30 Black Fathers Who Paved The Way

2. Thurgood Marshall
The first black Supreme Court Justice had two sons. One, Thurgood Jr. ("Goody") is a lawyer and former deputy Counsel to Vice President Al Gore. The other, John W. Marshall, is the current Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and former Director of the U.S. Marshals Service.
 
3. Nat King Cole
In 1991, Nat's daughter Natalie mixed her own voice with her late father's 1961 rendition of "Unforgettable" as part of her album paying tribute to her dad's music. The song and the album won seven Grammy awards in 1992.
 
4. Muhammad Ali
Many male sports heroes dream of having sons who take up their sports. But Muhammad Ali, the world heavyweight boxing champion, has a daughter, Laila Ali, who took up his sport and has become one of the most famous female boxers in the world.

5. Colin Powell
General Colin Powell was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Bush and Clinton and the highest-ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces. His son Michael is the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

6. Donny Hathaway
R&B recording artist Donny Hathaway recorded such hits as "You've Got a Friend," "This Christmas," "Where Is the Love," "The Closer I Get to You" and "Someday We'll All Be Free." Daughter Lalah Hathaway followed in his footsteps, recording songs such as "When Your Life Was Low" and "Forever, For Always, For Love."

7. Barack Obama
The first African American nominee of a major political party is also a father to two daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha ("Sasha").

8. Earl Woods
The father of pro golfer Tiger Woods, Earl Woods was an athlete and U.S. Army infantry officer who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. As a student-athlete at Kansas State, he broke the "color barrier" in baseball in the Big Seven Conference in 1951. As a father, he coached his son Tiger from the time he was just three years old.

9. Jesse Jackson
When he was marching in the 1960s, the future civil rights leader might never have imagined that his son would one day grow up to become a member of Congress. Now we have a Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and a Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.

10. Bill Cosby
Although sometimes considered a controversial father figure, the Cos is the father of five children, including his son Ennis who was shot to death while changing a flat tire on the side of a Los Angeles freeway in 1997. But despite the difficulties in his own personal life, Cosby's TV character Cliff Huxtable became a surrogate father to millions of young viewers of The Cosby Show.

11. Richard Williams
Richard Williams is best known as the father of Venus and Serena Williams. Richard and his then-wife Oracene married in 1979 and moved from Lansing, Michigan to Compton, California, where Richard began taking his daughters to local public tennis courts to teach them a new sport.

12. Master P
Rapper and producer Percy Miller (aka Mater P) is the father of actor/rapper Lil' Romeo, now known simply as Romeo.

13. Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick is the first black governor of Massachusetts. But he's also a loving father, who just this week helped his daughter "come out" as a lesbian.

14. Rev. Run
First known to us as one-third of the musical group Run DMC, the Rev. Run has since become a father figure thanks to the role he plays on the reality TV series Rev. Run's House.

15. Ken Griffey Sr.
It takes a lot for a son to live up to the name of a professional baseball star. But Ken Griffey Jr. has managed to make his own name in baseball, just as his father did.

16. Harry Belafonte
The legendary actor, singer and activist is the father of actress and model Shari Belafonte.

17. Eddie LeVert
No father wants to bury his child, but R&B singer Eddie LeVert, the former lead vocalist of the O'Jays, has lost two sons. Gerald Levert died in November 2006 and Sean Levert, died in March of this year.

18. Melvin Van Peebles
The father Melvin is an actor, director, screenwriter, playwright and composer, while the son Mario is also an actor and director.

19. Bob Marley
If it seems like everywhere you look there's a famous Marley popping up, it's probably because the late reggae singer fathered or adopted 13 children in his day. Some, like Ziggy and Stephen, followed their famous father's path into music. Others, like Cedella and Rohan, chose different paths from fashion to sports. The youngest child, Damian, is a three-time Grammy Award-winning reggae artist.

20. Will Smith
The rapper turned TV sitcom actor turned Hollywood A-list blockbuster superstar is the father of Jaden Smith, who starred alongside his famous dad in the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness.

21. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
With a name like Adam Clayton Powell, politics runs in your blood in New York City. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. was the powerful pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was a long-serving congressman representing Harlem. Then it gets confusing. Adam Clayton Powell III is the son of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. His next son, Adam Clayton Powell Diago changed his name to Adam Clayton Powell IV, which was also the name of Adam Clayton Powell III's son. Confused? So are we. Just remember the name Adam Clayton Powell carries a lot of weight in Harlem. There's even a street named after Jr.

22. Sidney Poitier
The Academy Award-winning actor is the father of actress Sydney Tamiia Poitier and the author of The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography.

23. Ron Brown
Ron Brown was the first black chairman of the Democratic Party and the first black Secretary of Commerce, a position to which he was appointed by President Bill Clinton. His son Michael Brown is a Washington, D.C.-based politician and television commentator who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of the city. The elder Brown died in a tragic plane crash in Croatia in April 1996.

24. Matthew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is a record executive and artist manager. But he doesn't represent any old artist. He represents his daughters, Solange and the world famous Beyonce. He was also the manager of Destiny's Child.

25. John H. Johnson
John H. Johnson was the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company, including Ebony, and Jet magazines, Fashion Fair Cosmetics and EBONY Fashion Fair. He was the first black person to appear on the Forbes 400 Rich List, and had a fortune estimated at half a billion dollars. His daughter Linda Johnson Rice now runs the empire as president and CEO of the company.

26. Earl Graves
Earl Graves Sr. is the founder of Black Enterprise magazine. His son Earl Graves Jr. was named CEO and publisher of Black Enterprise in 2006.

27. Dr. Ben Carson
Dr. Ben Carson is a world famous neurosurgeon who became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital when he was just 33 years old. Married to his wife Candy for 26 years, he and their sons comprise the Carson Four, an accomplished string quartet.

28. Denzel Washington
Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington is the father of four children, including 23-year-old John David, who signed a football contract with the St. Louis Rams two years ago; 20-year-old Katia, who is attending Yale University; and 17-year-old twins Olivia and Malcolm.

29. Ellis Marsalis
Ellis Marsalis is considered one of the premier pianists in modern jazz, but he's also the father of 6 sons, including musicians Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason.

30. Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III is the son of Martin Luther King Jr. and the father of a new child. On May 25, 2008, his wife Arndrea Waters King gave birth to Yolanda Renee King, named after Martin's sister Yolanda. The young Yolanda is the first grandchild of the late Martin Luther King Jr.