Howard University alumni

Taraji Penda Henson ( tə-RAH-jee; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She played a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005) and a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2010, she appeared in the action comedy Date Night and the drama The Karate Kid, and in 2016, she starred as mathematician Katherine Johnson in the critically acclaimed drama Hidden Figures.

Sean John "Love" Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his current stage name Diddy, and his former stage names Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records in 1993. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher and the Notorious B.I.G., for whom he served as manager and hype man.

Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, actor, rapper, and television presenter. In television, Cannon began as a teenager on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'n Out, America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer. He acted in the films Drumline, Love Don't Cost a Thing, and Roll Bounce.

Lance Darnell Gross (born July 8, 1981) is a Ghanaian American actor, model and photographer. He is best known for his role as Calvin Payne on the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne and OWN sitcom Tyler Perry's The Paynes., as well as appearing in other Tyler Perry productions such as the Meet the Browns (2008) film and Tyler Perry's Temptations: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013). He also co-starred in 2010's Our Family Wedding alongside Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia, America Ferrera, and Regina King. He also starred as Secret Service Agent Marcus Finley in NBC's political drama Crisis.

Lazaro Alonso (born March 25, 1974) is an American film and television actor known for playing Tsu'tey in James Cameron's science fiction film Avatar and Fenix Calderon in the film Fast & Furious. Alonso has had roles in other films such as Jarhead, This Christmas, Miracle at St. Anna and Detroit. As of 2019 Alonso is part of the main cast of Amazon Prime Video's original series The Boys based on the comic book series of the same name playing the character known as "MM" (Mother's Milk).

Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award (winning three), two Tony Awards, and has also won a Golden Globe Award and received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

Alani Nicole "La La" Anthony (née Vázquez; born June 25, 1982) is an American television personality and actress. In the early 2000s, she worked as an MTV VJ on Total Request Live. She was the host of the VH1 reality television reunion shows Flavor of Love, I Love New York, For the Love of Ray J, and Real Chance of Love, and was a dean on Charm School with Ricki Lake.

Sarasvati Ananda Lewis (March 21, 1973 – June 11, 2025) was an American broadcast journalist, human rights activist, two-time NAACP Image Award recipient, distinguished Howard University alumna, professional carpenter and prominent HBCU community member. Described as "a bright star who was the voice of a generation," Ananda Lewis served as a cultural role model and staple television personality for BET and MTV during the late 1990s, when she became best known for her social advocacy works highlighted by the epic interviews she conducted with the likes of Hillary Clinton, Kobe Bryant and Louis Farrakhan for shows including BET's Teen Summit and MTV's True Life: I Am Driving While Black. This, in addition to Lewis' culturally iconic spot as an MTV VJ on Total Request Live, a role out that was capped with her accomplished -- yet quietly-challenging -- TRL live breaking news coverage over the August 25, 2001 plane crash that caused the sudden and unexpected death of Aaliyah, who was one of Lewis' close personal friends. Just weeks following Aaliyah's death, one day before American society was rocked by the tragic events of the September 11th, 2001, Lewis engaged the planned debut of The Ananda Lewis Show, a nationally-syndicated American television talk show that ran for just two seasons, and attempted to tackle serious subjects as opposed to more sensationalized counterparts such as the Ricki Lake Show and the Jerry Springer Show. After a break from television, she became a correspondent for The Insider, delving into the intricacies of the entertainment industry. Lewis then stepped away from the spotlight once again as she answered the call to serve as caregiver for her grandmother -- during which time it is said that her call to carpentry came about. "She took on the role of caregiver for her grandmother and needed to take care of her home," writes Mobley. "Instead of relying on others for repairs, she enrolled in a Los Angeles community college." After earning her associate's degree in carpentry, Lewis returned to television to host the 2019 revival of While You Were Out on TLC.

Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988. He frequently collaborates with his brother Shawn Wayans, as he was on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. and in the comedic films Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, White Chicks, Little Man, and Dance Flick. However, Wayans had a dramatic role in Darren Aronofsky's critically acclaimed Requiem for a Dream, which saw his departure from the usual comedies.

Chadwick Aaron Boseman (November 29, 1976 – August 28, 2020) was an American actor. Through his two-decade career, he appeared in a number of projects spanning both blockbuster and independent films, and received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a nomination for an Academy Award.