roots and the role of acknowledging Black history we must celebrate those who have set the path for us. No one has played a greater role than Carter G. Woodson in helping all Americans know the black past. In February 1926, Woodson created Negro History Week in Washington, D.C. which later evolved to Black History Month.

Carter G. Woodson had two goals. One was to use history to prove to white America that Black people had played important roles in the creation of America and thereby deserve to be treated equally as citizens. By celebrating heroic Black figures—be they inventors, entertainers, or soldiers—Woodson hoped to prove our worth, and by proving our worth—he believed that equality would soon follow. His other goal was to increase the visibility of Black life and history, at a time when few newspapers, books, and universities took notice of the Black community, except to dwell upon the negative.

INTRODUCTION

People to Know in Black History & Beyond (Vol. 3) features hundreds of heroes and sheroes who have accomplished what most people may consider to be impossible achievements. The book highlights more than 250 Black people who, due to their political, social, educational, and economic contributions, have made a difference and affected the way many of us live today.

African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term African American generally denotes descendants of enslaved Africans who are from the United States. While some Black immigrants or their descendants may also come to identify as African American, the majority of first generation immigrants do not, preferring to identify with their nation of origin.

Because of the many innovators of African descent millions of people of all ethnicities and cultures from around the world have been encouraged and presented with opportunities to overcome tremendous obstacles.

It is important that adults teach children to understand their value and the value of  all people of African descent by devoting some time to the study of Black history not only in the United States, but also throughout the world. The contributions of those (beginning in the 18th century) presented in the People to Know book series is merely a token of the information that has been written and published to give credence to those Black people who have sacrificed their lives and livelihoods.

There are people who acknowledge the stark racial disparities that have persisted in the United States despite decades of civil rights reforms, and they raise structural questions about how racist hierarchies are enforced, even among people with good intentions. Thus, it is imperative to elevate the voices and share the stories of the many notable people who have experienced and overcome racism during their lifespan and beyond.

By the mid-19th century, race in the popular mind had taken on a meaning equivalent to species-level distinctions, at least for differences between Black and white people. The ideology of separateness that this proclaimed difference implied was soon transformed into social policy.

Later, advances in the field of genetics in the late 20th century determined no biological basis for races in this sense of the word, as all humans alive today share 99.99% of their genetic material. For this reason, the concept of distinct human races today has little scientific standing, and is instead understood as primarily a sociological designation, identifying a group sharing some outward physical characteristics and some commonalities of culture and history.

African American culture has a significant influence on worldwide culture, making numerous contributions to visual arts, literature, the English language, philosophy, politics, cuisine, sports and music. The African American contribution to popular music is so profound that virtually all American music, such as jazz, gospel, blues, disco, hip hop, R&B, soul and rock have their origins at least partially or entirely among African Americans. In fact, many of the world’s most renowned entertainers, including musicians, actors and dancers have their roots in America.

The richness and prosperity of American life today is due in no small way to the country's diverse cultures and ethnic heritage. Despite centuries of oppression and struggle, African Americans have also contributed immensely to advancements in medicine, industry, engineering, and technology.

Thanks to the contributions made by African Americans, modern medicine has advanced rapidly and extends into technological developments.

Jane Cooke Wright, a pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon noted for her contributions to chemotherapy, is credited with developing the technique of using human tissue culture rather than laboratory mice to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. She also pioneered the use of the drug methotrexate to treat breast cancer and skin cancer (mycosis fungoids). Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized human cell line and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. Marilyn Hughes Gaston’s groundbreaking study led to a national sickle cell disease screening program for newborns. Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett, an American viral immunologist, is a key developer behind the Moderna vaccine.

The impacts of African Americans, past and present, is vast, having contributed to the growth of our great nation with many of the things that we take for granted.

William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. was one of the founders of the city that became San Francisco. Lemuel Haynes was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, the first Black man in the United States to be ordained as a minister and the first African American in America to receive an honorary college degree. Thomas L. Jennings, an African American inventor, tradesman, entrepreneur, and abolitionist in New York City was the first African American patent-holder in history. In 1821, he invented a process called dry scouring which was the forerunner of today’s modern dry-cleaning. Henry Blair’s first invention was the Seed-Planter, patented October 14, 1834, which allowed farmers to plant more corn using less labor and in a shorter time.

