Oprah was born on January 29, 1954, in rural Mississippi to 18-year-old Vernita Lee. She was raised by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, who taught her to read at church. During her childhood, Oprah experienced sexual abuse from her cousins and uncles and credits her father with saving her life; he was strict, set rules in place, required weekly book reports, and made her learn five new vocabulary words every day. As a teenager, Oprah attended Tennessee State on a full scholarship and became Miss Fire Prevention, Miss Black Nashville, and Miss Tennessee.

At just 19 years old, Oprah became the first Black female co-anchor on the Nashville evening news… (read more)

Michelle was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She was always known to be gifted; she attended a gifted magnet (specialized) high school and graduated cum laude from Princeton with a B.A. in Sociology, then got her J.D. from Harvard Law. At Harvard, she advocated for hiring more minority professors and admitting more minority students.

After getting her law degree, Michelle moved back to Chicago where she worked as a lawyer, but later left corporate law to practice in public service… (read more)

Serena was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, MI, but she grew up in Los Angeles. Her parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, coached her and Venus and instilled a love for tennis and a strong sense of determination. In 1995, Serena officially became a professional tennis player at the age of 14. Venus and Serena became quickly known for extremely powerful serves and incredible athleticism… (read more)

1973, in Madison, Wisconsin to parents who were deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Her parents were kicked off buses for sitting in the front and were jailed for their participation in boycotts and marches. Education was extremely important in the Abrams household, and Abrams’ siblings went on to become professors, social workers, judges, and scientists. Stacey followed suit and became involved in civil rights and political action as a highly qualified attorney. At age 17, Abrams’ work as a speechwriter for a congressional campaign kickstarted her political career… (read more)

Yara Sayeh Shahidi was born on February 10, 2000, in Minneapolis, MN to a Black/Native Choctaw mother and Iranian father. Yara and her family moved to California when she was at a young age where she began her career starring in print and television ads for companies like McDonalds, Gap, Target, and Disney. Her film debut was in 2009, starring in the movie “Imagine That” alongside Eddie Murphy. Yara has won several acting awards and been nominated for 27… (read more)

Allyson Felix was born on November 18, 1985 in Santa Clarita, California to a minister father and elementary school teacher mother. In the 7th grade, she tried out for her middle school’s track and field team, and her excellence was quickly recognized by her school and others in the area. She became a five-time winner at the California Interscholastic Federation state meets. Allyson was quickly becoming known as a force to be reckoned with.

In high school, she was nicknamed “chicken legs” for her slender frame that held immense strength… (read more)

Simone Arianne Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, OH, and was raised by her grandparents. Her grandmother was an especially significant supporter of her gymnastics career and pushed her to showcase the excellence that she showed from a young age. She fell in love with gymnastics on a field trip to a gymnastics center with her daycare and was immediately asked to join. Her talent and immense capability only grew from there.

Biles’ first big win was in 2011 when she finished first in vault and balance beam and third in all-around at the American Classic… (read more)