DR. MAE JEMISON:
FIRST BLACK FEMALE ASTRONAUT IN SPACE

MICHELE J MARTIN

As a little girl, Dr. Mae Jemison grew up watching the Apollo television airings. But she was frustrated that she didn't see herself represented. There were no female astronauts.

She would find her inspiration in Nichelle Nichols, the Black actress who played Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek. Through Nichols, Jemison dreamed of one day going to space. Years later, it would come full circle for Dr. Jemison when LeVar Burton, a star of the Star Trek Next Generation (STNG) series, reached out to her and asked Mae to appear in an episode. She became the first real astronaut to appear on STNG, playing Lieutenant Palmer in the episode, "Second Chances."

Jemison first applied to NASA in 1985. However, NASA paused the program the next year following the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy. When they reactivated the program in 1987, Dr. Jemison reapplied. Of more than 2.000 applicants, she was one of only 15 people chosen for NASA Astronaut Group 12.

After training with NASA, Mae worked on projects at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. In 1989 she was chosen to join the STS-47 crew on the space shuttle Endeavor as a Mission Specialist. Dr. Jemison, along with six other astronauts, went into space on September 12, 1992. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman in space. After 127 orbits around the Earth, the team returned to the Kennedy Space Center on September 20, 1992. After six years as an astronaut, Dr. Jemison left NASA in 1993.

Since leaving NASA, Dr. Mae Jemison has gone on to found two separate companies with big goals. The Jemison Group is a consulting company that encourages science, technology, and social change, while The Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries.

In addition to her entrepreneurship, she has taken a great interest in the younger generation through teaching or mentorship. She created a nonprofit organization called the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. In 1994, Jemison created an international space camp for students 12-16 years old called The Earth We Share (TEWS). Her first book, "Find Where the Wind Goes," is a children's book about her life, meant to inspire their own lives. Ms. Jemison has taught environmental studies at Dartmouth College, and in 1999, accepted the position of Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.

Currently, Jemison is leading the 100 Year Starship project through the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This project works to ensure human space travel to another star is possible within the next 100 years.​

Mae Jemison is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and serves on the Board of Directors for many organizations, some of which are: Scholastic, Inc., Morehouse College, Texas Medical Center, Texas State Product Development and Small Business Incubator, Greater Houston Partnership Disaster Planning and Recovery Task Force, and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

In 2016 Huntsville city school system named a new state-of-the-art high-tech high school in her honor. Jemison High School is focused on providing students an opportunity to concentrate their studies on such topics as cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing techniques, and green power. Additionally, they can complete up to 60 hours of college credit while still in high school.

Below are just some of the many awards that Dr. Jemison has received over her illustrious career.

Dr. Mae Jemison - First Black Woman Astronaut in Space

“Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.”

HONORARY DEGREES

Honorary Doctorate of SciencesLincoln College, Pennsylvania 1991
Honorary Doctorate of LettersWinston Salem College, North Carolina 1991
Montgomery Fellow —Dartmouth College 1993

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

International Space Hall of Fame Inductee — 2004
National Women's Hall of Fame Inductee — 1993
Essence Award — 1988
Woman of the Year — Gamma Sigma Gamma 1989
Women's Intrepid Award — 2003
Kilby Science Award — 1993
DuSable Museum Award — 1992

Dr. Mae Jemison's vocal style is soft and lively, full of curiosity. It is playful, optimistic, and she presents this humility, even now, after everything she has achieved. When she speaks, it sounds like she is completely full of wonder and always having fun. We love that!

We believe that voices with such characteristics should have more representation in the world, whether it be human voice or digital. Today, organizations are thinking more about the power of voice in their communications and content. We help those organizations imagine the possibilities of a world in which digital voice matched the world of human voice.

Digital voice can be as dynamic, expressive, and representative of the world we hear around us — learn more about AI-Voice.

type-cushysofa

Cushy Sofa voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the twenty seventh in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR:
AN "ACCIDENTAL" LEADER

MICHELE J MARTIN

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech is considered one of the 20th century's most unforgettable moments, but his path to becoming the face and leader of the civil rights movement in the United States wasn't always clear. In fact, it was accidental and more a matter of right place, right time.​

Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't planning to become involved in the civil rights movement, not to the degree he did. It was happenstance. At the time of Rosa Parks' arrest in Montgomery, King was a minister at a nearby Baptist Church. The busing boycott following her arrest was not his idea. Still, he decided to allow the organizers to use his church's basement for meetings.