Black slaves built, with their hands, the White House; Monticello; early Wall Street; Chapel Hill buildings; and other notable structures in the South or the Eastern Seaboard before 1861. Black Cowboys also played a significant role in the settling of the West. Ranching was a big industry and Cowboys helped to run the ranches. They herded cattle, repaired fences and buildings, and took care of the horses.

Mary Jane Patterson, the child of fugitive slaves, was the first African-American woman to receive a B.A degree when she graduated from Oberlin College in 1862. She is known as a pioneer in Black education by paving the way for other Black female educators. In 1966, Marie Van Brittan Brown invented a video home security system along with her husband Albert Brown, an electronics technician. Marie’s idea has expanded beyond just security for those at home, and her ideas can be seen with security systems in businesses around the world.

During Reconstruction, Black people gained citizenship and the right to vote. But, because of the widespread policy and ideology of white supremacy, they were largely treated as second-class citizens and found themselves soon disenfranchised in the South. These circumstances changed due to participation in the military conflicts of the United States, substantial migration out of the South, the elimination of legal racial segregation, and the civil rights movement which sought political and social freedom.

In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected President of the United States. Eric Himpton Holder Jr. served in the administration of President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2015. He was the first African American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General. And in November 2022 Hakeem Sekou Jeffries was elected caucus leader, unopposed, succeeding Nancy Pelosi.

The sixty featured heroes and sheroes have made great contributions to society primarily through education, activism, health & science, parental leadership, religion, and economics not only in America but throughout the World. In addition, People to Know in Black History & Beyond highlights 150 of the country’s trendsetters in arts and communications, as well as renowned scientists, athletes, and authors.

People to Know in Black History & Beyond, (Vol. 3) includes a new section, 24 Major Events in African American History to enlighten you about major incidents that occurred in the United States relating to the struggles and victories of Black people. So, whether you are researching Black History or whether you just want to learn more about the building of America, we hope this book will help you appreciate those people who were determined to win at all costs.

Knowledge is power, so without hesitation, read, write, and reap the benefits of the journey that you are about to embark upon…beyond Black History.

PART ONE

Notable People Who Make the Grade

Part One of PEOPLE TO KNOW IN BLACK HISTORY & BEYOND (Volume III) incorporates those Heroes and Sheroes who have significantly contributed to society as Parents, Teachers, Students, Community Activists, or in the field of Spirituality, Health & Science and Financial Literacy. Because of their influences on the communities of the world, many of those remarkable people are featured and acknowledged throughout the following pages.

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Rushing to get home because my son’s got a football game and I’m going to be there. We drive to the game and watch him and discuss it afterward. That’s life. Acting is not life to me; it’s making a living.

– Denzel Washington

CHAPTER ONE – THE PARENT

Featuring World Renowned Parents

Good parenting qualities are characteristics that include attitudes and actions used by parents every day in interacting with their children and helping them mature. This will let them know that you love them, no matter what.

The key to raising happy, successful, well-adjusted children is by encouraging and nurturing them to explore and grow into the person they want to be. In many ways, children of celebrities will emulate their parents, but not all of them do. In fact, the parents featured in this chapter are all celebrities who remain in the spotlight, yet they do their best to protect their children from the frenzy of show business and help them to follow their own dreams. Parents of successful children place more emphasis on the efforts their children

put in, thereby helping them understand that failure is a part of success. They believe in praising their children’s actions and achievements, no matter what career path or direction they choose.

The common thread is that all the featured parents provide guidance in a loving, affectionate way that is by far the most important quality of good parenting. They have given their children choices and let them do age-appropriate activities by themselves, thereby helping them develop self-confidence and the belief that they can accomplish anything they set out to do.

Because they are outstanding in their own careers and continuously striving to escalate their own success, the parents always focus on being their best and they instill the same aspiration in their children. Every featured parent has a unique parenting style, but all maintain a spiritual foundation, love, loyalty, and mutual understanding whereby they have become exemplary role models for their children.

Denzel & Pauletta Washington

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Denzel & Pauletta Washington first met in 1977 on the set of 'Wilma,' which was Denzel’s first movie. After dating for several years, Denzel and Pauletta tied the wedding knot on June 25, 1983.

