''100 Greatest African Americans'' is a

biographical dictionary A biographical dictionary is a type of encyclopedic dictionary limited to biographical information. Many attempt to cover the major personalities of a country (with limitations, such as living persons only, in ''Who's Who'', or deceased people onl ...

of one hundred historically great

Black American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

s (in alphabetical order; that is, they are not ranked), as assessed by

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

professor

Molefi Kete Asante Molefi Kete Asante ( ; born Arthur Lee Smith Jr.; August 14, 1942) is an American professor and philosopher. He is a leading figure in the fields of African-American studies, African studies, and communication studies. He is currently professor ...

in 2002. A similar book was written by Columbus Salley. First published in 1992, Salley's book is titled ''The Black 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential African-Americans, Past and Present''.

Criteria

Asante used five factors in establishing the list: * "significance in the general progress of African-Americans toward full equality in the American social and political system" * "self-sacrifice and a willingness to take great risks for the collective good" * "unusual will and determination in the face of great danger and against the most stubborn odds" * "a consistent posture toward raising the social, cultural and economic status of African Americans" * "personal achievement that reveals the best qualities of the African American people" ''

Reference and User Services Quarterly ''Reference and User Services Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering library science. It is the official journal of the Reference and User Services Association and is published by the American Library Association. The journal was ...

'' reviewed the list positively in 2003, while noting the subjectivity in judging greatness, particularly for contemporary individuals. A review in ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' that same year states that Asante "makes it very clear that he left out numerous current popular people because he feels the hype around the pop persona is not what makes an individual important ... Each portrait covers two to four pages that summarize the person’s life, work, and importance and is accompanied by a black-and-white photograph or illustration."

List

''(This is the list as published in the 2002 book)''

References

{{Portal bar, Books, Civil rights movement, United States 2002 non-fiction books Books about African-American history Lists of African-American people Prometheus Books books

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

21st-century encyclopedias Black elite

Criteria

List

See also

References