Distinguished African American Scouts
Below is a list of African Americans who participated in Scouting as youth:
- Ernest Green (Eagle Scout)—part of the Little Rock Nine (civil rights), who later was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton
- Guy Bluford Jr. (Eagle Scout)—United States astronaut and first African American in space
- Deion Sanders (Cub Scout)—NFL and MLB player; played for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers,Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, and Atlanta Falcons in football, and the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees in baseball; was six-time all-pro in the NFL
- Bo Jackson (Cub Scout)—NFL and MLB player; played for the Oakland Raiders in football and the Chicago White Sox in baseball; Heisman Trophy winner; first to be named all-star in two major sports
- Stanford Bishop (Eagle Scout)—U.S. representative for Georgia
- Albert Bell (Eagle Scout)—MLB player for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox; five-time all-star
- Dr. Frank “Tick” Coleman (Eagle Scout)—One of the first African Americans to earn Scouting’s highest rank; admired by prominent celebrities, including award-winning broadcast journalist Ed Bradley and comedian Bill Cosby; the Dr. Frank “Tick” Coleman National Service Award for Paraprofessionals was established in 2005
- Samuel Pierce—Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Ronald Reagan
- Beasley Reece—Played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a defensive back from 1976 to 1984
- Chuck Smith (Eagle Scout)—Retired president and CEO of AT&T West
- Percy Sutton—One of the nation’s most prominent African American political and business leaders; served as Manhattan borough president from 1966 to 1977
- Togo D. West Jr.—United States Secretary of Veteran Affairs under President Bill Clinton’s second term; also served as United States Secretary of the Army from 1993 to 1997
- Hank Aaron—American League baseball player from 1954 to 1976; was considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and held the MLB’s home-run record of 755 runs for 31 years
- Avery Brooks—American actor, jazz singer, opera singer, and college professor; best known for his television career
- Jerry Butler—American soul singer and song writer; was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the 1990s
- Julius “Dr. J” Erving—Retired basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers; the fifth highest scorer in basketball history; inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993; has one NBA championship title and is an 11-time all-star
- Congressman Charles Fattah—Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania since 1995
- Earl G. Graves—American entrepreneur, philanthropist, publisher; founder of Black Enterprise; current director of Aetna; serves on the Boy Scouts of America’s executive board and is a past national commissioner
- William H. Gray III—Served as president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund; was an influential member of the United States House of Representatives; cofounded a government lobbying firm and advisory board in Washington, D.C.
- Michael Jordan—Former basketball player; six-time NBA champion, five-time MVP, and inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009; active businessman and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats
- Bob McAdoo—Retired basketball player; played center and power forward from 1972 to 1986
- Branford Marsalis—Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader; primarily known for his jazz, but performs as a soloist with classical ensembles
- Gen. Colin Powell—American statesman; retired four-star general in the United States Army; served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush
- Willis Reed—Former basketball player for the New York Knicks; inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame
- David Robinson—Former basketball player; played center for the San Antonio Spurs; three–time NBA champion; served as an officer in the United States Navy
- Richard Roundtree—Actor and former fashion model; best known for playing private detective John Shaft
- Barry Sanders—Former football player; was running back for the Detroit Lions; was second all-time leading rusher in NFL history when he retired
- Louis Wade Sullivan—Physician and businessman; retired as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services under President George H. W. Bush; founder of the Morehouse School of Medicine
- Ben Vereen—American actor, dancer and singer; nominated for a Tony Award for his role in Jesus Christ Superstar; won a Tony for his role in Pippin
- Hershel Walker—Former professional football player and mixed martial artist; was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 1999; winner of the Heisman Trophy
- Paul Winfield—Television and film stage actor; acted in the film Sounder, which earned him an Academy Award nomination; played Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a TV miniseries, which led to an Emmy Award nomination; won the NAACP Image Award in 1982