NPR: Who's On Your List: The Most (and Least) Influential

Who's On Your List: The Most (and Least) Influential

We say Oprah Winfrey (left) and Marla Gibbs (right) are the most and least (respectively) influential black folks in the world.

Getty Images

TIME magazine is out with its list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World". Among the black faces: Oprah, Chris Rock, Barack Obama and Tyler Perry.

Fair enough.

But it got us thinking: whom would you consider the most -- and, for that matter, least -- influential black folks in the world?

As for us, we'll stick with Oprah for most influential. (Her qualifications needn't be repeated here.)

And for least influential ... how about Marla Gibbs? A lovely woman to be sure, but not much influencing happening there.

Your turn. Who's on your list?

Geoffrey Bennett

6:02 PM ET | 05- 5-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Ha!

Most: Barry O

Least: Ricky Smiley

Sent by J.A. WILSON | 6:22 PM ET | 05-05-2008

Malcolm X. This true Prince of Peace is Black America's least unsung heor in the dominant culture. He not only spoke to our rage around injustice, but appealed to our urgency for the need for action- at any means necessary- in a way the Civil Rights Movement never could. And, he also evovled- towards the end of his life he understood that the American system was itself the problem, not whites in general, and therefore we as a nation we're not beyond redemption. Still Malcolm X is portrayed as a nationsist and seperatist by the dominate culture, where he is often shown as the white man's greatest fear: The angry, armed Negro. Deep down, many Blacks today do identify with the anger evoked by Rev Jeremiah Wright, and are disguisted that Barak's spiritual life has been hung out like old laundry, for we all invariably harbor some amount of bitterness towards the legacy of slavery, i.e. present financial and social, governemnt sanctioned inequality. Yet, beyond Wright, malcom X still instill us with the pride that both acknowledges and justifies our anger, but takes us a step further towards motivating action as a means of self love.

Sent by Diepiriye S. Kuku-Siemons | 12:59 AM ET | 05-06-2008

humm seems like another time advertising gimmick to sell something--

most influential- the long list

patrice lumumba
amilcar cabral
kwame nkrumah
mwalimu julius nyerere
gamal nasser
fred hampton
george jackson
jonathan jackson
dr. angela davis
sam nujoma
samora machel
nina simone
duke ellington
william [billy] strayhorn
james baldwin
marcus garvey
john hope franklin
el hajj el malik shabazz
maurice bishop
michael manley
cesaria evora
oscar peterson
jimi hendrix
horace campbell
adbias do nascimento
dr. ben
ayi kwei armah
jacob lawrence
thich nhat hanh
all african women globally who struggle to feed and provide for their babys

Less influential--

humm this list i could wrap around the equator 7 times 77 and still have more to do... the list is that long.

Sent by K MJUMBE | 4:15 AM ET | 05-06-2008

Most: Baracky.

Least: Tie -Tracy Morgan/Master P

Sent by Bill M | 10:12 AM ET | 05-06-2008

MIchelle Obama
She has so much substance, strength, accomplishment and vision. by no means should her role in Barack Obama being Barack Obama be diminished...She has taken great risks in order for him to launch, engineer and plow forward againt great odds and she signed up for it knowingly. She is poised to become one of the most influential women in the world,
not just this country. Just watch,
There's alot more to Michell Obama
than we know.
wwhitman

Sent by wwhitman | 3:17 AM ET | 05-07-2008

Most: Oprah

Least: A tie - Flavor Flav after Public Enemy's reign and Snoop at any time.

Sent by Moji | 7:31 PM ET | 05-07-2008

MY LISTS OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE WOULD BE FIRST GOD THEN THE HON. ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, LOUIS FARRAKHAN, WINNIE MANDELA,ALL THOSE BLACKS WHO FOUGHT AGAINST SLAVERY AT HOME AND ABOARD,ALL THOSE MOTHERS AND FATHERS WHO ARE BEING A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL FOR SELF,CHILDREN,AND COMMUNITY.

Sent by TONI | 11:10 AM ET | 05-13-2008

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