As far as I know, I am the only African American on this website, and I must tell you that ctlawyer was right that this is not an sensible or appropriate forum for discussing African American role models. How many commenters have discussed role models face-to-face with African American acquaintences? Show of hands, please. If most of your information comes from Fox News, you likely have no idea of what you are talking about. (My apologies for ending a sentence with a proposition.)
Art Rust, Jr., a sports reporter and radio talk show host, and an African American, was asked by a caller about his role models. His answer was, my mother and father. On his radio show he played the best bumper music on radio, (almost) always by Duke Ellington.
(And for those of you who do not understand my fabulous sense of humor, the second clause of my opening sentence contained a falsehood.)