Birthday Celebrations — October 29

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on October 29 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Harriet Powers

Born October 29, 1837 — died January 1, 1910

Quilt artist and visual storyteller.

Powers, who was born enslaved in Georgia, created quilts that used appliquéd figures to tell biblical stories and record extraordinary events. Her surviving Bible and Pictorial quilts are major works of African American art. They preserve an individual artist’s interpretation of faith, history, and the natural world through a medium often excluded from traditional fine-art recognition.

Martha Minerva Franklin

Born October 29, 1870 — died September 26, 1968

Nurse and professional-equality organizer.

Franklin investigated the exclusion of Black nurses from professional opportunities and helped organize the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses in 1908. As its first president, she worked to improve professional standards and challenge racial barriers. Her organizing connected the everyday conditions of nursing work with a national effort for equal recognition and access.

Benjamin F. McAdoo Jr.

Full name: Benjamin Franklin McAdoo Jr.

Born October 29, 1920 — died June 18, 1981

Architect and housing advocate.

McAdoo established an architectural practice in Seattle and became a significant Black professional in the Pacific Northwest. His work included modern residential design and an interest in economical housing, including projects connected with Jamaica.

Melba Moore

Born October 29, 1945 (some records give 1947)

Singer and stage actress.

Moore moved from teaching into professional performance and gained Broadway recognition through Hair and her Tony-winning work in Purlie. She also built a recording career spanning soul, R&B, and dance music. Her career links the expansion of Black musical theater with the recording industry and demonstrates the sustained work required to succeed in both.

Randy Jackson of the Jacksons

Full name: Steven Randall Jackson

Born October 29, 1961

Singer and multi-instrumentalist.

Jackson joined his brothers in the group that became the Jacksons and contributed instrumental and vocal work during an important transition beyond Motown. Recordings including Destiny and Triumph helped establish the group’s later identity. His story provides a way to examine family collaboration, musicianship, and increasing creative control within a major Black popular-music act.

Tracee Ellis Ross

Full name: Tracee Joy Silberstein

Born October 29, 1972

Actress and producer.

Ross became a familiar television presence as Joan Clayton in Girlfriends and later as Rainbow Johnson in Black-ish. Both roles placed the experiences of Black women within long-running ensemble comedies. Her performances combined comic timing with stories about work, family, identity, and friendship, making her a strong subject for television and representation history.

Gabrielle Union

Full name: Gabrielle Monique Union

Born October 29, 1972

Actress, author, and producer.

Union built a screen career through films including Bring It On and later led the television drama Being Mary Jane. She has also written books and spoken publicly about experiences often kept outside celebrity narratives. Her work connects performance with authorship and offers a substantial subject for examining Black women’s visibility and control over their own stories.

Eric Gales

Born October 29, 1974 (some records give 1975)

Blues-rock guitarist and singer.

Gales attracted attention as a young guitarist whose playing combined blues foundations with rock intensity. His early recordings introduced a musician drawing on established traditions while developing a distinctive sound.

Cleopatra Coleman

Born October 29, 1987

Australian actress.

Coleman worked in Australian television before gaining wider recognition in American productions, including The Last Man on Earth and Step Up Revolution. Her career spans comedy, drama, and genre film.

Fleur East

Born October 29, 1987

British singer and broadcaster.

East gained broad public attention as a finalist on the British version of The X Factor and followed that exposure with the single Sax. She subsequently worked across music, radio, and television.

Kechi Okwuchi

Born October 29, 1989

Nigerian American singer and speaker.

Okwuchi reached a wide audience as a finalist on America’s Got Talent after surviving the 2005 Sosoliso Airlines crash. Singing became an important part of her public career, alongside speaking about her experiences.