Al Sharpton is not going to be happy about this! The Grio.com assembled a group of “experts” to determine who has been most influential to black American life over the years. Here’s how they came up with list:
TheGrio assembled a group of 25 contemporary academics, artists and activists to assess the most impactful African-American leaders in U.S. history. Each member of the expert panel was asked to complete a survey, which asked them to assess 170 black leaders. It is fascinating to note that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is clearly the consensus choice of this group. King never held elected office. He was harshly criticized in his own lifetime both by the American public and by some members of his own community.
President Barack Obama is the only living leader included among the Top 10. He is ranked a very close second to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Check out the 25 names after the jump and chime in.
1. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. Barack Obama
3. W.E.B. Du Bois
4. Thurgood Marshall
5. Malcolm X
6. Frederick Douglass
7. Harriet Tubman
8. Rosa Parks
9. Ida B. Wells-Barnett
10. Ella Baker
11. Booker T. Washington
12. Adam Clayton Powell
13. James Baldwin
14. Dred Scott
15. Paul Robeson
16. A. Phillip Randolph
17. Fannie Lou Hamer
18. Marcus Garvey
19. Jesse Jackson, Sr.
20. John Johnson
21. Mary McLeod Bethune
22. Carter G. Woodson
23. Nat Turner
24. Harry Belafonte
25. Charles Hamilton Houston
26. Langston Hughes
(There is a three-way tie for Belafonte, Houston and Hughes)
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Should they even be ranked?….
That’s what I was thinking
them what u wanted it to be????
Barack Obama number 2????? I’m not even black and I’m offended.
I would have to agree with you. This list must not be in any specific order.
where do you think he should be?
I got next.
they are all number 1, this list is stupid do they think black history is a joke?
Obama is #2 Wooooo. Waka flocka should be number 3 then.
27. Tupac
YEAH – i don’t agree – there are plenty of other influential/monumental black figures who should go on this list. They should add Jackie Robinson/M. Ali, George Washington Carver, Lewis Paster(sp). And those i can just name off the top of my head!
WHAT!?!?! No Bill Clinton!?!? But he was the first African-American president in US history!!!!
Do u think those that voted for this list make mistake??????
Hey we shouldn’t be what people always thinking about us.
Is Mr. Bill Clinton!!!, a black man??????.
Hey Anonymous? can i asked u some thing? Do u really want to be like President Barack Obama???????? No!!!! u can’t really be like him.
Do Ur own thing, the board had already made him #2 u can’t change this or do u want to remove him or Do u want to take his place??? HA HA WOW uh huh can be ya. he is what he is to be en born to be. the board could ever made him #1. it is because of Dr. M.L King Sr.
Sad that most of the people on this list are dead?
i agrree that they shudnt be ranked but i do agrree with the list that martin luther king jr is at the top without him there wudnt be an amazing black president stop commenting bad things on what u think comment on things u like about this website i mean i dont agree with sumthins on this list but im not sayin anytin bad. gooday to u sir