Birthday Celebrations — June 18

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on June 18 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Ron Stallworth

Born June 18, 1953

Title: Retired police officer, author, and first Black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department

Ron Stallworth was the first Black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department and became known for infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan in the late 1970s. His story later became the book Black Klansman and inspired Spike Lee’s film BlacKkKlansman, turning an unusual undercover investigation into a larger conversation about racism and law enforcement.

Bruce Smith

Born June 18, 1963

Title: Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end

Bruce Smith is one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. A Pro Football Hall of Famer and longtime Buffalo Bills star, he became the league’s all-time sack leader and set a standard for power, discipline, and dominance on the defensive line.

Nathan Morris

Born June 18, 1971

Title: Singer, businessman, and founding member of Boyz II Men

Nathan Morris is a founding member of Boyz II Men, the Philadelphia vocal group that helped define 1990s R&B harmony. The group’s ballads and vocal arrangements became part of the soundtrack of a generation and helped carry doo-wop-style group singing into the modern R&B era.