College: Howard University
Date Graduated: 1970
Major: Fine Arts
Phylicia Rashad is best known for the role of attorney Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show”. She has not passed her acting torch just yet. She is featured in rapper Drake’s new music video, “In My Feelings” as the strict mother from New Orleans. She has also joined the cast of “David Makes Man,” a drama series from “Moonlight” writer, Tarell Alvin McCraney. https://www.essence.com/20-celebs-who-graduated-hbcus/#150087
College: Howard University
Date Graduated: 1971
Major: Greek literature, speech, and theater
Allen is the executive producer of “Greys Anatomy” on ABC, and artistic director at her studio, “Debbie Allen Dance Academy”. In May, she was honored along with her sister, Phylicia Rashad, at the Wallis Anneberg Center. Allen is best known for the 1982 musical-drama TV series “Fame”, where she portrayed dance teacher Lydia Grant. https://www.essence.com/20-celebs-who-graduated-hbcus/#150092
College: North Carolina A&T
Date Graduated: 1964
Major: Sociology
Civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician, Rev. Jesse Jackson makes it his mission to uphold Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s. vision. A former U.S. Representative, he founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. He walked in a protest with the new Poor Peoples Campaign to affirm and embody nonviolence, economic justice and moral direct action. The National Urban League is honoring Jackson with a lifetime achievement award. https://www.essence.com/20-celebs-who-graduated-hbcus/#150092
College: Fisk University
Date Graduated: 1974
Major: Economics and Business Administration
A record label owner, talent manager, businessman and university professor, Mathew Knowles is the former manager of daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles. A professor at Texas Southern University, Knowles’ latest book, “Racism: From the Eyes of a Child,” focuses on his experience with race relations growing up in Gadsden, Ala., according to Page Six. https://www.essence.com/20-celebs-who-graduated-hbcus/#150101
College: Tuskegee University
Date Graduated: Dropped out one semester before graduating
Major: Engineering
Keenen Ivory Wayans attended Tuskegee on an engineering scholarship and would entertain his friends at college with made-up stories about life in New York. One semester before graduation, he dropped out to focus on comedy. When Fox offered him his own show, Ivory and his brother Damon, Sr. created, wrote, and starred in “In Living Color”. Cast members from the hit series “In Living Color.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.sq8AAAyG6#.dl7AAAw3R
College: Florida A&M University
Major: Music
Kimberly Michelle Pate, aka K Michelle, is an R&B singer, songwriter, and TV personality. She released an album in 2017 called “ The People I used to know”. She starred in the popular reality TV drama “Love and Hip Hop”. She has released multiple albums, pioneered her own reality show, and become the first Black ambassador for Jack Daniels to collaborate and create a custom cocktail for the masses, according to Bustle. https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.sq8AAAyG6#.dl7AAAw3R
College: Alabama A&M University
Date Graduated: 2000
Major: Music/Voice Studies
The “American Idol” winner (Season 2) was dubbed the “Velvet Teddy Bear” known for his 205 Flava jerseys, which represented his hometown of Birmingham. He is still impacting people with his powerful vocals in 2018. Earlier this year he sang a tribute to Luther Vandross’s “Love Wont Let Me Fail” and has followed up with an entire tour dedicated to the singer. https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.sq8AAAyG6#.dl7AAAw3R
College: Howard University
Date Graduated: 1993
Major: Theatre Arts
An actor, model and photographer of Ghanaian descent, Lance Gross i best known for his role as Calvin Payne on the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” and OWN sitcom Tyler Perry’s “The Paynes.” Gross has taken his talents to photography. He focuses mainly on his art and family and has starred in acting roles here and there since 2012. Gross and his wife welcomed their second child, a baby boy, Lennon, to the world on July 10. https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.sq8AAAyG6#.dl7AAAw3R
College: Grambling State University
Date Graduated: 1993
Major: Performing Arts
Badu now stars on the newest series “Hip Hop Squares” on VH1 and she is still entertaining audiences with her music. The singer has upcoming tour dates for this year and performs at festivals all over. https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.sq8AAAyG6#.dl7AAAw3R
College: Howard University
Date Graduated: 1989
Major: Drama
Robinson is the co-founder of a performing arts school, “Amazing Grace Conservatory”. The actress most recently starred in an episode of “Ravens Home” on Disney Channel, and was the mother to Logan Laurice in the Netflix series “Dear White People” Season 2.
