African-American women memoirists

The list African-American women memoirists includes Elleanor Eldridge, Deborah Santana and Annie Burton. The list consists of 26 members.

1.

Tina Turner

American-born Swiss singer (1939–2023)

Overview: Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was an American-born Swiss singer. Known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina ...

Date of birth: 26 November 1939

Date of death: 24 May 2023

Age: 83 (age at death)

Nationality: Swiss

Occupation: Singer

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 4" (163 cm)

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American musicians with disabilities 265T

American writers with disabilities 326T

MTV Video Music Award winners 224T
2.

La Toya Jackson

American singer (born 1956)

Overview: La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and television personality. The fifth and middle child of the Jackson family, Jackson first gained ...

Date of birth: 29 May 1956

Age: 68

Nationality: American

Occupation: Singer

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 4" (163 cm)

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American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent 266T

Singer-songwriters from Indiana 84T

21st-century African-American women singers 611T
3.

Maya Angelou

American poet, author, and civil rights activist (1928–2014)

Overview: Maya Angelou ( ANN-jəl-oh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of ...

Date of birth: 4 April 1928

Date of death: 28 May 2014

Age: 86 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Poet

Gender: Female

Height: 6' (183 cm)

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American inaugural poets 5T

American women memoirists 620T

African-American memoirists 19T
4.

Cicely Tyson

American actress (1924–2021)

Overview: Cicely Tyson (December 19, 1924 – January 28, 2021) was an American actress and fashion model. In a career spanning more than seven decades, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American ...

Date of birth: 19 December 1924

Date of death: 28 January 2021

Age: 96 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Actress

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 4" (163 cm)

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2021 deaths 6,887T

American women memoirists 660T

African-American memoirists 21T
5.

Kamala Harris

American, Politician

Overview: Kamala Devi Harris ( KAH-mə-lə; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 49th and current vice president of the United States. Harris served as a United States senator ...

Date of birth: 20 October 1964

Age: 59

Nationality: American

Occupation: Politician

Gender: Female

Partner: Douglas Emhoff (Married)

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2024 United States vice-presidential candidates 4T

Women vice presidents in North America 10T

21st-century African-American lawyers 419T
6.

Ronnie Spector

American singer (1943–2022)

Overview: Veronica Yvette Greenfield (née Bennett; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022), known professionally as Veronica and her former married name Ronnie Spector, was an American singer who co-founded and ...

Date of birth: 10 August 1943

Date of death: 12 January 2022

Age: 78 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Singer

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 2" (157 cm)

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2022 deaths 5,653T

20th-century American memoirists 453T

American women memoirists 690T
7.

Marsha A. Hunt

American singer, novelist, actress and model

Overview: Marsha Hunt (born April 15, 1946) is an American actress, novelist, singer and former model, who has lived mostly in Britain and Ireland. She achieved national fame when she appeared in London as Dionne ...

Date of birth: 15 April 1946

Age: 78

Nationality: American

Occupation: Actress

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 6" (168 cm)

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Singers from Philadelphia 171T

Oakland High School (Oakland, California) alumni 36T

Female models from Philadelphia 20T
8.

bell hooks

American author and activist (1952–2021)

Overview: Gloria Jean Watkins (September 25, 1952 – December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks, was an American author, professor, feminist, and social activist. The name "bell hooks" is borrowed ...

Date of birth: 25 September 1952

Date of death: 15 December 2021

Age: 69 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Sociologist

Gender: Female

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American socialist feminists 110T

21st-century pseudonymous writers 421T

20th-century pseudonymous writers 906T
9.

Jessye Norman

American opera singer (1945–2019)

Overview: Jessye Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but refused to be limited to that voice type. She was ...

Date of birth: 15 September 1945

Date of death: 30 September 2019

Age: 74 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Singer

Gender: Female

Height: 6' 1" (185 cm)

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African-American female opera singers 57T

20th-century African-American women 87T

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni 270T
10.

Sarah Culberson

American philanthropist and Mende princess

Overview: Princess Sarah Jane Culberson, Lady of Bumpe (born Princess Esther Elizabeth Kposowa in 1976) is an American dancer, actress, philanthropist, educator, public speaker, and author. By birth she is a Mende ...

Date of birth: 15 April 1976

Age: 48

Nationality: American

Occupation: Personality

Gender: Female

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African-American memoirists 19T

Kposowa family 2T

21st-century memoirists 301T
11.

