Black History Month & MLK

In 2006, the Grammy Award-winning artist Common made his big screen debut as a musical performer in Dave Chappelle's Block Party. In January 2007, he made his acting debut co-starring…

Retta, the familiar face who plays Donna, the hilarious office assistant on NBC’s Parks and Recreation. During her almost decade-long career in stand-up, Retta has become one of the most…

Nas is a Queens Born rapper, songwriter, actor, producer and entrepreneur. He was ranked number 5 on MTV's list of The Greatest MCs of All time and number 2 on…

Krist Parker, also known as KRS-ONE (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone), is one of the most important and influential rappers in the industry whose ascent from street kid to…

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, rapper, actor, director, composer, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in hip hop, RZA is the de…

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, drummer, author, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, music journalist, and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, the…

Paul D. Miller is a conceptual artist, writer, and musician working in New York. His written work has appeared in The Village Voice, The Source, Artforum, Raygun, Rap Pages, Paper…

Griffin Matthews and Matt Gould, the young creators of Invisible Thread, present a concert of songs and stories from their new musical, winner of the 2012 and 2014 Richard Rogers…

Hawa Abdi is a Somali human rights activist and physician, and Somalia’s first female gynecologist. She is the founder and chairperson of the non-profit Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation, which Dr.…

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left the NBA in 1989 at age 42, no player had ever scored more points, blocked more shots, won more Most Valuable Player Awards, played in more…

Janus Adams is the author of three books and creator of the groundbreaking BackPax children's book-and-audio series. An Emmy-winning journalist and talk show host, she writes the syndicated column, "What…

For Gospel legend Yolanda Adams, her stirring Elektra debut Mountain High. Valley Low was an opportunity to bring both her inspirational vision and her wide range of influences to an…

Kimberly Aiken was Miss America 1994. Aiken was 18 years old when she won the coveted title. She won Miss Columbia and Miss South Carolina en route to her 1994…

Luvvie Ajayi is an author, speaker and digital strategist who thrives at the intersection of comedy, technology and activism. Why you should listen A 14-year blogging veteran, Luvvie Ajayi is…

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1969. The daughter of a political opponent of the Somali dictatorship, Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up in exile, moving from Saudi…