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Feb 1, 2017 · Here, we kick off black history month with a look at some of the most memorable afros of the past 50 years. By Joane Amay. February 1, 2017. Save. Save. 1/19. Save these ideas ... Marsha Hunt (1968)
- 30 Most Famous People & Celebrities That Rocked The Afro
- Famous Music Artists Who Rocked The Afro
- Famous Instrument Players Who’Ve Rocked The Afro
- Actors & Actresses
- Civil Rights Activists
- Sportsmen
The renowned English playwright, William Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet, famously poses the question, ‘What’s in a name?’ Surfing through the net for iconic figures who have rocked the afro, I considered the question, ‘What’s in a hairstyle?’ Well, the afro is originally traceable to African civilizations, characterized by its often unique kinky ...
1. Nina Simone
Her born name was Eunice Kathleen Waymon, but in the music scene she is known as Nina Simone. She was an American singer, credited as the High Priestess of Soul. Her style ranged from folk, blues, R&B, jazz, classical, and gospel. Also known for her prolific piano-playing skill, she had initially intended to become a concert pianist. Nina Simone’s signature, short but puffed up, jet-black afro, neatly combed and always stunning became part of her music look. The Civil Rights Movement recogniz...
2. Diana Ross
Known for her iconic, voluminous afro look in the 1960s, alongside her musical genius, Diana Ross was the lead singer of The Supremes; the best charting female group of all time. She was born in Detroit on March 26, 1944. She attained fame as a lead singer for the vocal group, before finally venturing into a solo music career in 1970. One of her most famous hit singles includes the song ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. She has also been in the film industry as an actor, receiving a good deal...
3. Lauryn Hill
If she’s not rocking beautiful locks, then she’s wearing her short, puffy, black afro. You may have first known her as the frontwoman of The Fugees, an American hip-hop group that was quite popular in the 1990s. She is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Also credited as a pioneer for female rappers in the industry, she is regarded as one of the most influential artists of her generation. Her 1998 solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hillis one of the best-selling albums of...
11. Billy Preston
Looking at some of Billy’s photos, one can’t help but admire the incredibly grand black afro, all puffed up and resting just fine. Born in Houston on September 2, 1946, Billy was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter. He mostly played R&B, soul, funk, and gospel. He was one of the top keyboardists of his time, playing for artists such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, the Beatles, and Rolling Stone. His solo works, such as Outa-Space, Space Race, With you I’m born again and Nothing from No...
12. Esperanza Spalding
The widely acclaimed American bassist, singer, and composer rocks her natural bulky hair in stunning afro styles, and we could say it has become part of her musical look. Spalding was born in Portland on October 18, 1984. She started playing music as a child, performing as a violinist in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. She plays guitar and bass too. Spalding has released several albums, and her third studio album, Chamber Music Society (2010) was quite a success. It earned her a Grammy A...
13. Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix was one of the most influential electric guitarists of the 20thcentury, born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle. This is despite his short mainstream career of four years. He has been described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as ‘arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.’ His iconic afro hairstyle, spotting a voluminous, black mane is the characteristic ‘Hendrix the guitarist’ look. He attained numerous achievements, including Billboard’s Artist of the Year (...
21. Pam Grier
Back in the 1970s, Pam Grier’s bulky, jet-black afro look was at the top of the list of iconic afros of the time. Today, she still rocks her natural hair once in a while, sometimes straightened out and held back, and other times, in beautiful curls or wavy edges. Pam rose to fame in the 70s as an actress for her starring roles in the blaxploitation, action, and prison films of the time. These include Foxy Brown (1974) and Bucktown (1975), among many others. She is a recipient of numerous acco...
22. Viola Davis
Viola Davis has a knack for killing it on the red carpet, with her fashionable outfits, and once in a while, a gorgeous, kinky, and satisfyingly full afro. Excellence personified. She is a highly achieved American actress, having starred in major film works including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020), and The Woman King(2022). Needless to say, she has won numerous awards and is one of the exceptionally few performers to receive an Emmy, a Grammy, an Osca...
