| Person | Type | Job | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Stan Lathan | Crew | Directing | Director |
 John Davies | Crew | Writing | Writer |
 A.J. Johnson | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Alan Parker | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Aretha Franklin | Cast | Actress | Mrs. Murphy (archive footage) |
 Berry Gordy | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Bessie Smith | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Billie Holiday | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Billy Dee Williams | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Billy Eckstine | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Busta Rhymes | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Carl Anderson | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Christopher Reid | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Debbie Allen | Cast | Actress | Self |
 Diana Ross | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Dorothy Dandridge | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Dr. Dre | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Duke Ellington | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
Earl 'Snake Hips' Tucker | Cast | Self (archive footage) | |
 Eartha Kitt | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Fats Waller | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Fayard Nicholas | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Gregory Hines | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Harold Nicholas | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Ice-T | Cast | Actor | Self |
 James Brown | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Jamie Foxx | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Jasmine Guy | Cast | Actress | Self |
 Jimi Hendrix | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 James 'Jimmy Jam' Harris III | Cast | Actor | Self |
 John Landis | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Josephine Baker | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
Kyme | Cast | Rachel Meadows (archive footage) | |
 LL Cool J | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Lena Horne | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Little Richard | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Louis Armstrong | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Louis Jordan | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Michael Jackson | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Nat King Cole | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Nelson George | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Quincy Jones | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Rah Digga | Cast | Actress | Self |
 Reginald Hudlin | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Russell Simmons | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Sammy Davis Jr. | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Sean Combs | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Smokey Robinson | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Snoop Dogg | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Spike Lee | Cast | Actor | Self |
Stan Lathan | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Suzzanne Douglas | Cast | Actress | Self |
 Terry Lewis | Cast | Actor | Self |
 The Notorious B.I.G. | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
 Tina Turner | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Tisha Campbell | Cast | Actress | Self |
 Vanessa Williams | Cast | Actress | Self - Host |
 Whitney Houston | Cast | Actress | Self |
 Wynton Marsalis | Cast | Actor | Self |
 Suzanne de Passe | Cast | Actress | Self |
Velma Middleton | Cast | Self (archive footage) | |
 Ella Fitzgerald | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
 Otis Redding | Cast | Actor | Self (archive footage) |
Rubberneck Holmes | Cast | Self (archive footage) | |
 Sister Rosetta Tharpe | Cast | Actress | Self (archive footage) |
Kenny Burrell | Cast | Self | |
Donald Bogle | Cast | Self | |
James Cross | Cast | Self (archive footage) | |
Eddie Hartman | Cast | Self (archive footage) | |
'Crip' Heard | Cast | Self (archive footage) | |
Camille King | Cast | Maddam CJ Walker | |
| Person | Type | Job | Role(s) |