Denzel and Pauletta started their family shortly after getting married. Pauletta was an established actress, but she put her career on hold to support her husband and children. The couple welcomed their eldest child, John David, in 1984, followed by their daughter Katia in 1987. They completed their family when their twins, Malcolm and Olivia, arrived in 1991. All four of the children have followed in the footsteps of their parents by entering the world of entertainment (namely film and television) as actors, directors, producers, and writers.

Even though his Hollywood career afforded them to live a more lavish life than most, Denzell was determined to teach his youngsters the true meaning of being grateful and he gives all the credit to Pauletta for that accomplishment. But the couple admits that their true inspiration comes from their parents who influenced them about the importance of helping others, as well as church, school, humility, and volunteering.

Denzel Washington is beloved by all as humble, a man of substance who does not sell out and is committed to quality, morality, and, in short, doing both his life and his acting career right. While Denzel’s relationship with his dad was far from perfect, he gleaned lessons from both of his parents who influenced him as a parent. As for his own approach to fatherhood, he says, Life is family.

While working with Denzel to begin, nurture and raise their family of four children, born in 1984, 1987 and 1991, Pauletta managed to carve out her own niche in the entertainment arena. Denzel emphasizes that on the home front, the real star is his wife and that she has done a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to their children and home life. While her iconic husband was out providing, Paulette was busy with the structured upbringing of their children.

John David Washington’s acting debut was in Malcolm X when he was just nine years old; he acted alongside his iconic father who played the title role. After his first exposure to acting, he shifted gears for football and played as a professional NFL running back. He stepped aside from the acting world because he wanted to build his own identity. That did not last long after he was rediscovered by the Ballers casting director who cast him in a lead role in that TV Show, only to earn a reputation as one of the best things to happen to Ballers. Some of the films to John David’s credit include Black KKKlansman, Malcom & Marie, and Tenet.

Katia Washington is a famous name in the movie industry, mainly because of her dad’s image. She is a Yale University alumna and holds a Bachelor of History degree. Katia appeared on Django Unchained (2012) and worked as a co-producer for Fences (2016) that cast her dad as the lead role.

Olivia and Malcolm Washington are twins (born April 10, 1991). Olivia Washington’s career started in 2013, when she portrayed Olivia in the biopic about Cecil Gaines in the film The Butler, directed by Lee Daniels, and starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, and John Cusack. Two years later, she appeared in the TV series, Empire, in an episode playing the character named Dee; and in 2015, she continued with the role of an FBI Agent in the TV crime-drama thriller series Mr. Robot. In 2016 Olivia secured her first recurring role, as Agent Cacioppi in the TV mini-series, Madoff and then had a minor role in the comedy-drama film The Comedian, with Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, and Danny DeVito. She has been in a couple of short films Sorry for Your Loss, then An Act of Terror, and The Forever Tree, all in 2017; while in 2018 she was featured in the TV series Chicago P.D, and in the film In Reality, starring Ann Lupo. In 2019 Olivia Washington appeared in the TV series She’s Gotta Have It.

Malcolm Washington attended a private school in Los Angeles. Then, he moved to the University of Pennsylvania to continue his further studies. During his college days, he was very active in sports, especially basketball. In 2013 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in film studies and in 2016 graduated from AFI Conservatory, a graduate film school. Malcolm then made the transition into show business.

In 2014, he began his career as a production assistant for Jon Favreau's adventure comedy 'Chef’. He had a taste of success since his film did well at the box office. In 2016, he served as a second assistant director on the Jackson Young short film, ‘Trouble Man’.

The response to ‘Trouble Man' was both beautiful and important. As a result, his video was shown at the 'Shorts for Palm Screen' and the 'Los Angeles Short Film Showcase.' In the same year, he received the Atlanta Film Festival's Filmmaker to Watch Award.

Malcolm worked as a director, producer, assistant director, and writer in the film business from 2017 forward. He served as Spike Lee's assistant for eight episodes of the TV show She's Gotta Have It.

His work was well-received by the audience. In 2017, Malcolm also produced the comedy-drama Summer of 17. With the short play Benny Got Shot, which he wrote and directed. Malcolm also directed the television shows I, Too, and Dream America in 2018.

