theGrio Class of 2014

The Grios 100 Class of 2014

Pop Culture

Andrew BachelorAndrew Bachelor, a.k.a. King Bach, is a comedy celebrity on Vine. With 1.9million followers, a YouTube channel, corporate sponsorship, and a BET pilot in the works...Click here to read more.

Nicole BeharieLast year Nicole Behairie shined on the big screen opposite Chadwick Boseman in ‘42.’ These days she leaves audiences speechless as the star of Fox’s thriller ‘Sleepy Hollow’...Click here to read more.

Laverne Cox has created her own lane in Hollywood. As the first African American transgender actress with a starring role on a TV Show, 'Orange Is the New Black'...Click here to read more.

Danai Gurira Since joining 'The Walking Dead,' Danai Gurira has become an iconic black TV heroine and stands as one of the only African American TV stars with prominent role in horror drama...Click here to read more.

Micheal B. Jordan In 2013 Michael B. Jordan grabbed the attention of Hollywood film critics with his starring role as shooting victim Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station, directed by Ryan Coogler...Click here to read more.

Lupita Nyong'o’12 Years a Slave’ star Lupita Nyong’o has become one of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars after her role in Steve McQueen’s critically acclaimed drama...Click here to read more.

Questlove Today Questlove is so much more than a recording artist and musican. He’s taken a stance on several very important causes like stop-and-frisk, George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the death of Trayvon Martin, and President Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act...Click here to read more.

Forest Whitaker Oscar winning actor Forest Whitaker had amazing year in Hollywood appearing alongside and all-star cast in ‘Lee Daniels’ The Buter’...Click here to read more.

Pharrell Williams The Grammy winning artist who never seems to age: Pharell Williams was a featured artists on the two biggest songs of the summer – Daft Punk's "Get Lucky” and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines"...Click here to read more.

Sasheer Zamata Sasheer Zamata 27, is an actress/comedienne who grabbed the attention of media around the world when she joined the cast of NBC's 'Saturday Night Live'...Click here to read more.

Politics

Steve Benjamin Benjamin is the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. When he first won in 2010, by a mere 1,000 votes, he became the city's first-ever black mayor...Click here to read more.

Barry C. Black Since 2003, Black has been the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, opening each session of the chamber with a prayer and also serving as a spiritual adviser to members and their families and staffs...Click here to read more.

Anthony Brown The 52-year-old lieutenant governor is running for the top spot in his state this year, looking to become only the third African-American ever elected governor of a state and the first in Maryland's history...Click here to read more.

Chiara and Dante de Blasio Dante, 16, and Chiara, 19, are the children of Bill de Blasio, who emerged from a crowded field to a surprising victory in a Democratic primary last year and then was elected mayor...Click here to read more.

Erika Harold The 2003 Miss America is now running for a U.S. House seat in Illinois. If Harold won, she would be the only black female Republican in Congress...Click here to read more.

Jeh Johnson The former general counsel for the Pentagon became the secretary of homeland security in December, leading a department that includes 22 agencies that are supposed to prevent attacks like what happened on Sept. 11, 2001...Click here to read more.

Byron Todd Jones Jones is in charge of reviving an agency whose reputation was battered from the failures of a gun trafficking investigation known as "Fast and Furious"...Click here to read more.

Gwen Moore The Wisconsin Democrat has served in the U.S. House since 2005, representing a district that includes parts of Milwaukee...Click here to read more.

Colin Powell Powell, retired after a long career in key national security posts, reemerged in 2013 to sharply criticize the GOP, the party he has long been associated with and under which he served as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State...Click here to read more.

Rick Wade The veteran political operative, who ran Obama's black vote program in 2008 and then worked in the Commerce Department in the administration, is now trying to become a politician in his own right...Click here to read more.

Sports

Jozy Altidore

Kay-Ci Bele

Swin Cash

Kevin Krigger

Brandon Marshall

Floyd Mayweather

Chris Paul

Sloane Stephens

Darrell Wallace Jr.

