From movies, to music, to sports, current African-American celebrities have broken free of past stereotypes.

In the past, African-Americans’ talents were recognized but, seen only as athletes or innately entertaining performers, their true legacy wasn’t rightfully acknowledged.

Appearing in motion pictures since the industry’s 1920’s origin, African-Americans were rarely cast in realistic or significant roles.

However, abandoning superficial profiles, African-Americans now star in running movies.

"Will Smith is my favorite black celebrity because all of his movies have a great hidden meaning. I love his movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, which just came out," said Lee Howard (10).

Receiving an Oscar nomination for this film, Will Smith illustrates the new-found success of African-American actors.

In fact, in this Oscar ‘Awards Season,’ more than six nominees are African-American, especially with eight nominations for Dreamgirls, a movie chronicling the struggles of African-American singers in the civil rights era.

African-Americans have been successful in other arts and entertainment fields.

In music, African-Americans have dominated in R&B, rap, and hip-hop genres. Billboard’s top 10 includes artists such as Beyonce, Ludacris, Akon, Jim Jones, Lloyd, and Unk.

Sports began desegregation when Jackie Robinson became the first African-American in Major League Baseball, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

East St. Louis-born Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic champion in track and field, also highlighted African-American success in sports.

Current black celebrities can attribute their success to African-American activists, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, who paved their way.

"Jim Brown, NFL leader in rushing yards, after football and acting careers, helped incarcerated gang members by preparing them for life after prison. He was a great guy; we were tennis buddies in the 70s," said Rick Nelson, walking counselor.

Despite efforts of civil and human rights activists, African-American celebrities still face discrimination in their rise to stardom.

These recent stars have shown that success isn’t just black and white; African-Americans have been an influential force in entertainment history and deserve the appreciation that Black History Month brings.