7 Black Stars Who Attended Harvard University

LL Cool J just completed a program at Harvard Business School, which brings to mind a slew of other celebs who attended the Ivy League. LL said finishing The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports program was "a life-altering experience." And he's not alone in his achievement. Read on to find out about some other Harvard alumni. (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) LL Cool J MC LL recently completed a program at HBS and announced it on Instagram. The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports program helps students overcome the challenges of developing and marketing an entertainment brand. Swizz Beatz didn't stay quiet about Balenciaga's new menswear. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Sundance Channel) Swizz Beatz The rapper and producer graduated from Harvard Business School in November. He reportedly earned a certificate from the Owner/President Management program, which educates students on how to run a successful company. Tyra Banks The former supermodel completed the Owner/President Management extension program in 2012, which helped her launch her beauty brand, Tyra Beauty. The stint served her well as she was announced as a professor at Stanford University for the spring 2017 semester. (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) Courtney B. Vance Vance, star of the hit “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson," graduated from Harvard in 1982 after obtaining a bachelor's degree. Vance pursued acting after ditching track and is married to fellow Ivy Leaguer Angela Bassett, who graduated from Yale. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic) Hill Harper A former "CSI: NY" star and author, Harper, is a member of Harvard's 1992 class. He graduated from Harvard Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Lately, he's been focusing on the community and in the spring, he invested in a Detroit coffee shop to train local youth. (Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage) Ryan Leslie Singer-songwriter/producer Leslie graduated from Harvard in 1998 at the age of 19, but his tenure there wasn't exactly smooth. The star was put on academic probation three times for non-attendance and poor test performance. But he got the last laugh when he went on to launch a successful career in music, which included a Grammy nomination in 2011. (Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images) Tatyana Ali The actress graduated from Harvard University in 2002 after earning an Afro-American history and government degree. She shared her experience in 2011, telling The Urban Daily, "There's actually a pretty substantial population of students of color. There are signature Black events at Harvard like Apollo Night, for example, and it's time for performance and it's really integrated."

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