They blazed trails, brokered power, pioneered medical procedures, hurdled barriers, and created literary masterpieces.

These talented and committed women and men challenged misconceptions and rewrote history books. Profiles of Great African Americans tells you their stories of courage and sacrifice, their struggles and victories, their triumphs and tragedies. Profiles has an extraordinary range that encompasses Crispus Attucks, Harriet Tubman, Scott Joplin, Sojourner Truth, Bessie Smith, W.E.B. DuBois, Katherinde Dunham, Malcom X Stan West is a writer, former associate editor of the Chicago Defender, and producer and talk show New South Africa and co-author of Why L.A. Happened: Implications of the ?92 Rebellion. He was nominated for an Emmy for his ?96 minute WTTW-TV show Combating Racism: Where to Begin? The other contributing writers to Profiles of Great African Americans are David Smallwood, Associate Editor at N?Digo, and Allison Keyes, a line producer for New York 1 News.