Why not call this the year of the Blackfamous blowup? With Monique and Sheryl Lee Ralph on the rise again, some of our beloved stars will no longer be our treasured secrets. Sheryl Lee Ralph proudly told the Hollywood Reporter that she was Blackfamous ( which is someone mostly known and cherished by Black people) and how a white Hollywood-type asked the icon what work had she done. (Uh, we at the Root are shaking our collective heads).
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Listen, there are Black A-listers like Denzel and Beyonce who are beloved by everyone, but the “Black famous” celebrities have been ours alone, but we are willing to share. For those who don’t know and others who want to confirm they were on the right side of history, here are some of our favorite Blackfamous celebs.
Mo’Nique
She calls us her “babies.” Mo’Nique, who just announced her first-ever Netflix comedy special, is one of the funniest comedians out there and has done her fair share of critically acclaimed projects, most notably Precious, for which she won an Academy Award. But the black community loves her long-running TV show the Parkers.
Mya
Mya is a beloved R&B singer who broke onto the scene with her sophomore album Fear of Flying which included hit singles “Case of the EX” and “Free.” She also has done her fair share of on-camera work including In Too Deep.
Isley Brothers
The soul group hailing from Ohio has had a lasting impact on Black music ever since they debuted in the 1950s. The group consists of the trio of brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley. They later added their younger brother Marvin Isley and Rudolph’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper. You’ve probably heard a song or sample from this group and didn’t realize it.
Tevin Campbell
Campbell was a popular R&B singer in the late 90s. But his song, “Can We Talk,” has stood the test of time in the Black community and people have used it on social media a countless number of times.
Phyllis Hyman
A longtime singer and actress, Hyman had plenty of notable songs that Black people knew and loved including “You Know How to Love Me,” and “Living All Alone” and “Don’t Wanna Change the World.” Unfortunately, we didn’t realize her songs were revealing her pain. The beautiful singer eventually took her own life.
Tom Joyner
I honestly don’t remember a time when I did not know who Tom Joyner was. The national radio personality has been on the radio in the cars of Black people forever. The Tom Joyner Morning Show was something I vividly remember hearing on the radio when my parents drove me to school.
Franky Beverly
Known for his work with the soul and funk band Maze, Beverly is one of the best guitarists to ever do it. Depending on your age, when you say this name, your parents’ ears might perk up and say, “what do you know about him?”
Morris Chestnut
This man might be the most “Black famous” actor ever. I mean this brother has been in some CLASSICS. He blew up in Boyz N The Hood, The Best Man, Like Mike, and Two Can Play That Game. Plus, women of all ages love him. He also just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Larenz Tate
Tate comes from a family of talented entertainers. Another actor who has been in a plethora of classic movies Black folk love, which includes Menace II Society, Love Jones, Dead Presidents and Why Do Fools fall in Love. But he was also a prominent character on the popular Starz TV show Power.
Robin GivensPhoto
Not nearly the level of a star that she was in the mid-90s thanks to the tumultuous ending to her relationship with Mike Tyson. But she was headed toward superstardom thanks to her roles in A Rage in Harlem and Boomerang.
Bumper Robinson
This actor was the pretty boy on damn-near every TV show he showed up on in the 90s which included Living SIngle, Sister Sister and A Different World. Black women were known to blush when he came on camera.
Regina Hall
I admit, Hall is right on the edge of being “Black famous” because she’s worked on so many popular movies. But many of her most popular works are movies that are made up of a majority Black cast including Girls Trip, Think Like A Man, The Best Holiday, Shaft, Love & Basketball and About Last Night. And let’s be honest, we know during the Oscars white people were saying “Regina Who?” But we knew. We knew.
Omar Epps
I’ve already talked about actors being in some memorable Black movies. But Omar Epps! Omar Epps! Ole Boy has been in some classic ass movies including Love & Basketball, Juice, The Wood and Higher Learning. The movies speak for themselves.
Richard T. Jones
Oh how we love to hate Richard T. Jones. I’m pretty sure some women are still mad at him for his role in Why Did I Get Married and Why Did I Get Married Too? How you going to treat Jill Scott like that? Jill Scott! Guess he did a good acting job! Cudos.
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph might be on her way off this list because of all the critical acclaim she’s getting for her role on the ABC sitcom Abbot Elementary. But she’s also been in a plethora of shows and movies before Abbot, including Moesha, It’s a Living, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Her breakthrough role was playing Deena Jones in the 1981 broadway musical Dreamgirls.
Lynn Whitfield
Lynn Whitfield has been killing it in the game for a long time now. Since the late 70s, Whitfield has been working on film and television projects. Some of those projects include A Thin Line Between Love & Hate, Eve’s Bayou, Madea’s Family Reunion and Greenleaf.
Sinbad
Now Sinbad has been in his fair share of mainstream movies. I mean he was the main character in the Disney movie First Kid. But he also had his stand-up show called The Sinbad Show. He also appeared in Good Burger and A Different World.
LisaRaye McCoy
If Morrish Chestnut is one of the most “Black famous” Black actors, then LisaRaye is one of the most “Black famous” Black actresses. Let me just list off some of the movies and TV shows she has worked on you’ll understand. The Players Club, The Wood, The Beauty Shop, All of Us, Civil Brand and many more. Oh and we forgot to mention, she used to be a Princess or was it a Queen. No...seriously. And her sister is a “Blackfamous” rapper. Google it.
Charles S. Dutton
From jail to Yale, everything was not always peachy for Dutton. Before he could graduate high school, he was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter. But he eventually got his Bachelor of Arts degree from Towson University and earned a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked on a plethora of movies including Menace II Society, Alein 3, A Time to Kill, Cookie’s Fortune and Gothika.
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