Birthday Celebrations — October 13

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

Edith Spurlock Sampson

Born October 13, 1901 (year uncertain in some references) — died October 8, 1979

Attorney, judge, and United States delegate to the United Nations.

Sampson built a legal career in Chicago and became the first African American appointed as an alternate to the United States delegation to the United Nations in 1950. She was elected to the bench in Illinois in 1962. Her work links professional opportunity for Black women with international public service and judicial leadership.

Arna Bontemps

Full name: Arna Wendell Bontemps

Born October 13, 1902 — died June 4, 1973

Poet, novelist, historian, and librarian.

Bontemps contributed to the Harlem Renaissance through poetry and fiction and later became a major steward of Black literary history at Fisk University. His work as a librarian helped preserve manuscripts and records for future scholarship. He also wrote for younger readers, connecting literary creation with education and cultural preservation.

Jesse L. Brown

Full name: Jesse LeRoy Brown

Born October 13, 1926 — died December 4, 1950

United States Navy aviator.

Brown completed the Navy’s flight-training program in 1948 and flew combat missions during the Korean War. He died after his aircraft was brought down near the Chosin Reservoir despite an attempted rescue by fellow pilot Thomas Hudner. His service is a significant story of military integration and professional persistence.

Belva Davis

Full name: Belvagene Melton

Born October 13, 1932 — died September 24, 2025

Broadcast journalist and author.

Davis became the first Black woman television news reporter on the West Coast when KPIX hired her in 1966. Her reporting career later included KQED, where she hosted This Week in Northern California. She covered major political and social changes while opening opportunities in newsrooms that had excluded Black women.

Shirley Caesar

Full name: Shirley Ann Caesar

Born October 13, 1938

Gospel singer and minister.

Caesar rose to prominence with the Caravans before building a long solo career in gospel. Her storytelling, vocal intensity, and church-based performance style reached audiences well beyond Sunday services.

Demond Wilson

Full name: Grady Demond Wilson

Born October 13, 1946 — died January 30, 2026

Actor, author, and minister.

Wilson played Lamont Sanford opposite Redd Foxx in Sanford and Son, one of the defining Black-led television comedies of the 1970s. His later career included other television work and ministry. His role as Lamont helped bring the humor and tensions of a working-class father-and-son household to a national audience.

Cherrelle

Full name: Cheryl Norton

Born October 13, 1958

R&B singer.

Cherrelle became a prominent voice in 1980s R&B through recordings including I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On and her duet Saturday Love with Alexander O’Neal. Her work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis linked expressive soul singing with the electronic textures shaping the decade’s popular music.

Doc Rivers

Full name: Glenn Anton Rivers

Born October 13, 1961

Former NBA player and basketball coach.

Rivers earned All-Star recognition as a player and later coached Boston to the 2008 NBA championship. His career spans on-court leadership and the management of veteran professional teams.

Jerry Rice

Full name: Jerry Lee Rice

Born October 13, 1962

Professional football wide receiver.

Rice developed at Mississippi Valley State before becoming one of professional football’s most accomplished receivers. He won three Super Bowls with San Francisco and established enduring career receiving records.

T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh

Born October 13, 1962

Actress, comedian, writer, and performer.

Keymáh became widely known through In Living Color and later appeared in Cosby and That’s So Raven. Her training and career include stage work, comedy, and television.

Tisha Campbell

Full name: Tisha Michelle Campbell

Born October 13, 1968

Actress and singer.

Campbell’s screen career includes House Party, Martin, and My Wife and Kids. Her portrayals of Gina Waters and Jay Kyle made her a familiar presence in two influential Black family and relationship comedies. She also pursued music, bringing singing and performance experience into a broad television and film career.

Paul Pierce

Full name: Paul Anthony Pierce

Born October 13, 1977

Professional basketball player and Hall of Fame inductee.

Pierce spent the central years of his career with the Boston Celtics and helped lead the team to the 2008 NBA championship. He received the Finals Most Valuable Player award for that series. His Hall of Fame career combined sustained scoring with a long association between a player and a franchise.

Ashanti

Full name: Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas

Born October 13, 1980

R&B singer, songwriter, and actress.

Ashanti’s breakthrough year of 2002 included Foolish and a widely successful self-titled debut album. That album earned the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. Her recordings and collaborations helped define the close relationship between melodic R&B hooks and mainstream hip-hop in the early 2000s.