The group called themselves the Montgomery Improvement Association and, to his surprise, elected him their spokesperson and president and gave him only 20 minutes to write a speech for a mass meeting held that evening at a neighboring congregation, the Holt Street Baptist Church. Five thousand Black citizens of Montgomery showed up at the meeting. Fighting his way through the crowd, into the church, he would deliver possibly one of his greatest speeches, securing his place in the front of the movement.

He became known for his advocation of non-violent direction action and gained friends and allies who would help him do the work he had come to do. The singer and fellow activist Harry Belafonte become a great family friend who would act as a benefactor, supporting King's family so that he could continue to do the important work of the civil rights movement, despite a preacher salary that was only $8k a year.

Despite Belafonte being blacklisted for his support of King, he continued to help. During the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, Belafonte raised $50k to bail King and other civil rights protestors out of Birmingham City Jail. He also helped organize the 1963 March on Washington to advocate for Black Americans' civil and economic rights. It was here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic speech — "I Have a Dream," with the Lincoln Memorial behind him.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. "

King also became dear friends with Maya Angelou. After attending a speech of his in Harlem, she'd become deeply involved with the Civil Rights Movement in 1960. So inspired, she organized the Cabaret for Freedom. She would become both a fundraiser and the Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a Black Civil Rights organization led by Dr. King.

She'd married a freedom fighter and moved to Africa for several years. After her divorce, she moved back to the United States to help their friend Malcom X, who unfortunately was assassinated shortly after. Sometime later, Dr. King asked her to get involved and help organize a march for him in April 1968; however, she needed to postpone. They wouldn't speak again, as, on the day of her 40th birthday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be assassinated.

Following the news of his assassination, There are riots and disturbances in 130 American cities resulting in over twenty thousand arrests. King's funeral on April 9 was an international event. Within a week of the assassination, the Fair Housing Act was passed by Congress.

After his death, he would continue to inspire others to commit themselves to change—people such as renowned physicist Shirley Ann Jackson. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., she would help organize a group of African-American students that would become MIT's Black Student Union, helping to change the face of MIT, and to advocate for minority faculty and students for years to come.

On October 16th, 2011, President Barack Obama dedicated the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in D.C., "For this day, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s return to the National Mall. In this place, he will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it; a black preacher with no official rank or title who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideals, a man who stirred our conscience and thereby helped make our union more perfect. And Dr. King would be the first to remind us that this memorial is not for him alone."

HONORARY DEGREES

Doctor of Humane Letters — Morehouse College
Doctor of Laws — Howard University
Doctor of Divinity — Chicago Theological Seminary
Doctor of Laws — Morgan State College
Doctor of Humanities — Central State College
Doctor of Divinity — Boston University
Doctor of Laws — Lincoln University
Doctor of Laws — University of Bridgeport
Doctor of Civil Laws — Bard College
Doctor of Letters — Keuka College
Doctor of Divinity — Wesleyan College
Doctor of Laws — Jewish Theological Seminary
Doctor of Laws — Yale University
Doctor of Divinity — Springfield College
Doctor of Laws — Hofstra University
Doctor of Human Letters — Oberlin College
Doctor of Social Science — Amsterdam Free University
Doctor of Divinity — St. Peter's College
Doctor of Civil Law — University of New Castle Upon Tyne
Doctor of Laws — Grinnell College

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Who's Who in America — 1957
Most Outstanding Personalities of The Year — Time 1957
Spingarn Medal — NAACP 1957
Russwurm Award — National Newspaper Publishers 1957

Second Annual Achievement AwardGuardian Association of the Police Department of New York 1958
Man of the Year — Time 1963
American of the Decade — Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Die Workers International Union 1963
John Dewey Award — United Federation of Teachers 1964
John F. Kennedy Award — Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago 1964
Nobel Peace Prize — 1964 (youngest man to receive the award)
Marcus Garvey Prize for Human RightsJamaican Government 1968
Rosa L. Parks Award — Southern Christian Leadership Conference 1968
Presidential Medal of Freedom — 1977 (posthumous)
Dr. Martin Luther King Day Declared Federal Holiday — 1983 (posthumous)

Dr. Martin Luther King's had full command of his voice and knew how to use it. His vocal style had a quiet, almost gentleness, but it commanded your attention with this focused intensity. When amplified, it became impossible to focus on anything else but his words and passion. His voice was an inspiration, a motivation, and a passionate plea to action. There is no wonder how he became the leader of the civil rights movement, the spokesperson.

