Birthday Celebrations — September 13

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 13 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Alain Locke

Full name: Alain LeRoy Locke

Born September 13, 1885 — died June 9, 1954

Philosopher and "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance."

The first Black Rhodes Scholar edited The New Negro (1925), the anthology that announced the Harlem Renaissance to the world.

Charles Brown

Born September 13, 1922 — died January 21, 1999

Blues balladeer and pianist.

Brown’s velvet "Driftin’ Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby" created the smooth club-blues style that shaped the young Ray Charles.

Nell Carter

Full name: Nell Ruth Hardy

Born September 13, 1948 — died January 23, 2003

Singer and actress.

Carter won a Tony for Ain’t Misbehavin’ and became a household name on Gimme a Break!

Tavis Smiley

Born September 13, 1964

Broadcaster and author.

Smiley became the first American to host signature shows simultaneously on public radio and public television, platforming Black public affairs for decades.

Michael Johnson

Full name: Michael Duane Johnson

Born September 13, 1967

Four-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter.

His gold-shoed 19.32 in the 200 at Atlanta 1996 completed an unprecedented 200/400 double.

Tyler Perry

Full name: Emmitt Perry Jr.

Born September 13, 1969

Playwright, filmmaker, and studio owner.

Perry rose from homelessness to become the first Black person to outright own a major film studio, built on a former Confederate army base in Atlanta.

Swizz Beatz

Birth name: Kasseem Daoud Dean

Born September 13, 1978

Producer, art collector, and Verzuz cofounder.

Swizz shaped the Ruff Ryders era for DMX and Jay-Z, then turned catalog celebration into a cultural institution with Verzuz.