When they were young, gifted and unknown - photos of celebrities before and after they achieved fame

Ebony, August, 1997 by Kevin Chappell

Before they were leading men and women in blockbuster movies, they were awkward teenagers spreading their wings in neighborhoods from Atlanta to Buffalo to Los Angeles. Before they sang No. 1 songs, they sang in their church choirs and school musicals. Before they led a people in protest for equal rights, they led their families in prayer at the dinner table and their little league teams in battle on the playing field.

On the following pages are classic photos of African-American icons we have come to love. They are top entertainers and intellectuals. They are leaders on the court and in the court, onstage and on Capitol Hill.

When they were young, we didn't know their names, and the people who did surely could not have guessed who they would become--except maybe themselves and their mamas, and mamas don't count because they always dream big dreams for their babies.

But as time passed, they gradually worked their way to the top of their chosen professions. We began to recognize their faces, then their names, and it became obvious that they were special. Soon, we wanted to be like them, maybe not just like them, but we wanted to have the same drive, passion and unrelentless pursuit of excellence.

Maybe their success lies in their positive outlook on life, the way they never placed limits on themselves. Hindsight is 20/20, but looking at the early photos of people like Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and Halle Berry, we can't help asking ourselves, "Should we have known all along that they were going to be special?" Is it possible now to see a special twinkle in their eyes, a unique hint of hope and determination in their smiles?

Should we have listened to their mamas?

Maybe so.

Halle Berry's fellow students in elementary school had no idea she would become a knockout movie actress.

Michael Jordan with hair: This is the way His Airness looked as a teenager in North Carolina.

Tina Turner A prim, young is barely recognizable in this early photo. Now she is known worldwide for her singing talents and her shapely legs.

Oprah Winfrey Growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., began the journey that would take her to the top of daytime television. This photo was taken in the mid-1950s.

Whitney Houston, who later became one of the top singers of all time, was a teenager when this photo was taken

Singer Angela Winbush had a more conservative look during her days at Howard University.

Bill Cosby was a standout football and track star at Temple University in the early 1960s.

Tiger Woods who has always been up for a good challenge, matches wits with a Rubik's Cube in this 1982 childhood photo. Today, he does the same with the world's top golfers.

Maya Angelo Before she became a world renowned poet and speaker, was a glamorous nightclub singer and dancer. She posed for this photo in 1956.

Debbie Allen Choreographer and actress sported an Afro in this Howard University yearbook photo.

Actress Shari Belafonte Harper was simply daddy's little girl in this childhood photo.

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson have been singing together for a long time.

Johnnie Cochran Young Attorney was a standout in a big Afro in this 1970s' photo.

Janet Jackson was simply a sister of the Jackson 5 in this childhood photo.

Aretha Franklin Before she became the Queen of Soul, posed for this conservative photo

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a lively child and later a star football player in his hometown of Greenville, S.C.

Samuel L. Jackson A dapper is pictured during his days as a militant student at Morehouse College.

Jessie Norman, now international opera diva Jessye Norman, sings during a student performance at Howard University.

Magic Johnson A gangly posed for this photo well before he led the Los Angeles Lakers to three NBA Championships.

Dexter King head of the King Center in Atlanta, was photographed by the late Moneta Sleet Jr. in the 1960s.

Colin Powell Before becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was a standout student at New York University.

Singer R. Kelly was student Robert Kelley in this 8th grade photo at Kenwood Academy in Chicago.

Queen Latifah Television star was Dana Owens when this photo was taken.

Spike Lee Film director answered to the name Shelton Lee when this photo was taken of him as a student at Morehouse College.

Toni Morrison Before author won a Pulitzer Prize, she was an outstanding student at Howard University.

Carol Moseley Braun's U.S. Sen. childhood in Chicago was captured in this photo.

Dennis Rodman Before became a national phenomenon, he was more or less a normal basketball player. The earrings, multicolored hair and cross-dressing came later.