who is a modern day person like these people....? US History Help PLEASE!?

Question

I need to find a modern day person to compare these 1920's and Harlem Renaissance heroes.

Like for Gertrude Ederele, I figured a modern day person to compare to her would be Michael Phelps. Helen Willis's modern day figure to be compared to would be Serena or Vanessa Williams.

here's the list I need help with:

Harlem Renaissance

-Louis Armstrong :

-Bessie Smith :

-Langston Hughes :

-Duke Ellington :

-Zora Neale Hurston :

1920's Heroes

-Mary Pickford :

-Helen Willis : Serena Williams

-Gertrude Ederle : Michael Phelps

-Charlie Chaplin :

please and thank you(:

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

R.L. Burnside (though he died in 2005--but he's still a modern-day person) or Guy Davis for Armstrong or Ellington

Shemekia Copeland or Queen Latifah (?) for Bessie Smith

For Hurston, I'd say Alice Walker (who has said she was heavily influenced by Hurston). Toni Morrison might also be a good choice (though I'd pick Walker first, since she's been so open about Hurston's influence)

For Hughes:Jack Kerouac. (Hughes wrote mostly jazz poetry, and Kerouac's poems are pretty 'jazzy' (and he used to accompany his poetry readings with music a lot of the time). Other than that, you could look in to Bob Kaufman or Gregory Corso (though he died in 2001)

For Chaplin: DEFINITELY Rowan Atkinson ("Mr Bean")--without a doubt

Mary Pickford is a tough one. She was a major activist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Pickford#The_fil... so (though it's a stretch),Angelina Jolie