ESPN's THE UNDEFEATED to Reveal 44 African Americans who Changed the Country

The Undefeated, ESPN's multimedia content platform focused on the intersection of sports, race and culture, today revealed "The Undefeated 44" - a list of living and past African Americans with extraordinary accomplishments and contributions who are symbols of pride and aspiration.

"The Undefeated 44" was compiled by a panel of editors, senior writers, contributors and other stakeholders at The Undefeated as part of its month-long Black History Month content initiative. The list was limited to 44 as a tribute to the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama - the first African-American president.

"The Undefeated 44" covers a broad spectrum of African American experiences in the United States - pioneers, dreamers, innovators and geniuses. The esteemed group includes:

• A former professional player who became basketball's most gravity-defying athlete and its best ever - Michael Jordan;
• A raw, piercing comedian who parlayed his biting commentary to become the best of his generation - Richard Pryor;
• A woman who, after her death at 31, became an unwitting participant in a pioneering research for the treatment of cervical cancer - Henrietta Lacks;
• A photographer and film director who became the progenitor of the "blaxploitation" genre of movies - Gordon Parks;
• A professional tennis player with record 23 Grand Slam titles, the most titles in the Open Era, and considered the greatest female tennis player of all time - Serena Williams;
• A physician, surgeon and medical researcher who pioneered large-scale blood banks and advanced research on blood transfusion - Charles R. Drew;
• A literary genius and one of the intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance who later established a school of dramatic arts at then Bethune-Cookman College - Zora Neale Hurston.

Each of the #Undefeated44's dynamic African Americans is profiled on www.TheUndefeated.com including highlights of their impact and accomplishments. Readers are equally encouraged to share their feedback via the site's conversation page - YOU GOT 99 WORDS.

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