In 2002 Temple University professor Molefi Kete Asante amassed list for his biographical dictionary 100 GREATEST AFRICAN AMERICANS. The illustrious names were listed alphabetically with # 1 being Hank Aaron and Malcolm X closed out the hundred. I recognized forty-one of them. Historical giants and thank to Wikipedia I read how the remaining fifty-nine African American contributed to the cause of freedom None of them were the Godfather of Soul James Brown, Celtics legend Bill Russell, Black Panther martyr Bobby Seale, or Medgar Evers just to mention a few absentees.
A. Philip Randolph (1889–1979)
Hiram Revels (1827–1901)
John Russwurm (1799–1851)
Benjamin “Pop” Singleton (1809–1900)
Henry McNeal Turner (1834–1915)
Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753–1784)
Six of the fifty-nine.
Read about them at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_African_Americans
They are still alive.