We believe that everyone has a voice, and all voices should have representation in the world. Whether it be human voice or digital, the voices that we interact with should sound like the voices surrounding us. Today, organizations are thinking more about the power of voice in their communications and content. We help those organizations imagine the possibilities of a world in which digital voice matched the world of human voice.

Digital voice can be as dynamic, expressive, and representative of the world we hear around us — learn more about AI-Voice.

type-steam

Steam voices are defined as Soft, High, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the twenty fifth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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WILMA RUDOLPH:
THE BLACK GAZELLE

MICHELE J MARTIN

By the age of five, Wilma Rudolph battled pneumonia, scarlet fever, and infantile paralysis from the poliovirus. While she recovered from all, she suffered a loss of strength in her left leg and foot and wore a leg brace until she was twelve years old.​

Rudolph set many records in Rome. Wilma not only became the first woman to win three Gold medals at the Olympics, but she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in the 100-meter race since 1936. During her opening heat of the 200-meter dash, she set an Olympic record of 23.2 seconds. In 110 °F, her relay team won the 4x100-meter with a world record of 44.4 seconds in the semifinals.

At 20-years old, Wilma Rudolph quickly emerged as one of the most popular athletes of the 1960 Olympics. After Rudolph's wins, she became known throughout the world as "the fastest woman in history" and the "fastest woman on earth." The French nicknamed her "La Perle Noire," and the Italians called her "La Gazzella Nera."

Once Wilma realized her dream to become the most famous runner in the world, she was having difficulty finding her motivation to continue her athletic career. During a race at Stanford University, Russia vs. the United States, Ms. Rudolph made a decision.

Ms. Rudolph's team was running behind Russia in the relay race. Her team grew further behind. As the race continued, she told herself that if she could catch the Russian runner, who was much further ahead, Wilma knew that she would again make history. If she could do that, catch the Russian, she'd retire from running. However, if she didn't catch her, she would continue to run for the next four years until the Tokyo Olympics.

Wilma Rudolph ran the fastest single race of her career, passed the Russian runner, and won the race. As she received a standing ovation in her own country, she thought that it was the grandest moment of her career. So she retired that day and said that she never regretted that decision.

First American woman to win three Olympic gold medals.​

“The triumph can't be had without the struggle. And I know what struggle is. I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a chance to reach their dreams."

OLYMPICS

Bronze medal 4 X 100-meter relay — Olympic Games, Melbourne, Australia 1956
World record 200-meter race —Olympic Trials, Texas Christian University 1960
Gold medal 100-meter dash — Olympic Games, Rome, Italy 1960
Gold medal 200-meter dash — Olympic Games, Rome, Italy 1960
Gold medal 4x100-meter relay — Olympic Games, Rome, Italy 1960

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Sullivan Award — 1961
Female Athlete of the Year Award — Associated Press 1961
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Award — 1962
Black Athletes Hall of Fame Inductee — 1973
National Track and Field Hall of Fame Inductee — 1974
Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame Inductee — 1980
U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Inductee — 1983
Silver Anniversary Award — National Collegiate Athletic Association 1987
National Sports Awards "Great Ones" — 1993

Wilma Rudolph's vocal style was as confident and focused as she was. Despite difficulties, it remained soft, hopeful, and full of optimism. It always sounded like it was filled with appreciation for all she felt blessed to have. We love the joy that emanates when she spoke.

We believe that voices with such characteristics should have more representation in the world, whether it be human voice or digital. Today, organizations are thinking more about the power of voice in their communications and content. We help those organizations imagine the possibilities of a world in which digital voice matched the world of human voice.