College: Morehouse College
Date Graduated: 1979
Major: Mass Communication
Known as one of the most influential black American film directors of the ’80s, Spike Lee is still producing quality movies. On Aug. 10 his new film, “BlacKKKlansman” will be in theatres. His 2017 Netflix series, “Shes Gotta Have it” just wrapped up filming for Season 2. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/28/honda-18-famous-historically_n_1929134.html?slideshow=true#gallery/253526/17
College: Howard University
Date Graduated: Dropped out after his sophomore year
Major: Business Administration
Entrepreneur and hip-hop artist Diddy has a net worth of $825 million, making him the second-richest hip-hop artist in 2018, according to Forbes. He never graduated from Howard, but in 2014 received an honorary doctorate in humanities. In 2016 Diddy donated $1 million for scholarships for undergraduate business majors and internships with his companies. Here are some of Diddy’s business ventures: In addition to his clothing line, Sean John, Diddy has owned restaurants, designed the Dallas Mavericks alternate jersey, developed the Cîroc vodka brand for a 50% share of the profits, acquired the Enyce clothing line from Liz Claiborne for $20 million, acquired a major equity stake in Revolt TV, and teamed up with actor Mark Wahlberg and businessman Ronald Burkle of Yucaipa Companies to buy a majority holding in Aquahydrate, a beverage for athletes. .https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.sq8AAAyG6#.dl7AAAw3R
College: Howard University
Date Graduated: 1959
Major: Law
A former senator, Burris was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois. He was elected Illinois Attorney General in 1990. Burris was appointed by then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Barack Obama as the junior senator from Illinois. Before his appointment, Barack Obama was the U.S. Senate’s only African American member.
College: Clark Atlanta University
Date Graduated: 1997
Major: Theatre Arts
Actor Emmanuel Lewis, actor, best known for playing the title character in the ’80s TV sitcom “Webster,” became one of the biggest stars in Japan. A child spokesman for Burger King, he was nominated for numerous acting awards. Lewis started his own musical label called Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment. He is said to have a black belt in karate and is a martial arts expert.
College: Spelman College
Date Graduated: Transferred after two years to Sarah Lawrence, graduated in 1965
An activist, poet and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Alice Walker coined the term “womanist” in 1983 to mean “A black feminist or feminist of color.” She has condemned Israel as an apartheid regime, and she speaks on controversial issues.
College: Tennessee State University
Date Graduated: 1973
Major: Speech and Performing Arts
Known as “The Queen Of All Media,” Oprah is a media entrepreneur, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She transitioned her hit talk show into the OWN cable channel, a media and business empire. Forbes puts her net worth at $2.9 billion, making her one of the wealthiest women in the world. She’s credited with a Midas touch — the “Oprah effect” — which includes a 10-percent ownership in Weight Watchers.
Oprah recently signed a multi-year deal to create original programming for Apple.
College: Hampton University
Date Graduated: Dropped out before graduating
Major: Visual Arts
Known professionally as MC Ride, Burnett is best known as the front-man of Sacramento-based hip-hop group Death Grips. His vocal delivery has been described as an extremely “visceral and poetic form of rapping,” and was compared to “a blend of hardcore punk and spoken word performance.” His style was also described as “paint-peeling barks and startling yelps.” The band released its sixth studio album, “Year of the Snitch” in June, 2018.
College: Clark Atlanta University
Major: Math
A hip-hop artist, songwriter and minister, Mason “Mase” Durell Betha is best known for his late 1990s run at Bad Boy Records alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. Mase took a break in 1999 to pursue his math degree, later retiring from rapping and becoming an ordained minister. He has had several comebacks. In 2017, Mase released “The Oracle”, a diss track aimed at friend-turned-rival Cam’ron in response to the lyrical jabs Cam’ron sent him on his mixtape, “The Program.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.qoeBBBa6e#.qtqKKKMme
College: North Carolina Central University
Date Graduated: Dropped Out
Actress, comedian and game show host Kim Coles Coles, is best known for her role as a cast member on the Fox sketch comedy, “In Living Color,” as Synclaire James–Jones on the Fox series, “Living Single,” and for hosting BET’s game show, “Pay It Off” in 2009. In an interview, she hinted at the revival of “Living Single.” She hosted a “Love Your Story” workshop in July in NYC.
College: Albany State University
Date Graduated:
Major: Criminal Justice
Correctional Officer-turned-hip-hop-artist, William Leonard Roberts II, aka Rick Ross, can add “entrepreneur” and “record executive” to his accomplishments. After releasing his debut single, “Hustlin” in 2006, Ross became the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment and Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc, before signing a multi-million dollar deal with Jay-Z’s Def Jam Records. In 2012, MTV named Ross “Hottest MC in the Game.” His last album (2017) is “Rather You Than Me,” with another album scheduled for 2018 release. https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus?utm_term=.qoeBBBa6e#.qtqKKKMme
