A quick Google search reveals that gifts for 10-year anniversaries should be made of either tin or aluminum, a testament to the resilience and strength of a relationship.
So it is fitting that as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Root 100—our annual list of the most influential African Americans, age 25 to 45—we also remember the strength and resilience of all the men and women we’ve honored over the past nine years and continue to honor this year. Every innovator, every thought leader and every game changer on this list had to break down barriers, hop over hurdles and overcome every form of systemic oppression that tells black America, “You don’t belong here.” Not only did they defy the naysayers, they soared to the highest heights and made America better in the process.
For the 10th anniversary of The Root 100, we’re unveiling the list a little bit differently than we have in the past. Before we reveal the full list on Thursday, today through Wednesday, we’re giving you a sneak peek of top three honorees in The Root 100’s eight categories: arts, business, community, entertainment, media, politics, sports and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Today, we’re revealing the top honorees in arts, entertainment and sports. Come back on Tuesday when we’ll pay tribute to the leading honorees in business and STEM, and on Wednesday, we’ll highlight the top honorees in politics, media and community, all before the big reveal on Thursday. Congrats to the 2019 class of The Root 100!
Entertainment
Nipsey Hussle, rapper, entrepreneur
Lizzo, singer, flutist
Steven Canals, co-creator of Pose
Arts
Jeremy O. Harris, playwright of Slave Play
Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone
Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl
Sports
Alysia Montaño, track champion
Crystal Dunn, soccer star, U.S. Women’s National Team
LeBron James, NBA star, philanthropist, entrepreneur