Digital voice can be as dynamic, expressive, and representative of the world we hear around us — learn more about AI-Voice.

type-cushysofa

Cushy Sofa voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the twenty fourth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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SHERIAN GRACE CADORIA:
A WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO ACCEPT 'NO'

MICHELE J MARTIN

Sherian Grace Cadoria spent nearly three decades in the Army, a career she almost walked away from to join a convent after Vietnam. Knowing she had a gift, her mother convinced her to stay on the path and not give up her career. By the time Cadoria retired, she was the highest-ranking Black woman in the United States military — Brigadier General.

Sherian Grace Cadoria as a young girl

Born to tenant farm laborers in Marksville, Louisiana, Ms. Cadoria was raised by her mother and older siblings after a farm accident injured her father. Kicked in the head by a horse, he refused treatment. The brain trauma severely impacted his behavior, requiring him to be institutionalized until he died.

Sherian's mother moved her and her older siblings shortly after her father's hospitalization because the farm owner wanted a "man to do the work." They found a two-room house with no running water or electricity. Her mother papered the walls with Sears Roebuck catalog pages to reduce the drafts. They slept together in one room and ate and cooked in the other.

As soon as she could walk, Sherian was picking cotton with them in the fields. It would take her an entire day to fill a pillowcase in her first weeks. By the time she was 10, she was picking 250 pounds of cotton a day. Education was her way to a different life.

In Cadoria's junior year, she was selected as the sole recruit to represent Southern University at the Women's Army Corps College Junior training program. In the summer of 1960, she would travel to Alabama and spend four weeks at Fort McClellan, experiencing life as an enlisted soldier. Upon graduating from Southern University, Sherian Cadoria enlisted and received her commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Women's Army Corps.​

When she began her career in the Army in 1961, there were jobs and duties she was not allowed to do because she was Black due to Jim Crow laws. When Vietnam began, Lieutenant Cadoria volunteered. Upon arriving in Vietnam, she was assigned to the military police. This assignment was unheard of at this time, as these were traditionally all-male units. This would be yet another first for her in her storied career.

"In Vietnam I interviewed for a protocol job. The colonel told me I couldn't do the job, 'You can't travel, you can't carry luggage, it's too heavy. Women can't do this.' And I said, 'Nobody said I couldn't carry those hundred-pound bags of cotton when I was just a little child.'

"By act of Congress, male officers are gentlemen, but by act of God, we are ladies. We don't have to be little mini-men and try to be masculine and use obscene language to come across. I can take you and flip you on the floor and put your arms behind your back and you'll never move again, without your ever knowing that I can do it."

Brigadier General Sherian Grace Cadoria by Brian Lanker

Because of the suffering she saw in Vietnam, she was considering retiring from military service and becoming a Dominican Nun upon her return. Her mother told her, "God wanted you to be a soldier. You now have a responsibility." Cadoria agreed and was determined to be the best soldier she could be. Shortly after this conversation with her mother, she was notified of her selection to attend the Command and General Staff College— the first Black woman to do so.​

"I've gotten more pressure from being female in a man's world than from being black. I was always a role model. I had responsibility not just for black women but for black men as well. A woman today has to do more than her male counterpart. I came in knowing I was going to have to give 200 percent effort to get 100 percent credit. Most of the time, you don't even get the 100 percent credit."

General Cadoria would continue her career in the Army. As previously stated, at the time of her retirement in 1990, she was the highest-ranking Black female in the United States Military. She paved the way for those that came after her, and today, Nadja West holds the honor of being the highest-ranking Black female in the U.S. military. ​

Cadoria was a trailblazer. In her twenty-nine year career she achieved the following firsts—

First women to serve as a military police officer
First woman to command an all-male battalion
First woman to lead a criminal investigation brigade
First woman admitted to the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College
First black female Brigadier General
First black female director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Highest ranking Black female in the US military upon her retirement in 1990
First woman and the First African-American inducted into the Louisiana Military Veterans Hall of Honor (2002)

CIVILIAN AWARDS

Horatio Alger Award — 2003
Spirit of Giving YWCA — 1999
National Athena Leadership Award — 1998
Woman of the Year - Business and Professional Women's Association —1998

MILITARY AWARDS

Three Bronze Stars for her 3-year tour of Vietnam
Air Medal for Meritorious Service at Cam Ranh Bay
Legion of Merit Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Four Army Commendation Medals
Louisiana Military Veterans Hall of Honor

Brigadier General Cadoria's vocal style is disarmingly soft, sweet, and warm. There is a gentle youthfulness to her voice, which makes her earlier quote about flipping someone on their back and disabling them genuinely fascinating. We love that she sounds like she'd bake you cupcakes. And while she likely would, knowing that Cadoria could also probably use those cupcakes as a weapon to protect us... wow, right? How amazing and inspiring is she?!

