Raoul Peck is a director, screenwriter and producer. Born in Haiti, raised in the Congo, U.S., France and Germany, Peck earned an economic-engineering master’s degree at the University of Berlin and then studied film at the Academy of Cinema and Television in Berlin (DFFB). In 1995, he created the Foundation Forum Eldorado

When Captain Charles Young [later Colonel Charles Young], the new military superintendent, arrived in Sequoia and General Grant national parks, he had already faced many challenges. Born into slavery in Kentucky during the Civil War, Young's life took him to places where a Black man was rarely welcome. He was the first African American to graduate from the white high school in Ripley, Ohio. Through competitive examination, he won an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point in 1884.

Peter Collins started off by posting videos of himself covering songs on his social media accounts and people instantly fell in love with him, his voice, and his music. His soft, smooth, gentle but immensely soulful voice is comforting to any ear. He is a vocalist whose spirit is as gentle and captivating as his mesmerizing, sultry voice. And the control he has with his voice is impressive. He is truly a singer’s singer.

Imbolo Mbue was born in Limbe, Cameroon in 1983. Her area of Cameroon had been previously colonized by Great Britain, and when she was 17 she came to the United States with a sponsorship from her aunt. She became a U.S. Citizen in 2014, and lived in Chicago for a few months before moving to New Jersey and earning her B. A. in business administration from Rutgers University and then Columbia University…

Nevilla Eloise Ottley-Adjahoe is the founder and principal of the Ottley Music School, which was established in 1973. She is an author, conductor, pianist, organist, and music educator for over 50 years. In that time, she has helped countless students and musicians not only realize their full musical potential, but also develop habits that have qualified them [to] lead successful careers…

“Howard Thurman grew up in Daytona, Florida and was raised by his grandmother, a former slave. As a child, Thurman complied with his grandmother’s request that he read the bible aloud to her, and he developed an interest in the text at a very early age. … After receiving a bachelor of divinity degree from Rochester Theological Seminary in 1926, he served as pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin, Ohio. In the spring of 1929, Thurman studied mysticism at Haverford College under Rufus Jones, who was a Quaker. Mysticism came to figure prominently in Thurman’s theology.

Passion, Perseverance and Soul – common threads found amongst virtually all truly great restaurants. Felix’s BBQ with Soul whole heartedly embodies all three. Felix’s incredibly soulful southern style menu elevates and refines BBQ in a way that exceeds all expectations. … In 2008, amidst the recession, Felix’s BBQ in Oceanside California was born. Inspired by his dear friend Ruth, who reminded him of his mother and owned a restaurant called “Ruth’s Place” in Santa Ana, Felix Berry took a risk and opened his very first restaurant – Felix’s BBQ with Soul.

Kasi Lemmons is an award-winning director, writer, actress and professor who has been a staple in Hollywood for nearly three decades. Her acclaimed 1997 feature directorial debut, “Eve’s Bayou, was inducted into the National Film Registry, and is considered among the first to showcase the beauty of African American Southern culture. The film received the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, and the National Board of Review bestowed her with a special first-time director award.

“Born in Toronto in 1919, Herbert Henry “Herb” Carnegie was the fifth of seven children born to George and Adina Carnegie, who had immigrated to Canada from Jamaica. In Willowdale, a suburb of Toronto, both Herb and his brother Oswald fell in love with the game of hockey … Despite Carnegie’s talent and prowess on the ice, segregation practices kept him from achieving [his] dream [of playing in the NHL].

The daughter of Donny Hathaway, the late soul legend, Lalah Hathaway has forged her own way in music, using a lovely contralto to pursue various styles that mix R&B, jazz, and pop. She's also a pianist who won three Grammys in three years: best R&B performance for “Something” with Snarky Puppy in 2014; best traditional R&B performance for “Jesus Children” with Robert Glasper in 2015; and best traditional R&B performance for “Little Ghetto Boy” in 2016.