Picture day seems like a lot of fun when you’re in school and getting your best outfit ready for the big event. But once you get older and start looking back at those old photos, it all takes on a “what was I thinking” vibe. Before we wrap up summer, we thought it was time to take a nostalgic trip back to school. Whether they were destined for music superstardom, EGOT status, or the White House, we’ve got a fun look back at the yearbook photos of your favorite Black stars.
From the afro, to the suit, you can tell young Barack was definitely feeling himself on this day at the Punahou School in Honolulu.
The future “Foxy Brown” was already a badass, writing on X, “Big hair hid razor blades to fight off country ass girl gangs and scary hairy creatures hiding under the bed at night.”
So John Legend is ridiculously talented and also doesn’t age? Somehow that doesn’t seem fair. But his music is so good, we’ll let it pass.
“The Woman King’s” road to an EGOT started at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island.
That mischievous smile definitely tells the Fresh Prince is about to start some trouble.
Long before she was the “Queen of Christmas,” Mariah Carey was a senior at Harborfields High School who loved her hairspray.
Beyoncé found success in Destiny’s Child when she was a teenager, but she also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston.
Before she was saving the day as one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Zoe Saldana was kept it cool with a short ‘90s hairdo.
Award-winning singer/actress Amber Riley got to relive her high school years on “Glee,” but here’s the proof that she always had a captivating personality.
Sorry, we can’t focus on anything other than how spectacular Ice Cube’s curl is.
