African American

LZ Granderson is a political contributor and host of the Life Out Loud podcast for ABC News.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a member of the Career Foreign Service,

TotaLee Awesome, is the phrase that best describes the magnitude of Lee Haney.

Laolu Senbanjo is a Brooklyn based Nigerian born Performance and Visual Artist, Singer/Songwriter/Musician, Human Rights Lawyer, and Activist.

A native-born New Yorker, Luana Graves Sellars, moved to Florida, and discovered that she was really.

Lisa’s extraordinary story of transforming her own life from public assistance for her family to leading a multi-million dollar.

Leslie Odom, Jr. is a multifaceted, award-winning vocalist, songwriter, author, and actor. With a career that spans all performance genres, he has received recognition with Tony and Grammy Awards as…

LaKeith Stanfield is an American actor and rapper. Stanfield made his feature film debut in the 2013 independent drama Short Term 12, for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit…

Leyna Bloom is an actress, model, dancer and activist. She first gained notoriety in the New York City ballroom community for her contributions to the House of Miyake-Mugler.

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Liza Koshy describes herself as “just a little brown girl with big dreams” (she is half Indian and half Caucasian), but she is just being modest. Liza…

Lynn Nottage is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and a screenwriter. She is the first female playwright to win the Pulitzer for Drama twice. Her plays have been produced widely in…

Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) is a CPAE Hall of Fame speaker and a recognized authority in the areas of inclusion, diversity, and bias.

Lupita Nyong'o made her acting debut with the short film East River and subsequently returned to Kenya to star in the television series Shuga (2009–2012).

Laura Coates is a CNN Host and Senior Legal Analyst who specializes in the intersection of civil rights and criminal prosecution.

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is what happens when you blindly follow doing what you love without expectation.

Leland Melvin is an engineer, educator, former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver.

Just how funny is comedian and actress Loni Love? Ask Variety and Comedy Central, both of which have named her among their "Top 10 Comics to Watch" or Campus Activity…

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…

Lena Waithe is one of Hollywood’s most promising up-and-coming talents, who continues to grow her body of work with diversity, charisma, and comedy. One of Hollywood Reporter’s “TV Breakouts”, Waithe…

Antonio "L.A." Reid is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American record executive, songwriter, and record producer. Best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records, he is responsible for signing and helping…

Lloyd J. Austin III General, U.S. Army (Ret.), and Former Commander of U.S. Central Command General Austin is a retired U.S. Army General with nearly 41 years of military service.…

Lecrae is a two-time GRAMMY Award winning hip-hop artist whose 2014 album, Anomaly, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, Rap, Digital, Christian, Gospel, and Independent charts.

A former writer for Casey Kasem's radio program "American Top 40," Leonard Pitts, Jr. was a pop music critic at the Miami Herald where he began writing about race and…

Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and nutrition expert, TV host, author, cooking enthusiast, founder and CEO of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, advocate for women and children, wife,…

Lamarr Womble is the founder of Passion for Leadership. He was first inspired to become a speaker after he attended a National Conference on Student Leadership (NCSL) in Orlando, FL…

Lonnie G. Bunch III was the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Lisa E. Farrington, Ph.D., is the founding Chair of John Jay's Art & Music Department, as well as an accomplished curator, author, and art historian. In 2010 she won the…

Linda Villarosa is a professor, freelance writer and editor. Professor Villarosa runs the journalism program at CCNY.

Loretta J. Ross was a co-founder and the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective from 2005-2012, a network founded in 1997 of women of color…

Atlanta born and raised, while in college, Louis Ramey was bitten by the comedy bug. On a dare from his friends, he took the stage to tell a few jokes…

Liza Jessie Peterson is a renowned actress, poet, playwright, educator and advocate. Liza has written several plays including her most recent one woman play The Peculiar Patriot, which embarked on…

Shemar Moore lived in the Netherlands with his mother as a child, and his first language is Dutch. He didn't learn to speak English until he was five years old.…

When the “face” of your sport is a Wilhelmina model, you know you’re off to a good start. But Lisa Leslie, the most-recognized player in the WNBA and Team USA…

Lyfe Jennings is a platinum-selling American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano, which he integrates into his music. The New York…

Lil JJ won BET's comedy talent search "comin' to the stage.

Leslie Harris is a promising young filmmaker whose first feature-length film, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., concerns a teenage girl's coming of age in the Brooklyn projects. The movie achieved recognition…

Lawrence Otis Graham a nationally known author, attorney and commentator on race, politics and diversity in America. A lecturer on governmental affairs and employment issues, Larry is chairman of the…

Laurence Fishburne has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in Film, Television and Theatre having worked in over 70 projects in all performance mediums. He is not only an actor,…

Lupe Fiasco, Hip-hop music, once a platform for creative expression and friendly competition, has, sadly, become a popularity contest. With record sales down and ringtone dollars up, rookies searching for…

Lee Daniels background is filled with bold stories as real and gritty as the narratives from the films he creates.  By the age of 21, Daniels founded and ran his…

Lorene Cary’s novel, If Sons, Then Heirs (Atria Books, April 2011), recounts a love story for our time while exploring a searing racial history that haunts—and impoverishes—its unforgettable characters. Publishers…

Lamont Carey a native of Washington, DC, is an internationally known and award winning spokenword artist, as well as a filmmaker, author, workshop facilitator and motivational speaker. In 2005, Mr.…

LeVar Burton has been capturing the attention of admiring audiences and industry peers for four decades, and continues to enjoy a career longevity truly rare within the industry. Whether acting,…

Lee Brown, Born to migrant farm workers in rural Oklahoma, his birth certificate read, "Baby Brown." From that humble beginning, he rose to the pinnacle of American politics, serving in the…

Dr. Lonise Bias has moved from grief to empowerment, passing on over thirty years of wisdom inspiring, encouraging and empowering her audiences. She has become a internationally known motivational speaker,…

It was the God fearing church-going grandmother of Lester Barrie who first suggested he would someday be a gospel preacher, and at age 21, accepting his calling, preach is what…

Lawrence Beamen is a native of the Deep South (Mississippi) and his quiet, humble upbringing is a complete contrast to his booming voice and intense passion for music. The remarkable gift…

Ludacris was born Christopher Brian Bridges in Champaign, Illinois, the son of Roberta Shields and Wayne Brian Bridges. Being of both African-American and Native-American descent. Early in his elementary years,…

Joan Hecht is the award winning author of "The Journey of the Lost Boys," as well as founder and president of "Alliance for the Lost Boys of Sudan," a 501…