Looking Black

BET held it’s SOS Saving Ourselves: Help For Haiti telethon last night at the American Airlines in Miami. The event was broadcast on BET, VH1, MTV and Centric with hopes to raise millions for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

When she moved to the nation’s most prestigious address, Michelle Obama’s husband told her that rough times were ahead. The country was in recession, people were out of work, the political parties were in open warfare — and the man who was going to be blamed for it all was President Barack Obama. But you won’t hear the first lady utter a peep of complaint. Watch her interview with Matt Lauer here.

Alex Haley, a master story teller brought us our first glimpse into the lives of slaves with his critically acclaimed book Roots. Read about Mr. Haley's story here.

Identical twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes became celebrities when they completed their first feature-length movie, Menace II Society. Their age when the film was released in May of 1993--they had just turned 21--put them in the company of celebrated young black directors like John Singleton, who was 23 in 1991 when Boyz N the Hood was released. Read their amazing story here.

Here’s a look at 30 African-Americans who you may or may not know of, who have shaped Black culture and paved the path of advancement for all.