Darren Young

Arts

Ryan Coogler Ryan Coogler is a writer and director whose first feature, Fruitvale Station, chronicles the last 24 hours in the life of police shooting victim Oscar Grant...Click here to read more.

Tananarive Due

Cheryl Boone Isaacs Cheryl Boone Isaacs became the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013, and only the third woman to hold the role in the organization's 86 year history...Click here to read more.

Stephen C. Byrd and Alia Jones-Harvey

Brooklyn Mack

Terrance McKnight

Toyin Odutola

Billy Porter

Condola Rashad

John Ridley

Health

Dr. David Bell

Dr. Keith L. Black

Dr. Jeanine Downey

Tanya Fields

Shaun T.

Tonya Lewis Lee

Riana Lynn

Kameron Matthews and Alden Landry

Denise Roberts

Haile Thomas

Activism

Phillip Agnew

Harry Belafonte

Rev. Corey Brooks

Jason Collins

Jamie Foxx

Sybrina Fulton

Bethann Hardison

Janaye Ingram

Rev. Al Sharpton

Natalie and Derrica Wilson

Media

Vanessa Bush

Arsenio Hall

Kimberley Harris

Faith Jenkins

Kid Fury and Crissle

Ray Lewis

Robby Novak

Angela Rye

B. Scott

Iyanla Vanzant

Science & Technology

Shawn Allen

Jaylen Bledsoe

Jamie Broadnax

Kimberly Bryant

Kathyrn Finney

Lonnie Johnson

Danielle Lee

David Moinina Sengeh

Julian Sharpe

Baratunde Thurston

Education

MK Asante

Jason Coleman

Dr. Leon Finney

Kamau Harper

David J. Johns

Asean Johnson

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever

Zakiya Smith

Gabrielle Turnquest

James Ward

Business

Shante Bacon Public relations “powerhouse” Shante Bacon is considered the epitome of what can be achieved if you think big! The co-founder and CEO of the 135th Street Agency has garnered top clients from across the creative and media industries...Click here to read more.

Zora Ball Last year when Zora Ball was only in the first grade, she became the youngest person to develop a mobile app game. And to prove it was not a fluke, adult programmers challenged her to reconfigure her project on the spot and she succeed...Click here to read more.

Adriene Bowles Hollywood shot caller Adriene Bowles is President, worldwide publicity and Executive Vice President of marketing at Focus Feature. She works directly with filmmakers and talent at all phases of films’ progress, from production through to the theatrical run and awards campaign...Click here to read more.

Moziah Bridges Adults can learn a lot about “sartorial splendor” from Mo Bridges, the 12 year old creator of Mo’s Bows. He hand crafted his first ties with scraps of his grandmother’s material...Click here to read more.

Andre Hueston Mack Business insiders shook their heads when they learned that successful Citibank investment executive Andre Mack was quitting to literally work the pastures of a winery. But to Mack, he found joy introducing friends and guests to little known vineyards...Click here to read more.

Cleve Mesidor Cleve Mesidor left her native Haiti when she was only 8. But after serving for almost 4 years in the Obama Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce and Economic Development, she returned to Haiti to help rebuild the island nation’s economic infrastructure...Click here to read more.

Asia Newsome Ten-year-old Asia Newsome is hailed as Detroit’s youngest entrepreneur. Newsome sells candles with her dad in a successful business that she created and runs. Those who meet her all agree that she is an entrepreneurial dynamo...Click here to read more.

John Rogers John Washington Rogers, Jr. founded Ariel Capital Management in 1983. He is chairman and CEO of the company, which is the United States' largest minority-run mutual fund firm. His passion for investing started when he was 12 years old when his father bought him stocks every birthday and every Christmas instead of toys...Click here to read more.

Todd Williams As founder and CEO of Vertex Body Sciences, Todd Williams leads one of the fastest growing businesses in America. Capitalizing on the expanding energy snacks and nutrition beverages market, the company has grown 10,10% in the past three years employing 51 people...Click here to read more.

James White