Voice matters to us. As speech scientists and technologists who work in voice technology, we spend a lot of time listening to voices and thinking about what they say, beyond just the words. We believe that all voices should be represented— in both the real and virtual worlds, not only in our communities but in our technology: our smart speakers, voice assistants, any applications using digital voices.

Imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? If it was representative of the world we hear every day. If digital voice could sound authentic and nuanced and express everything that voices like Sherian Grace Cadoria's voice can? Guess what, it can — learn more about AI-Voice.

type-beachball

Beach Ball voices are defined as Soft, High, Modal, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the twenty first in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
HERE FOR A REASON

MICHELE J MARTIN

For the younger generation, Whoopi Goldberg might be ... the co-host of The View. For my generation, she has been the comedic genius to blame for a lifetime of stomach stitches from laughing too much and too hard. But Whoopi hasn't been just trying to make us laugh, she also has been trying to use humor as a way to change the world.

As an award-winning comic and actress, Whoopi Goldberg has made her mark on history, but being famous was never what it was about for Ms. Goldberg. It's always been about much more than just fame.

“I fear waking up one morning and finding out that my life was for nothing. We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”

Since 1986, when she began by hosting the Comic Relief television specials she has sought out and supported charitable organizations whose ethos she believed deeply in. Along the way, she has received awards for her work as an advocate, philanthropist, and spokesperson.

Whoopi received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Vanguard Award for her dedication and support of the gay and lesbian community in 1999. In 2003, she was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and in 2013 she joined the board of Garden of Dreams, an organization that helps bring life-changing opportunities to young people in need.

Below are just some of the charities that Whoopi Goldberg is involved with and offers her support to:

Garden of Dreams
Hope North
Human Rights Campaign
Legacy of Hope Foundation
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
New York Cares
Peace Over Violence
Red Cross
Save the Children
Society for Animal Protective Legislation
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
True Colors Fund
UNICEF
V-Day
Volunteers of America
Whatever It Takes
World Vision

Undoubtedly one of her most well known charitable affiliations has been Comic Relief. Based on the U.K. Comic Relief that was founded to help with the famine in Africa, Comic Relief USA was created in 1986 to focus on issues within the United States, particularly the homeless epidemic. Launched on March 29, 1986, the first special was a 4-hour long telethon premiering on HBO and co-hosted by comic geniuses, and best friends, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, and Billy Crystal.

Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams embracing

Whoopi Goldberg's vocal style is so distinctly hers. It has this soft rumble to it and when she tells a joke, it takes you on a journey. While it has a wide range, it always maintains that hearty breathy essence. It's the voice of the friend we always want programmed into our phones when we need someone who can make us feel comforted and supported or cheer us up. And if you've heard her get fierce on The View... it is the voice we want standing up for us. It is the voice we want with us in the best and worst of times. We just absolutely love Whoopi's voice.

In the voice and speech technology industry, her voice style is NOT represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. We would like that to change. Imagine the possibilities, if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Representative? Guess what, our advances in speech synthesis mean that now they can be — learn more about AI-Voice.

type-cushysofa

Cushy Sofa voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the seventh in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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JAMES AVERY:
ONE OF TV'S GREATEST DADS

MICHELE J MARTIN

Little did we know when Will Smith and James Avery walked onto that sound stage that Uncle Phil would soon become one of America's favorite TV dads, let alone... who Will Smith would become!

"What you find in the theatre is that if you're good, no matter what color you are, the audience will buy that - whoever you are."

James Avery was more than just Uncle Phil. He was an accomplished scriptwriter, poet, film actor, and voice actor. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served in the Vietnam War from 1968-1969.

After the war he relocated to San Diego, where he began a short stint as a TV scriptwriter for PBS before getting a scholarship to UCSD. One of his very first acting jobs was as an extra, uncredited... dancing in this scene outside Ray's Diner.

