Birthday Celebrations — November 5

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on November 5 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Etta Moten Barnett

Born November 5, 1901 — died January 2, 2004

Singer and actress, the first Black performer to sing at the White House by invitation.

Etta Moten sang ‘Remember My Forgotten Man’ in the 1933 film ‘Gold Diggers of 1933’ and ‘The Carioca’ in ‘Flying Down to Rio.’ In January 1934 she sang at the White House at the invitation of President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. She played Bess in the 1942 Broadway revival of ‘Porgy and Bess.’ She later became a Chicago philanthropist and cultural ambassador to Africa with her husband, Associated Negro Press founder Claude Barnett, and lived to 102.

Victoria Gray Adams

Full name: Victoria Almeter Jackson Gray Adams

Born November 5, 1926 — died August 12, 2006

Co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Victoria Gray Adams ran voter registration drives in Hattiesburg for SNCC and in 1964 co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, challenging the all-white delegation at the Democratic National Convention. That year she challenged Senator John Stennis, becoming the first woman from Mississippi to run for the U.S. Senate. She later worked as a campus minister at Virginia State University.

Ike Turner

Full name: Izear Luster Turner Jr.

Born November 5, 1931 — died December 12, 2007

Rock and roll pioneer, bandleader and ‘Rocket 88’ creator.

Ike Turner led the Kings of Rhythm, whose 1951 recording ‘Rocket 88,’ credited to Jackie Brenston, is often called the first rock and roll record. He formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue with Tina Turner in the 1960s, producing hits such as ‘River Deep – Mountain High’ and ‘Proud Mary,’ which won a Grammy in 1972, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Tina Turner later said he had been violent toward her, which he confirmed. He won the Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2007.

Gil Hill

Full name: Gilbert Roland Hill

Born November 5, 1931 — died February 29, 2016

Detroit police inspector, city council president and ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ actor.

Gil Hill was a celebrated Detroit homicide detective who played Inspector Todd, Eddie Murphy’s boss, in the three ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ films. He was elected to the Detroit City Council in 1989 and later served as its president, and lost the 2001 mayoral race to Kwame Kilpatrick. He died in Detroit at 84.

Gloria Long Anderson

Born November 5, 1938

Chemist, Morris Brown College professor and public broadcasting vice chair.

Gloria Long Anderson was a pioneer in fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance chemistry and has taught at Morris Brown College in Atlanta since 1968, serving as its interim president. She was appointed to the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by President Nixon and served as its vice chair. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1968.

Loleatta Holloway

Born November 5, 1946 — died March 21, 2011

Disco and gospel singer, the most sampled female vocalist in dance music.

Loleatta Holloway began in gospel with the Caravans before recording the disco classics ‘Hit and Run’ and ‘Love Sensation’ for Salsoul Records. Her vocals from ‘Love Sensation’ were sampled on Black Box’s ‘Ride on Time’ and Marky Mark’s ‘Good Vibrations,’ making her one of the most sampled singers in dance music. She died in Chicago in 2011.

Glen Ford

Full name: Glen Ford (born Glen Rutherford)

Born November 5, 1949 — died July 28, 2021

Journalist and co-founder of Black Agenda Report.

Glen Ford co-founded the Black news and commentary site Black Agenda Report in 2006, after The Black Commentator. In 1977 he co-launched, produced and hosted ‘America’s Black Forum,’ the first nationally syndicated Black news interview program on commercial television. He was a Vietnam-era veteran and a former member of the Black Panther Party.

Kellen Winslow

Full name: Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr.

Born November 5, 1957

Hall of Fame tight end who redefined the position.

Kellen Winslow played nine seasons for the San Diego Chargers in the ‘Air Coryell’ offense, leading the NFL in receptions in 1980 and 1981. His 13-catch, 166-yard performance in the 1982 ‘Epic in Miami’ playoff game, played while suffering from cramps and injuries, is one of the most famous in NFL history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

Carlton W. Kent

Full name: Carlton Wayne Kent

Born November 5, 1957

16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.

Carlton Kent served as the 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the service’s senior enlisted Marine, from 2007 to 2011. He enlisted in 1976 and served 35 years, including as sergeant major of I Marine Expeditionary Force from 2004.

Alvin Drew

Full name: Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr.

Born November 5, 1962

NASA astronaut and last Black astronaut to fly on the Space Shuttle.

Alvin Drew, an Air Force helicopter and test pilot, flew on Space Shuttle missions STS-118 in 2007 and STS-133 in 2011, performing two spacewalks on the final flight of Discovery. He was the 200th person to walk in space and the last African American to fly on a shuttle. He later held senior NASA posts in space sustainability and space-traffic risk management.

Seth Gilliam

Born November 5, 1968

Actor known for ‘The Wire,’ ‘Oz’ and ‘The Walking Dead’.

Seth Gilliam played Sergeant Ellis Carver on HBO’s ‘The Wire’ and corrections officer Clayton Hughes on ‘Oz.’ He later played Father Gabriel Stokes on ‘The Walking Dead’ for seven seasons and Dr. Alan Deaton on ‘Teen Wolf.’ He trained at Purchase College’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts.

Jerry Stackhouse

Full name: Jerry Darnell Stackhouse

Born November 5, 1974

Two-time NBA All-Star and college head coach.

Jerry Stackhouse starred at North Carolina, was the third pick of the 1995 NBA draft and played 18 seasons, averaging a career-best 29.8 points for Detroit in 2000-01. He was a two-time All-Star and later coached Vanderbilt from 2019 to 2024 before becoming an NBA assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.

Cavalier Johnson

Full name: Cavalier ‘Chevy’ Johnson

Born November 5, 1986

First elected Black mayor of Milwaukee.

Cavalier Johnson became acting mayor of Milwaukee in December 2021 and won the April 2022 special election, becoming the first African American elected mayor of Milwaukee; he was re-elected in 2024. He previously served on the Milwaukee Common Council, including as its president. He was mayor when Milwaukee hosted the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Odell Beckham Jr.

Full name: Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr.

Born November 5, 1992

NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl LVI champion.

Odell Beckham Jr. was the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the New York Giants, where his one-handed catch against Dallas became one of the most replayed plays in league history. He made three Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at LSU.

Dominique Thorne

Born November 5, 1997

Actress who plays Riri Williams/Ironheart in the Marvel universe.

Dominique Thorne appeared in ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ and ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ before debuting as Riri Williams in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in 2022. She starred in the Disney+ series ‘Ironheart’ in 2025. A Cornell graduate, she grew up in a Trinidadian household in Brooklyn.