A gorgeous collection of 145 original portraits that celebrates Black pioneers—famous and little-known--in politics, science, literature, music, and more—with biographical reflections, all created and curated by an award-winning graphic designer. Illustrated Black History is a breathtaking collection of original portraits depicting black heroes—both famous and unsung—who made their mark on activism, science, politics, business, medicine, technology, food, arts, entertainment, and more. Each entry includes a lush drawing or painting by artist George McCalman, along with an insightful essay summarizing the person’s life story. The 145 entries range from the famous to the little-known, from literary luminary James Baldwin to documentarian Madeline Anderson, who produced “I Am Somebody” about the 1969 strike of mostly female hospital workers; from Aretha Franklin to James and Eloyce Gist, who had a traveling ministry in the early 1900s; from Colin Kaepernick to Guion S. Bluford, the first Black person to travel into space. Beautifully designed with over 300 unique four-color artworks and accessible to readers of all ages, this eye-opening, educational, dynamic, and timely compendium pays homage to Black Americans and their achievements, and showcases the depth and breadth of Black genius.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar : athlete, author, public speaker - -Cato Alexander : mixologist - - Jourdan Anderson : rebel - - Madeline Anderson : producer, documentarian, director - - Maya Angelou : poet, author, activist, professor - - Amy Ashwood Garvey : activist - - Augusta Braxton Baker : librarian, teacher - - James Baldwin : author, essayist, scholar - - Edward Bannister : artist - - Jean-Michel Basquiat : artist - - Romare Bearden : artist - - 1936 Berlin Olympics athletes : athletes - - Mary McLeod Bethune : educator, college founder/president - - Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, Ayòo Tometi : Black Lives Matter cofounders, activists - - Terence Blanchard : musician - - Guion Stewart Bluford : military pilot, astronaut - - J. Max Bond Jr. : architect - - Bronner Brothers : entrepreneurs - - LeRonn P. Brooks : curator, archivist - - Ralph Bunche : diplomat - - Tarana Burke : activist - - Octavia Butler : writer - - Cab Calloway : musician - - Steve Cannon : writer, publisher, mentor - - Johnnie Carr : activist - - Terri Lyne Carrington : musician - - Ben Carson : neurosurgeon, politician - - Ruth E. Carter : stylist, costume designer - - Charleston Caterers : chefs - - Leah Chase : chef, restaurateur - - Shirley Chisholm : activist, politician - - Kathleen Neal Cleaver : activist - - Mary Francis Hill Coley : midwife - - Kathleen Collins : playwright, writer, filmmaker - - John William Coltrane : musician - - Claudette Colvin : activist - - The Compton Cowboys : athletes - - Fanny Jackson Coppin : educator - - Hannah Crafts : writer - - Celia Cruz : musician - - Dorothy Dandridge : actor, performer - - Julie Dash : film director - - Charles Dawson : artist - - Daniel Day : entrepreneur, haberdasher - - Roy DeCarava : photographer - - Ruby Dee + Ossie Davis : actors, activists - - Thornton Dial : artist - - Emory Douglas : artist, graphic designer - - Frederick Douglass : activist, orator, statesman - - Paul Laurence Dunbar : writer, poet - - Katherine Dunham : choreographer, dancer - - Yla Eason : entrepreneur - - Lee Elder : athlete - - Francine Everett : actor, performer - - Abby Fisher : culinary guru - - John Stanley Ford : entrepreneur - - Aretha Franklin : musician, singer, songwriter - - Lenora Branch Fulani : activist, politician - - Althea Gibson : athlete - - Eloyce + James Gist : evangelicals, filmmakers - - Nathan "Nearest" Green : distiller - - Dick Gregory : comedian, writer, performer, activist - - Eliza Ann Grier : doctor - - Fannie Lou Hamer : activist, organizer - - Bethann Hardison : model, agent - - Frances Ellen Watkins Harper : poet, author, activist - - Dorothy Height : activist - - James Hemings : chef - - Juano Hernndez : actor - - Anita Hill : lawyer, professor - - Gregory Hines : actor, activist, dancer, performer - - bell hooks : writer, activist, professor - - Lena Horne : singer, actor - - Langston Hughes : writer, poet - - Zora Neale Hurston : writer, playwright, anthropologist - - Amy Jacques Garvey : activist - - Judith Jamison : dancer, choreographer, executive director - - Baby Esther Jones : performer - - Bill T. Jones : dancer, choreographer, executive director - - Grace Jones : actor, performer, model - - Jackie Joyner-Kersee : athlete - - Colin Kaepernick : athlete, activist - - Henrietta Lacks : medical pioneer - - Jacob Lawrence : artist - - Edmonia Lewis : sculptor - - Edna Lewis : culinary guru - - John Lewis : activist, politician - - Alain LeRoy Locke : writer, activist, editor - - Audre Lorde : poet - - Haki Madhubuti : poet - - Annie Turnbo Malone : entrepreneur - - 54th Massechusetts Infantry : soldiers - - Oscar Micheaux : writer, producer - - Scipio Moorhead : artist - - Toni Morrison : author, editor - - Walter Mosley : author - - Archibald Motley Jr. : artist - - Diane Nash : activist - - Nicholas Brothers : choreographers, dancers - - Satchel Paige : athlete - - Suzan-Lori Parks : playwright - - Eva Jefferson Paterson : civil rights attorney, activist - - Leah Penniman : farmer, food-justice activist - - Renee Powell : athlete - - Harriet Powers : textile artist - - Richard Pryor : comedian, performer - - Dee Rees : filmmaker --Bass Reeves : lawman - - Faith Ringgold : artist - - Minnie Riperton ; singer, performer - - Paul Robeson : actor, performer, activist - - David Ruggles : abolitionist - - Patrice Rushen : musician, composer, musical director - - Jason Samuels Smith : dancer - - Augusta Savage : sculptor - - Gil Scott-Heron : musician, activist - - Amy Sherald : artist - - Nina Simone : musician, performer, songwriter - - Norma Merrick Sklarek : architect - - Moneta Sleet Jr. : photographer - - Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor : culinary guru - - Robert F. Smith : entrepreneur, philanthropist - - André Leon Talley : fashion muse - - Robert Robinson Taylor : architect - - Mary Church Terrell : activist - - Sister Rosetta Tharpe : musician - - Mickalene Thomas : artist - - Vivien Thomas : medical pioneer, surgeon - - Toni Tipton-Martin : culinary guru - - Kwame Ture : organizer, activist - - Morrie Turner : artist, cartoonist - - Melvin Van Peebles : writer, filmmaker, producer - - Sarah Vaughan : singer, performer - - Madam C.J. Walker : entrepreneur - - Maggie Lena Walker : activist, businesswoman - - Carrie Mae Weems : photographer - - Ida B. Wells : journalist, publisher, activist - - Charles White : artist - - Maurice White : musician - - Clarence "Cap" Wigington : architect - - Raven Wilkinson : dancer - - George Washington Williams : historian, soldier, minister - - Marie Selika Williams : opera singer - - Paul Revere Williams : architect - - Bradford Young : cinematographer, director - - Essayists. Marvin K. White ; Emil Wilbekin ; Bryant Terry ; Patrice Peck ; Oriana Koren.