23. Yara Shahidi
Rising to stardom for her role in the popular sitcom Black-ish, (2014-2022), Yara Shahidi is an American actress born in Minneapolis. She is known for her refreshing afro looks and impeccable sense of fashion as well. The fashion website, Net-a-Porter ranked her as one of the best-dressed women in 2018, and for the 2019 September issue of British Vogue, she was one of 15 women selected to appear on the cover. Her other film credits include Imagine That (2009) and Smallfoot(2018).
26. Angela Davis
Born in 1944 in Alabama, Angela Davis is a political activist, author, and professor who was actively involved with the Black Panther Party and the Communist Party. Having been previously accused of being involved in murder during an escape attempt at the George Jackson trial of August 1970, her legacy is controversial. She was jailed for 18 months, and this led to the Free Angela Davis campaign. She was released in 1972. Her written works address matters of gender, race, and the U.S. prison...
27. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson is an American political activist and Baptist minister, who has long been active in advocating for civil rights. He started gaining public attention when he began working for Martin Luther King Jr., and his zeal was exemplary. He participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965, and King soon gave him leadership roles in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He helped found Operation Breadbasket as part of the SCLC’s economic arm. Its main aim was to ameliorate th...
28. Mohammed Ali
Mohammed Ali’s nickname ‘The Greatest’ is hardly fictitious, owing to the incredible feats achieved by the American professional boxer. Ali is widely considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, and in 1999, he was named Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC. His final record was an impressive 56 wins, and 5 losses with 37 knockouts. Besides his heavily built muscles, a steady gaze, and the magnificent aura he had around him, Ali spotted a characteristic, short, slightly trim...
29. Julius Erving
Erving is a former professional basketball player born in Roosevelt on February 22, 1950. Back in the day, when he was still young and running along the tracks in the pitch, he wore a big, black, all-combed-out afro. He played a key role in legitimizing the American Basketball Association before its merger with the National Basketball Association. He was exemplary in the game, and he is the eighth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30, 026 points. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall...
30. Josh Childress
Yet another former professional basketball player who proudly rocked the afro on the pitch. Josh played with Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, and New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA. He has achieved much in his career, including numerous awards such as the NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2005), the All-NBL First Team (2015), NBL Top Scorer (2015), and Greek League All-Star (2010).
Dec 31, 2018 · For six weeks beginning Oct. 5, 1968, “Say It Loud” was the most popular song in Black America, even cracking the top-ten of the nation’s pop chart. As Smith writes , “If a Huey Newton or Angela Davis had expressed the idea, it would have been marginalized as utterances from the Black fringe,” but with James Brown, “Here was the angry fringe and the smiling mainstream coming ...
- Mark Anthony Neal
Index. v. t. e. Black is beautiful is a cultural movement that was started in the United States in the 1960s by African Americans. It later spread beyond the United States, most prominently in the writings of the Black Consciousness Movement of Steve Biko in South Africa. Black is beautiful got its roots from the Négritude movement of the 1930s.
- Aretha Franklin. The first singer on our list is Aretha Franklin. She was often referred to as the Queen of Soul and for good reason. With her distinctive and powerful voice, she remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 75 million records sold.
- Marvin Gaye. Next up, we have the Prince of Soul, Marvin Gaye, who also earned the nickname the Prince of Motown by pioneering the Motown movement during the 1960s.
- Etta James. Born Jamesetta Hawkins, Etta James is known for bridging the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Her distinctive, gritty vocals have earned her the title of the Matriarch of the Blues.
- Stevie Wonder. Stevland Hardaway Morris, whose more familiar stage name is Stevie Wonder, is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
Popular Culture Prior to the mid-1960s, African Americans appeared in popular culture as musical entertainers, sports figures, and in stereotypical servant roles on screen. Empowered by the black cultural movement, African Americans increasingly demanded more roles and more realistic images of their lives, both in mainstream and black media.
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Jun 21, 2021 · An American funk rock band (they may have invented the genre), Funkadelic was founded in 1968, in Plainfield, New Jersey by the audacious genius George Clinton. The group’s self-titled debut ...
