If we’ve learned anything the past few years, it’s that we should celebrate our heroes while they’re still with us. Fortunately, this Black History Month, there are a plethora of Black artists who embody what it takes to be considered a living legend. Of course, these heroic artists have wowed audiences with their talents while making a name for themselves along the way. That is to say, these geniuses are at the top of their game and if you don’t know them, you definitely should.
Thankfully, these giants of film, television, music, print, and podcasting are still with us, giving us even more to celebrate. Not only are we excited to see where these artists choose to take their careers from here, but how their works will inspire the next generation of Black Living Legends Artists.
Cover Photo: Andreas Rentz (Getty Images)
Living Legend Black Artists
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Kara Walker (Artist)
Kara Walker is an accomplished painter, silhouettist, print-maker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor. Her work primarily explores themes of race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity. She's best known for her room-size tableaux of black cut-paper silhouettes, which can be found at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles.
Photo: Jason Kempin (Getty Images)
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Frederick Joseph (Author)
Frederick Joseph is the New York Times bestselling author of "The Black Friend," "Patriarchy Blues" and the forthcoming, "Better Than We Found It." Additionally, he's an educator, marketer and was one of the rising stars on #ForbesUnder30.
Photo: Jim Spellman (Getty Images)
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Christopher John Rogers (Clothes Designer)
Christopher John Rogers is best known for designing the brilliant purple coat Vice President Kamala Harris wore to the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. This rising star in American fashion was also the 2020 CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year.
Photo: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)
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April Reign (Activist)
You might know April Reign thanks to her viral hashtag, #OscarsSoWhite, which became a diversity movement that changed the Academy Awards as we knew it. She's also a media strategist, attorney, as well as, an advocate for diversity and inclusion.
Photo: Valerie Macon (Getty Images)
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Ira Madison III (TV Writer & Podcaster)
Ira Madison III is best known for hosting Crooked Media’s pop culture podcast, "Keep It." If you don't know his podcast, you've likely seen one of his viral tweets or television shows he writes on, which includes "Q-Force" and "Daybreak." His forthcoming show "Canceled," is in development at Warner Bros, so keep an eye out for that.
Photo: Bravo/NBCU PhotoBank (Getty Images)
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Quinta Brunson (Comedian, Actor, Writer & Producer)
Not only is Quinta Brunson the brains behind the hit network television show "Abbott Elementary," she also acts and executive produces it. Quinta rose to fame thanks to her viral Instagram series "Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date," and also appeared on the hit HBO sketch comedy series, "A Black Lady Sketch Show."
Photo: Liliane Lathan (Getty Images)
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Yassir Lester (Actor, Writer & Comedian)
You might recognize Yassir Lester thanks to his appearances on Fox's "Making History," Showtime's "Black Sunday," or HBO's "Girls" (which he also wrote on). However, he's an accomplished comedian who's also been tapped as head writer for, "Armor Wars," the Marvel Studios series starring Don Cheadle. Expect to see more from Yassir.
Photo: Rich Fury (Getty Images)
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Amanda Gorman (Poet & Activist)
Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman wowed us all with her beautiful words during the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden. In 2015, she published her poetry book "The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough." Gorman focuses on issues concerning oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization.
Photo by Rob Carr (Getty Images)
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Rihanna (Singer, Actress, Fashion Designer, Businesswoman, Icon)
Rihanna skyrocketed to fame with her single, "Umbrella."With sales of over 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Not to be pigeonholed as a singer, she's appeared in major film roles, as well as, debuting her iconic fashion line Fenty and Savage X Fenty in addition to her best-selling makeup line Fenty Beauty.
Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins (Getty Images)
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Laci Mosley (Actress, Comedian & Podcast Host)
Laci Mosley is best known for her award-winning podcast, "Scam Goddess" which focuses on historical and contemporary scams and cons. In 2021, she joined the cast of HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and the "iCarly" revival series.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz (Getty Images)
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Issa Rae (Writer, Actress & Producer)
Issa Rae skyrocketed to fame as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the HBO television series "Insecure." Since then she's starred in a variety of films and released her New York Times bestselling book, "Misadventures Of Awkward Balck Girl."
She first gained popularity via her YouTube web series "Awkward Black Girl," which now hosts content from other up-and-coming black content creators.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz (Getty Images)
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Sam Richardson (Actor, Comedian, Writer & Producer)
Sam Richardson is a hilarious actor, comedian, writer, and producer best known for portraying Richard Splett in HBO's, "Veep." He co-created and co-starred in Comedy Central's "Detroiters." You may also have seen him on the Netflix sketch show "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson."
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer. (Getty Images)
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Slash (Guitarist & Topcoat Icon)
Slash better known as Saul Hudson is an American-British rock god and guitar aficionado. He's best known as the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, but his slick guitar riffs can be heard on hundreds of iconic pop songs.
Photo by Ethan Miller (Getty Images)
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Kehinde Wiley (Painter)
You might know Kehinde Wiley's work even if you don't know his name. He painted the portraits of our 44th President Of The United States and First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama. Making him the first black and openly gay artist to paint the portrait of an American President.
Wiley's work generally depicts black subjects in traditional settings found in Old Masters’ paintings but with urban iconography.
Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP (Getty Images)
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Beyonce (Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Businesswoman & Pop Icon)
Perhaps the most recognizable black living legend artist, Beyonce rose to fame as the lead singer of the best-selling girl group, Destiny's Child. Since the group's hiatus, she's launched a solo career that's made her one of the world's best-selling recording artists. She's won 28 Grammy Awards and is Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Beyonce's also been nominated for two Golden Globes and won a Peabody Award for her hit, feature-length music video, "Lemonade."
Photo by Kevin Mazur (Getty Images for Coachella)
