Birthday Celebrations — September 16

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on September 16 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

B.B. King

Full name: Riley B. King

Born September 16, 1925 — died May 14, 2015

King of the Blues.

With Lucille and 250 shows a year, King carried the blues from a Mississippi plantation to every corner of the world.

Elgin Baylor

Full name: Elgin Gay Baylor

Born September 16, 1934 — died March 22, 2021

Basketball Hall of Famer.

Baylor invented basketball’s aerial game a generation early and led a landmark 1959 civil rights stand by boycotting a segregated hotel.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Born September 16, 1950

Scholar, filmmaker, and historian.

Gates built Harvard’s Hutchins Center and brought Black genealogy to millions as host of Finding Your Roots.

Earl Klugh

Born September 16, 1953

Grammy-winning jazz guitarist.

Klugh’s warm acoustic fingerstyle made him a founding voice of contemporary jazz.

Tamron Hall

Born September 16, 1970

Journalist and talk show host.

The first Black woman to co-anchor NBC’s Today launched her own Emmy-winning daytime show.

Musiq Soulchild

Birth name: Taalib Johnson

Born September 16, 1977

Neo-soul singer.

"Just Friends (Sunny)" and "Love" carried classic Philadelphia soul phrasing to a new generation.

Flo Rida

Birth name: Tramar Lacel Dillard

Born September 16, 1979

Rapper and global hitmaker.

"Low" spent ten weeks at No. 1 and became one of the best-selling digital singles ever.

Kyla Pratt

Full name: Kyla Alissa Pratt

Born September 16, 1986

Actress and voice performer.

Pratt grew up on screen as Penny Proud and One on One’s Breanna across two decades of Black family entertainment.

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Wear the history: B.B. King — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.