The obvious reason is that they are all members of the Baha'i Faith. A less obvious reason is that they are all African-Americans. They are also artists and recognized as being one of the best in their respective fields. Let me introduce you, my readers, to each of them. If you have never heard of them, perhaps this will enlighten you. If you have heard of them, I hope that you may learn something new.
ASA BUNDY SHEFFEY
Asa Bundy Sheffey was born in Detroit in 1913. The neighborhood he lived in was poor and being moved many times between his parent's house and a foster house next store disrupted his childhood. His vision was so impaired that he was unable to participate in sports so he devoted much of his time to reading.
Upon graduating High School, in 1932, he attended Detroit City College on a partial scholarship.
He published his first book of poetry called, "Heart-Shape in the Dust" in 1940, using the name, Robert Hayden. It is by Robert Hayden that he is best known. A great influence in his works comes from the influence of the Harlem Renaissance poetry. Much of Robert Hayden's work reflects his concern for racial and cultural advancements.
Robert Hayden was a believer in the spiritual unity of mankind, with his faith as a Baha'i, being an influence and reinforcement to this belief. In his collection of poems, "Words in the Mourning Time" Hayden uses Baha'u'llah (Founder of the Baha'i Faith) to present a path to spiritual renewal.
Robert Hayden passed away in 1980.
JOHN BIRKS GILLESPIE
John Birks Gillespie, known to his fans as Dizzy Gillespie, Dizzy ,along with guitarist Charlie Christian, pianist Thelonious Monk, and drummer Kenny Clarke, and Charlie "Bird" Parker, originated the jazz style as Be Bop. Be Bop is a musical style that, "By creating a new music, adapting a renegade style, asserting their intelligence, and demanding to be treated as artists, young African-American musicians forged a cultural politics that challenged all at once the banality of popular swing music, the complacency of older musicians, and a system of economic exploitation and cultural expropriation by whites in the music business. In doing so, they helped forge a subculture that distanced itself from and challenged the mainstream. We see this approach in Amiri Baraka's Blues People, where the author argues that bebop music and styles represented an "anti-assimilationist" challenge to black middle class and white society..." (quoted from "Dizzy Atmosphere": The Challenge of Bebop.(Critical Essay) by Eric Porter.
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