Haben Girma

Eritrean-American disability rights advocate

Overview: Haben Girma (born July 29, 1988) is an American disability rights advocate, and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School.

Date of birth: 29 July 1988

Age: 36

Nationality: American

Occupation: Activist

Gender: Female

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20th-century African-American women 4,058T

21st-century African-American women 3,700T

American women memoirists 693T
12.

Etterlene DeBarge

American singer

Overview: Etterlene Louise Rodriguez (previously DeBarge, née Abney; October 13, 1935 – February 16, 2024) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and matriarch of the American R&B/soul vocal group DeBarge. She ...

Date of birth: 13 October 1935

Date of death: 16 February 2024

Age: 88 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Writer

Gender: Female

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2024 deaths 1,090T

20th-century American women singers 2,315T

American women non-fiction writers 2,673T
13.

Mary Ellen Pleasant

19th-century African American entrepreneur

Overview: Mary Ellen Pleasant (19 August 1814(?) – 4 January 1904) was a 19th-century American entrepreneur, financier, real estate magnate and abolitionist. She identified herself as "a capitalist by profession" ...

Date of birth: 19 August 1814

Date of death: 4 January 1904

Age: 89 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Activist

Gender: Female

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19th-century memoirists 181T

19th-century American slaves 304T

African-American memoirists 19T
14.

Jesmyn Ward

American writer

Overview: Jesmyn Ward (born April 1, 1977) is an American novelist and an associate professor of English at Tulane University. She won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction for her second novel Salvage the Bones ...

Date of birth: 1 April 1977

Age: 47

Nationality: American

Occupation: Novelist

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 6" (168 cm)

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American women memoirists 620T

African-American memoirists 19T

21st-century memoirists 301T
15.

Jessica B. Harris

American culinary historian

Overview: Jessica B. Harris (born March 18, 1948) is an American culinary historian, college professor, cookbook author and journalist.

Date of birth: 18 March 1948

Age: 76

Nationality: American

Occupation: Chef

Gender: Female

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Chefs from Massachusetts 11T

Chefs from New Orleans 5T

Chefs from New York City 15T
16.

Lorene Cary

American novelist (born 1956)

Overview: Lorene Cary (born 1956, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American author, educator, and social activist.

Date of birth: 1957

Age: 67

Nationality: American

Occupation: Novelist

Gender: Female

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American women memoirists 620T

American women non-fiction writers 2,184T

Novelists from Pennsylvania 345T
17.

Sister Souljah

American hip hop-generation author, activist, rapper, and film producer

Overview: Sister Souljah (born Lisa Williamson, Bronx, New York) is an American author, activist, and film producer. Democratic Party candidate Bill Clinton criticized her remarks about race in the United States ...

Date of birth: 1964

Age: 60

Gender: Female

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Race-related controversies in music 41T

21st-century American women musicians 999T

21st-century women rappers 63T
18.

Adrienne Kennedy

American writer

Overview: Adrienne Kennedy (born September 13, 1931) is an American playwright. She is best known for Funnyhouse of a Negro, which premiered in 1964 and won an Obie Award. She won a lifetime Obie as well. In 2018 ...

Date of birth: 13 September 1931

Age: 93

Nationality: American

Occupation: Writer

Gender: Female

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American Book Award winners 440T

21st-century American women writers 4,233T

20th-century American women writers 5,363T
19.

Vera Little

American mezzo-soprano

Overview: Vera Pearl Little-Augustithis (December 10, 1928 – October 24, 2012) was an American contralto and mezzo-soprano opera singer who belonged to the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for more than ...

Date of birth: 10 December 1928

Date of death: 24 October 2012

Age: 83 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Opera singer

Gender: Female

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20.

Elleanor Eldridge

African American/Native American entrepreneur and memoirist

Overview: Elleanor Eldridge (March 1784/1785 – c. 1845) was an African American and Native American entrepreneur and memoirist from Rhode Island. She is best known for the Memoirs of Elleanor Eldridge (16mo., P ...

Date of birth: March 1784

Date of death: 1845

Age: 60 (age at death)

Nationality: American

Occupation: Writer

Gender: Female

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19th-century memoirists 181T

American women memoirists 620T

American women non-fiction writers 2,184T