After graduation, James Avery would go on to appear in shows such as Hill Street Blues, Brothers, Simon & Simon, Cagney & Lacey, and L.A. Law, but it would be his role as Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that would make him a household name. The show ran for six seasons — 148 episodes in total, from 1990 to 1996. Watch the video below for some of his best scenes as Uncle Phil:

Both during and after Fresh Prince's run, James Avery would continue to appear in a variety of other television and films, as well as voice acting for animated series. His unique voice provided the perfect personality to give these characters dimension and bring them to life.

As the voice of R.L Stine in The Nightmare Room, Keewazi in Disney's The Legend of Tarzan, Gor-illa in Captain Simian & The Space Monkeys, War Machine in Iron Man, or Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — his range took him from America's beloved Dad to evil villain Shredder.

Have a listen to the many voices of James Avery:

James Avery passed away on December 31, 2013 following complications from heart surgery. In 2020, Will Smith gathered the remaining cast members for a 30th Anniversary of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. During this reunion they toured the old set, talked about their experiences, reconciled old grievances, and ... shared an emotional moment, reminiscing about their former cast member — James Avery and his impact on them.

His unique characteristic vocal style, while versatile, was truly suited for that role as confident father AND judge - Uncle Phil. It was a voice that emanated trust, stern but empathetic. This isn't a voice we hear represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. Imagine the possibilities, if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. It can — learn more about AI-Voice.

type-motorcycle

Motorcycle voices are defined as Loud, Deep, Modal, and Oral. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the third in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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Voicebanking and Veteran's Month

VETERAN'S MONTH AT VOCALiD

By Michele J Martin

We are grateful for the sacrifices that our veterans have made for us. That’s why we have designated the entire month of November - Veteran's Month.

Each day 4.6 veterans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Some will lose their ability to speak. 50% of all cancer patients will experience feelings of depression and social isolation from the treatments and life changes post surgery. Our technology can help ease the transition and improve quality of life.

What does VocaliD do?

Through the combination of voicebanking and our AI-powered voice technology, we help individuals facing speech loss to maintain their social connections, self-identity, and autonomy.

To learn more about how VocaliD helps individuals, watch the voicebanking journey of Lonnie Blanchard, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force:

What is Voicebanking?

Voicebanking is the process of recording one’s speech prior to voice loss. An individual will use our website to record themselves reading sentences from pre-loaded stories. These recordings are then used to create a digital voice that sounds like them.

Individuals can also choose to contribute their voice recordings to someone who didn't have the opportunity to voicebank for themselves prior to voice loss. Whatever the reason, these people rely on the generosity of anonymous voicebank contributors whose voices are then used to build them unique vocal identities. To date, over 27k English-speaking volunteers from around their world have banked their voice for individuals in need. You can become a voicebank contributor too. It is easy, learn more here: Human Voicebank

What is Voice Synthesis?

Once we have the voicebank recordings we use our state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms and our speech and audio engineering expertise to build a unique AI voice the recipient. This voice will allow them to speak in their own voice, or a voice crafted especially for them, on a speech generating device such as a mobile phone or tablet.

What to expect with Veteran's Month?

Stay tuned each week for a new related blog post and make sure you are following our social media accounts, where we will be curating topically focused informative content for those interested in voicebanking, veterans health, and head and neck cancer. In addition, keep a watch out for other Veteran’s Day announcements this month! On social media be sure to follow along with (and use) #bankyourvoice and #voicedriveforvets to help drive awareness!

Here is how YOU can help:


  • If you are a physician or clinician caring for veterans with head and neck cancer, we want to talk to you about voicebanking and how it can help your clients and your practice.
  • Want to host a community or company voice drive for veterans? Email us at hello@vocalid.ai to learn how easy it can be.
  • Don’t have a computer or quiet area in your home and looking for a place to voicebank? We have a network of clinics who support the mission and offer dedicated times and spaces for voicebanking. If you are in the Boston area you visit the Speech Preservation Clinic at Northeastern University Monday - Friday. Learn more and make an appointment here: Bouve Colleg of Health Sciences — Voice Preservation Clinic
  • Are you a veteran (or have a loved one who is) and want to help us spread the word about voicebanking for vets on your website or at your local VA hospital or VFW, we’d love to hear from you!
  • Together we can help those with speech loss be heard in their own voice

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