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, director, and producer. Denzel. was born in Mount Vernon, New York, His mother, Lennis Lynne was a beauty parlor owner and operator born in Georgia and partly raised in Harlem, New York. 

Lennis Washington was the single greatest influence in Denzel’s life, and to this day he remains thankful for her strength. Lennis brought up her son with discipline and hard work. Denzel’s father, Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. was a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, an ordained Pentecostal minister who ran two churches, and an employee of the New York City Water Department, who also worked at a local S. Klein department store.

Denzel Washington, Jr. attended Pennington-Grimes Elementary School in Mount Vernon until 1968. When he was 14, his parents divorced and his mother sent him to the private preparatory school Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. Denzel credits Oakland as life changing because it saved him from the perils of the streets. After Oakland, Denzel attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida from 1970 to 1971. At the age of eighteen, he moved out of his mother’s home and into his father’s. Denzel, Sr. died in 1991. Lennis Washington died in 2021.

In 1977, Denzel earned a BA in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University. At Fordham, he played collegiate basketball as a guard. After taking a semester off, Denzel worked as creative arts director of the overnight summer camp at Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut, where he participated in a staff talent show for the campers, and a colleague suggested that he should pursue acting.

Returning to Fordham, Denzel enrolled at the Lincoln Center campus to study acting, where he was given the title roles in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones and Shakespeare's Othello. He then attended graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, where he stayed for one year before returning to New York to begin a professional acting career.

Denzel Washington has received seventeen NAACP Image Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, one Tony Award, and two Academy Awards from nine nominations: Best Supporting Actor for playing Union Army soldier Private Trip in the historical drama film Glory (1989), and Best Actor for his role as corrupt detective Alonzo Harris in the crime thriller Training Day (2001), for which he broke a decades-long lockout for Black actors at the Oscars. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him as the greatest actor of the twenty-first century.

Denzel has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1980s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), civil rights activist and Muslim minister Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). He has been a featured actor in films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, and Tony Scott. In 2016, he received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.

In 2002, Denzel Washington made his directorial debut with the biographical film Antwone Fisher. His second directorial effort was The Great Debaters (2007). His third film, Fences (2016), in which he also starred, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Denzel Washington has served as the national spokesman for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993 and has appeared in public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization. In addition, he has served as a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1995. Due to his philanthropic work with the Boys & Girls Club, PS 17X, a New York City Elementary School decided to officially name their school after Washington.

In mid-2004, Denzel visited Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston, where he participated in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers recovering from wounds they received while stationed in Iraq. He also made a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation. Washington's other charitable contributions include US $1 million to Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund in 1995 and US $1 million to Wiley College to resuscitate the college's debate team.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors the group had held captive from 2003 to 2008.

On May 18, 1991, Washington was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Fordham University, for having impressively succeeded in exploring the edge of his multifaceted talent. In 2011, he donated $2 million to Fordham for an endowed chair of the theater department, as well as $250,000 to establish a theater-specific scholarship at the school. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Morehouse College on May 20, 2007 and an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania on May 16, 2011.

Pauletta (Pearson) Washington was born on September 28, 1950, in North Carolina. Pauletta Washington is the sister to Rita Pearson, who is also a celebrated actress. In 1970, when Pauletta was barely 20 years old, she participated in the Miss North Beauty Contest, becoming the first Black participant in the show. She finished as the first runner-up in the competition.

Pauletta’s acting career commenced in 1977, when she made an appearance in Wilma, a short film, alongside Denzel Washington. The film was based on the story of Wilma Rudolf, an American track sprinter who won three gold medals in the Olympics, despite being physically handicapped.

In 1981, Pauletta was featured in the telefilm 'Purlie'. She was praised for her performance in the movie 'Beloved' in 1998, a horror drama film based on Toni Morrison's novel of the same name. The film, which was directed by Jonathan Demme, starred actors Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, and Thandie Newton.

Pauletta is also known for her work on Philadelphia (1993), Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995) and Antwone Fisher (2002).  Pauletta is most famous for her portrayal of Terri Angelou in the TV comedy series 'The Parkers'. She played this role for two years from 2002 to 2004. Other acting credits include '90 Days' in 2016, and 'Steps' in 2017. Pauletta also played the role of Miss Ella Chisholm in the Netflix comedy series 'She's Gotta Have It' in 2017.

