Birthday Celebrations — July 17

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on July 17 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Diahann Carroll

Birth name: Carol Diann Johnson

Born July 17, 1935 — died October 4, 2019

Actress, singer, model, Broadway performer, television pioneer, and civil rights-era screen trailblazer.

Carroll broke barriers on stage, film, and television with elegance and power. She won a Tony Award, earned an Academy Award nomination, and became widely known for Julia, a series that helped change how Black women could be seen on American television.

Tyrin Turner

Born July 17, 1972

Actor, producer, writer, and Black film culture figure.

Turner became widely known for playing Caine Lawson in Menace II Society, one of the defining films of early 1990s Black cinema. His work has also stretched into television, producing, and music video appearances connected to hip-hop and urban film culture.