Art Jimmerson, for reasons that should immediately be apparent.
What about George Takei?
well bootsy collins/george clinton are a must.as well as dr.king,taken way to early.Dj jazzy jeff,yes he’s a damn good spinner.also Felix da housecat.and way to many others to mention.
Muhammad Ali, Frederick Douglass, Chuck D, John Legend, Aaron McGruder (the creator of The Boondocks), Malcolm X, and of course MLK Jr.
And fuck Al Sharpton.
This one old black guy I once talked to for 15 minutes on a rainy day in Calgary while waiting for the bus. He was probably around 80 and very wise.
EDIT: And of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I can send ya two plane loads from the west side of Chicago. It would do them good to see another country.
I guess we know why America needs African-American history month.
What about George Washington Carver, Thurgood Marshall or Clarence Thomas?
The tendency to think of African Americans who impact our lives as entertainers is part of institutional racism.
I forgot to mention Nelson Mandela.
Try one of the first black Russians, Alexander (Petr) Hannibal, a favorite of the king, and the grandfather of one of Russia’s most prolific poets, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.
Booya.
Omg, how the fuck did I forget!?
Richard Pryor.
… Oh wait.
And Blackula.
Black History Month is important, but let us not forget about Blake History Month, either:
Rhadi Ferguson.
I owe everything that I am to Dolemite. Thanks to his teachings, I too live a life of luxury with my all-girl army of kung fu killers.
YouTube- Dolemite trailer
Another person that influenced me is the one who’s black, who’s brutal, and who’s boss. Now, this is going to be NSFW due to the title and lyrics, but the tune is extremely catchy (It’s the trailer for Boss N*****).
YouTube- Boss Nigger
Jim Brown…
Jim Kelly!!
[quote=Adam Alexander;2303177]I guess we know why America needs African-American history month.
What about George Washington Carver, Thurgood Marshall or Clarence Thomas?
The tendency to think of African Americans who impact our lives as entertainers is part of institutional racism.[/quote]
Ask what white people impact our lives to most folks and you’ll get the same thing by and large - entertainers, musicians and athletes. I certainly don’t think of Sandra Day O’Connor or Bill Gates…
But George Washington Carver is HUGE for me. I really love peanut butter.
[quote=tao.jonez;2303525]Ask what white people impact our lives to most folks and you’ll get the same thing by and large - entertainers, musicians and athletes.
[/quote]
And that’s exactly why a vast majority (with the firm exception of Halle Berry) of these answers is wavy at best. A real list of truly influential people in our lives would include names mostly unheard of. Local people known only to those who know them. But then, we wouldn’t have this amusing thread, would we?
I certainly don’t think of Sandra Day O’Connor or Bill Gates…
I certainly do. He influences my work in a very negative way. Fucker.
[quote=Sri Hanuman;2303528]
Bill Gates
I certainly do. He influences my work in a very negative way. Fucker.[/quote]
That fucker and his OS have kept me employed for quite some time.