As a result of her awe-inspiring works, Pauletta Washington has won several awards over her career life. She was the 2005 BET Awards winner, as well as the Women in Film Crystal Awards (Humanitarian Award) winner in 2000.

Bishop Desmond Tutu and Denzel Washington had met several times since Denzel played one of its greatest leaders and martyrs of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, Steve Biko, in Cry Freedom. At Tutu’s invitation, in 1995, Denzel and Pauletta flew to South Africa for Bishop Tutu to renew their marriage vows at a colorful ceremony that he presided over. While there, the Washingtons also got to meet South Africa's first Black president, Nelson Mandela.

Denzel and Pauletta Washington are the definition of the Hollywood power couple. Now in their fifth decade of marriage, they are not just one of the industry’s longest lasting relationships but have one of the most successful marriages in the Black community. The Washingtons are devout Christians; and in 1995, they donated $2.5 million to help build the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ facility in Los Angeles. Denzel says that the secret to his long-lasting marriage is marrying someone who knows about love. Commitment for him is key to making their marriage work and realizing that one must work at it to make it last.

Alicia Keys & Swizz Beats

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Alicia Keys & Kasseem Dean aka Swizz Beatz first met when they were teens. But, years later, they were brought together for a music project. The pair turned their friendship into a relationship and in May 2010 they announced they were engaged and expecting their first child.

During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple had their unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. On July 31, 2010 they married in a private ceremony in Corsica near the Mediterranean Sea. Alicia gave birth to their first son, Egypt Daoud Dean, in October 2010. Their second son, Genesis Ali Dean, was born in December 2014.

Alicia is now a family-oriented celeb who puts much emphasis on her relationships and children. In addition to the children that she has given birth to, she is also a stepmom. Swiss Beatz's other children are from two previous relationships. He shares a son, Nasir Dior, with Nichole Levy; and another son, Kasseem, with ex-wife, Mashonda Tifrere. He also has a daughter, Nicole, with UK-based singer, Jahna Sabastian.

Swiss’ first-born son, Nasir Dior is a model and a musician known as Note Marcato. Kasseem Dean, Jr. is following in his parents’ footsteps. Currently focusing his time on music and school, he performs at concerts while trying to build a career in the music industry.

Swizz Beatz commends his wife and ex-wife, crediting them for being the ultimate glue holding their blended family together. Mashonda, Swizz, and Alicia have been the epitome of upstanding co-parenting. Not only do Swizz and Mashonda rear their son harmoniously, but Alicia also gives Kasseem Jr. a level of support that makes the Deans’ blended family work well.

In her book, Blend, Mashonda opens up about her journey to co-parenting with Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. Mashonda and her co-parents (Swizz and Alicia) used communication, patience, and love to create an environment where they were able to work as a team and all the children involved could thrive.

Alicia Keys, who recently released her memoir, More Myself: A Journey, describes parenting as her favorite job. According to Alicia, it has taught her so much about capacity, patience, and consciousness.

Alicia has no doubt that she and Kasseem Dean aka Swizz Beatz, her husband of nearly a decade, are meant to be together. Alicia sang the song Blended Family in 2016 as a tribute to her blended family, emphasizing that families like hers and co-parenting with exes is a real thing and is possible.

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter.

Alicia Augello was born in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. She is the only child of Teresa Augello, who was a paralegal and part-time actress, and one of three children of Craig Cook, who was a flight attendant. Keys' father is African American and her mother is of Italian, Irish, and Scottish descent; her mother's paternal grandparents were immigrants from Sciacca in Sicily. Named after her Puerto Rican godmother, Alicia has said that she was comfortable with her multiracial heritage because she felt she was able to relate to different cultures. Alicia's father left when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in the rough neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen.

Alicia loved music and singing from early childhood. She recalled her mother playing jazz records of artists like Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on Sunday mornings. Keys considers early musical moments to be influential in kindling her emotional connection to music. In preschool, Alicia sang in her school's production of the musical Cats and was cast as Dorothy Gale in a production of The Wizard of Oz. Alicia discovered she had a passion for the piano by age six, and she began receiving classical piano training by age seven,