England officially has a new queen! On Saturday, the infamous Queen Camilla was crowned at Westminster Abbey. But across the pond, we have our own royalty. And our Black queens bow to no one. Here is a list of our favorite melanated royalty who prove you don’t need a title to be a queen.
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Mary J. Blige
We can’t even fathom losing our Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and knee-high boots, Mary J. Blige. The singer, songwriter, and actress is a legend in the entertainment industry, inspiring artists for years to come.
Missy Elliot
The old industry fight over who’s the Queen of Rap shouldn’t ever exclude Missy Elliot. Missy is the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame, a 4 -time Grammy Award winner, an 8-time MTV Video Music award winner, and many more accolades. This queen is truly an icon.
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson, OUR American Idol winner is not only a powerhouse vocalist but also an actress and new talk show host. She is extremely accomplished being the youngest woman and second African American to reach EGOT status, a title only a queen could obtain.
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis: “The Mother of Black Hollywood,” is one of the treasures of theater and television. Her perfectly timed humor and killer vocals have been loved for decades.
Serena and Venus Williams
Serena and Venus Williams are the ultimate sister goals. Whether they played doubles matches together or single matches against one another, they were fierce and respected together and apart. Still, beautiful as ever, these ladies are our crown jewels.
Lizzo
It’s a shame that anyone would dare to disrespect this queen. Lizzo has been an inspiration for women everywhere and one of the best entertainers of the decade.
Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight shall not be forgotten or mistaken. The “Empress of Soul” is a seven-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. The “Midnight Train to Georgia” singer still performs and tours today.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama is forever our First Lady, completing the presidential term alongside her husband for eight years with beauty, intelligence, style and grace. Her regal beauty has no end.
Diana Ross
One of our favorite divas of the music industry is the incomparable Diana Ross. Her songs are constantly sampled, even today and her acting roles are still loved especially by the Black community.
Megan Thee Stallion
The Grammy Award-winning “Hot Girl,”Megan Thee Stallion is arguably the IT girl of the decade, with people of all backgrounds falling in love with her and her music. Her positive attitude and bubbly personality shine through all of the difficult times that have faced her in recent years.
Beyoncé
This slideshow wouldn’t be complete without Queen Bey! From Girls Tyme to Renaissance, Beyoncé is one of the greatest female entertainers of our lifetime. Mrs. Carter... where’s the tour announcement?
Patti LaBelle
The Godmother of Soul, Patti LaBelle, is THE vocal powerhouse. Her talent is unmatched from singing to acting (and those sweet potato pies). If you’re lucky enough to see her perform live, you should note that she still performs today as strongly as she did in the 60's.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is queen of emotion on screen. Her acting is like no other, from the signature crying to the stiff Annalise Keating walk. She has rightly earned the triple Crown of acting with an Academy Award, 2 Tony Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Kamala Harris
Our ceiling-breaking queen, Kamala Harris, is the first female Vice President of the United States, and a proud Black and Asian American.
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is more than a queen, she’s an ICON, almost every one of today’s female artists, are inspired by the “Rhythm Nation”singer. Her singing, dancing, and acting will be remembered for decades to come. And she’s still young.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is one of the wealthiest Black women in the world, an inspiration to all. She has helped open doors for Black women everywhere and has continuously given back to the community.
Dionne Warwick
Don’t worry Ms. Dionne Warwick, we won’t mistake you for anybody else. This queen is a Hollywood Walk, Grammy Hall, R&B Music Hall and Apollo Hall of Fame inductee for being one of the most charted female vocalists of the Rock era. She is also a hilarious personality, check out her pop culture takes on Twitter.
Regina King
King may be in her name, but Regina King is a queen! The Academy Award, Golden Globe, and multiple Primetime Emmy Award winner is a gem in our community, loved by all.
Tina Turner
The Queen of Rock n’ Roll, Tina Turner, is here! The “Proud Mary” singer has earned awards and recognition across music genres and has created a beautiful legacy for herself now having an award-winning musical, Tina, about her life as well as the film, What’s Love Got to do with It.
Anita Baker
Anita Baker was one of the best ballad singers of the 80's. The “Sweet Love” singer now owns her masters, stream the queen’s music!
Octavia Spencer
Whether she’s in a comedy, period piece, or horror, Octavia Spencer always delivers. She is one of the winningest Black women actors in Hollywood. She not only an outstanding actor, but also a producer and an author. You go my Queen!
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams should be on a throne. She is currently running to be the first Black female governor of Georgia. Regardless of the outcome, no one can stop her she’s on her way up. Why, she’s already changed the world. A voter rights activist, she’s making efforts to bring awareness to voter suppression. She also used to serve on the Georgia House of Representatives.
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan is truly every woman for sure but she’s also a true Queen... Queen of Funk that is, selling over 70 million records. Oh, and she’s a ten-time Grammy Award winner.
Halle Berry
Oh our Halle Berry. The actress and former pageant queen became the first African American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002. Although she has been criticized for the roles she has taken, she’s a true talent and noone can take that from her.
Queen Latifah
Royalty is in her name, and rightfully so! Queen Latifah is a triple threat as a rapper, singer, and actress. She has blessed our ears since the 1980's, gracing the big and small screens in the 90's and still she is as beautiful and motivated as ever today.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Ellis Ross, the daughter of Diana Ross, has made a name for herself being a successful actor and entrepreneur. She even showed off some vocals she got from her mama in the film The High Note.
Ava DuVernay
The real Queen of the screen. Ava DuVernay was the first Black woman to be nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and at the Academy Awards for Best Picture as the director of the film Selma (2014). She has also directed/ created: 13th (2016), A Wrinkle In Time (2018), When They See Us (2019), and Colin In Black & White (2021).
Meghan Markle
Surprised? Why not add the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, to the list. She may never be queen, but she’s been vocal lately about the struggles of being a Black woman in the royal family. If they don’t want to accept her, maybe we should.
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