Riddick Bowe (b. August 10, 1967) is a two-time World Heavyweight boxing champion, best known for defeating Evander Holyfield three times and Andrew Golota twice. Bowe's career record stands at 43-1-0, with Buster Mathis being the only fighter Bowe has not defeated due to an uncontested match. Since his winning boxing days, Bowe has had a number of losses, including bankruptcy and charges of…more»
Anna Julia Cooper (b. August 10, 1858; d. February 27, 1964) was an African-American woman who dedicated her 106 years on earth to education. She was born into slavery in 1858 and became one of the most accomplished African-American scholars in early American history, and only the fourth black woman to earn a doctorate degree. She was a passionate public speaker and fearlessly voiced…more»
Frederick Douglass (b. February 1818; d. February 20, 1895) was born into slavery, the son of an enslaved woman and a white man. He lived on a plantation on Maryland’s Eastern Shore until age 8, when he was sent to Baltimore to live and work for relatives of his slave master. He remained there for seven years. After first arriving, his mistress taught him…more»
Duke Ellington (b. April 29, 1899; d. May 24, 1974) was a DC native and internationally-celebrated composer and jazz musician. Born to musician parents at the turn of the century, he started tinkering with the piano at age seven. Though he spent time in many Northwest DC homes, he lived in this house, located at 1805 13th Street NW, as a teen. While here,…more»
Patrick Ewing (b. August 5, 1962) is a retired NBA Hall of Fame basketball player who played the majority of his career as the starting center for the New York Knicks. Born in Jamaica, Ewing moved to the U.S. in high school and played ball for Georgetown University, from which he was the Knicks' number one draft choice in 1985. Although his team never…more»
Lena Horne (b. June 30, 1917; d. May 9, 2010) was an African-American singer and performer. She got her start early as a 16-year-old chorus dancer at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem. With a silky voice and a lot of determination, her career blossomed. She became an internationally successful recording artist and performer in the 1940s and 1950s, acted on stage in numerous…more»
Antawn Jamison (b. June 12, 1976) plays professional basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers as power forward. He grew up in North Carolina, playing basketball and football for his high school, and then attended the University of North Carolina. There, he played college basketball for three seasons with a 19-point per-game average. He received both the Naismith and Wooden Awards for most outstanding men’s…more»
Sugar Ray Leonard (b. May 17, 1956) gained international recognition when he won the light-welterweight boxing gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. Over the next 25 years, he built a boxing career that cemented his legacy as one of the best fighters of all time. Trained by the same man who trained Muhammad Ali, Angleo Dundee, Leonard won numerous world titles and was the…more»
Barack Obama (b. August 4, 1961) is the 44 th President of the United States. He made history in 2008 by becoming the first African American person to hold the office. He is also one of the youngest American presidents. His rise to local then national public office from student was swift. His presidential campaign was fueled by a groundswell of American…more»
Clinton Portis (b. September 1, 1981) is a former Washington Redskins running back considered one of the team's best-ever players. Portis played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted in the second round by the Denver Broncos. He played for one year with the Broncos and was traded in 2004 to the Redskins, where he played until his retirement in 2010.…more»
Stacie Turner is a top real estate agent in Washington, D.C. and one of the cast members of the short-lived 2010 reality series on the Bravo network, The Real Housewives of D.C. Turner is a graduate of Howard University and Harvard Business School. She is also the founder of Extra-Ordinary Life, a charity that works with foster care children in the D.C. area. During…more»
Mike Tyson (b. June 30, 1966) is a former boxer and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. He was a ferocious fighter and is the only boxer to have simultaneously held the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. While his track record as a boxer is remarkable, his legend has also been…more»