In celebration of Black History Month, the Academy of Achievement presents a host of outstanding African American leaders in the arts, sciences, business, sports and public service. Among the most honored and admired men and women of our times, they include heroes of the Civil Rights movement, trailblazing athletes, brilliant musicians, a pioneering neurosurgeon, a Secretary of State, Pulitzer Prize playwrights, a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a President of the United States. Their words, their music and their stories will enlighten and inspire you to realize the potential that lies within us all. Note: A subset of these tracks is available in SD and HD video. Select SD or HD from the menu on the left to visit the other formats.
What It Takes is a podcast series featuring intimate, revealing conversations with towering figures in almost every field: music, science, sports, pol...
Andrew Young was the pastor of a small country church when he faced down the Ku Klux Klan to organize a voter registration drive in South Georgia. He ...
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actress. With a record-setting six Tony Awards, two G...
Aretha Franklin is known the world over as the Queen of Soul Music. In the 1960s, her hit recording "Respect" became an anthem of the civil rights str...
This autumn, Natasha Trethewey took up her duties as United States Poet Laureate, the 19th poet to serve since Congress created the position in 1985. ...
One of the most distinguished musical artists of our time, the singer Jessye Norman was born in Augusta, Georgia. As a ten-year-old child, she was spe...
One of the most gifted and admired actors in America, Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis and raised in Mississippi. At an early age, he found his call...
Johnny Mathis was only 19 years old when a Columbia Records executive heard him singing in a San Francisco nightclub and decided to sign the teenage s...
Since she first hit the charts with "Don't Make Me Over" in 1962, the unmistakable voice and flawless musicianship of Dionne Warwick have made her an ...
In 1995, when retired General Colin Powell took himself out of the running for President of the United States, he was leading every candidate in every...