1. Jules Winnfield – Samuel L. Jackson in “Pulp Fiction.” Jackson could be remembered for any character, but this was the baddest mother f***er of them all, according to Jules, anyway.
2. Foxy Brown – Pam Grier in “Foxy Brown.” Of all blaxpoitation films, Foxy Brown is the epitome – the ‘fro, the hot pants, the gun. Unforgettable.
3. Malcom X – Denzel Washington in “Malcolm X.” Looking at archive footage of Malcolm, Denzel hit it spot on. While the story doesn’t follow the book 100 percent, he gives life to a person every generation should have a connection to.
4. Walter Lee Young – Sidney Poitier in “A Raisin in the Sun.” P. Diddy ain’t got nothing on Poitier’s version of this character. This character speaks volumes about the struggle of life in the 1960s for an average black family.
5. Solomon Vandy – Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond.” This character is the ultimate portrait of a father’s love for his child.
6. Sofia – Oprah Winfrey in the “Color Purple.” Sofia is a strong, courageous woman who stands up against oppressive conditions to leave a lasting impact on the audience.
7. Tina Turner – Angela Basset in “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Tina Turner was not only an icon in the music industry – she also withstood numerous obstacles in her personal life. She overcame with her head held high, and Angela Basset hit every right note.
8. Kunta Kinte – John Amos and LeVar Burton in “Roots.” If someone’s never read a book about slavery, they could follow one man’s struggle as a child in Africa to an adult in America and his journey through the American slave trade. Seeing these things played out on film gave us more than words alone could.
9. John Shaft – Richard Roundtree in “Shaft.” Shaft is the black equivalent of James Bond, but “hotter than Bond, cooler than Bullitt,” according to the tagline.
10. Apollo Creed – Carl Weathers in the “Rocky” films. Who would Rocky be without Apollo Creed? Apollo built Rocky up into the boxer he was for the first three films.
11. Effie White – Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls.” Coming out of the dust of “American Idol,” she won the Academy Award for her powerful and unforgettable performance as Effie.
12. Red Redding – Morgan Freeman in “The Shawshank Redemption.” He was the spiritual advisor of inmates at the Shawshank Prison. He did his penance while in the prison and came out a saint-like character.
13. Idi Amin – Forest Whitaker in “Last King of Scotland.” His interpretation of the dictator shook the audience to the bone. Viewers were able to truly believe in his psychopathic dictatorship.
14. Precious – Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” As her first film, Sidibe embodies a character who everyone can sympathize with and hope with for the entire movie.
15. Mike Tyson – “The Hangover.” His rendition of a Phil Collins song was the best surprise of a movie that was chock-full of surprises. Without the Tyson character, we’d never get to hear Ed Helms sing about tigers and crystal meth users.
16. Ray Charles – Jamie Fox in “Ray.” This character embodies the idea of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll before the term even existed. A new generation was introduced to this icon and his legacy on the music industry will live on because of it.
17. Mammy – Hattie McDaniel in “Gone With the Wind.” This character encapsulates the roles offered to black people until nearly the 1950s. While living the life some would consider downtrodden, she was strong, smart and outspoken.
18. Morpheus – Laurence Fishburne in “The Matrix” trilogy. He is a central character in the blockbuster trilogy, and he alone is destined to find “The One.”
19. Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue – Mykelti Williams in “Forrest Gump.” This man sure knows his shrimp.
20. Chief Carl Brashear – Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Men of Honor.” He is the first black Navy Diver and after losing his leg, Brashear still manages to pass the Navy’s diving test.
21. Princess Tiana – Anika Noni Rose in “The Princess and the Frog.” She is the first black Disney princess, and it was a long time coming. It’s the 21st century. This doesn’t exempt Disney from its racist past, but it’s a start in the right direction.
22. Muhammad Ali – Will Smith in “Ali.” Smith’s portrayal of the sports legend reminds a younger generation of why he became the legend he is.
23. Lando Calrissian – Billy Dee Williams in “Star Wars: EpisodeV – The Empire Strikes Back” and “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.” After handing his friend over to be frozen in carbonate, he helps the rebels destroy the Death Star at Endor and proves that he can fly the “bucket of bolts” as well as Han Solo.
24. Terry Mann – James Earl Jones in “Field of Dreams.” His stirring and memorable speech at the end of the movie is the encouragement Ray Kinsella needs to not sell his farm and the baseball diamond.
25. Leticia Musgrove – Halle Berry in “Monster’s Ball.” As a single mother with her husband in prison and a sick child, Leticia Musgrove put a face to the continuing challenges with racism in modern America.
26. Paul Rusesabagina – Don Cheadle in “Hotel Rwanda.” His character showed the resolve of one single person to do good when he was surrounded by thousands committing murders.
27. Ben Hanser – Duane Jones in “Night of the Living Dead.” He was one of the first black heroes in a mostly white sci-fi movie.
28. Blade – Wesley Snipes in the “Blade” trilogy. BAMF.
Compiled by Molly Mullen, Editor in Chief, and Colleen Seabaugh, Web Developer