Harry Belafonte, Actor, Singer and Activist

Harry Belafonte’s handsome looks and velvety voice, coupled with his talent as an actor and producer, have earned him fame and accolades. But he...

Gwendolyn Brooks, First African-American Pulitzer Prize Winner

Gwendolyn Brooks, renowned poet, was the author of many memorable works centered on the black experience in America and the issues of the Civil...

Helen Keller, Blind and Deaf Author and Activist

Helen Keller lost her vision and hearing before age 2. But with help from her tutor, Anne Sullivan, Keller learned how to speak, read...

Horace Mann, “Father of American Education”

Horace Mann was an educational pioneer. At a time when many saw considerable problems in American education, he stepped forward to address the issues,...

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Author of “The Little Prince”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote one of the most popular books ever published, “The Little Prince.” His adventurous spirit prompted him to become a pilot...

Catherine Hughes, Radio and TV Executive

From a high school dropout and single teenaged mother to the first woman owner of a number one radio station and the first African-American...

Pablo Picasso, Painter

From his Cubist works to his famous Blue Period, painter Pablo Picasso changed the face of art forever. Pablo Picasso's Early Days Pablo Ruiz Picasso was...

Fred Rogers, Host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”

For more than 30 years Fred Rogers welcomed children and their parents into a realm of imagination on his show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Through...

Sidney Poitier, Pioneering African-American Actor

Sidney Poitier was the child of tomato farmers in the Bahamas. He moved to New York as a teenager and worked as a dishwasher...

Brian Wilson, Co-founder of the Beach Boys

From the living room of his parents’ house to the world stage, Brian Wilson worked to establish the classic California surf sound with his...