FIRSTS
She was the first African American to win an Oscar for her role in Gone with the Wind in 1939
Hattie McDaniel
Who set the all-time record for the most Grammy Awards won by an artist, having won 32 Grammys
Beyonce
Regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, she has won seven Grand Slam singles titles
Venus Williams
In what year did Juneteenth become federally recognized
2021
Which city is known as the birthplace of hip hop?
The Bronx, New York
She is the first black woman to obtain billionaire status
Oprah
From New Orleans and fondly nicknamed "Satchmo" they became famous playing jazzy tunes on the trumpet and singing in a popular gruff voice
Louis Armstrong
She is the most decorated American gymnast in history
Simone Biles
At the age of 6, in 1960, a federal judge ordered her to be allowed to enter first grade at Frantz Elementary, an all white school, in New Orleans
Ruby Bridges
What famous novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe depicted the harsh realities of slavery and became one of the most influential anti-slavery works in the 19th century?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
This US Army officer was the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001-2005
Colin Powell
What famous entertainer became the first to win 8 Grammy awards in one night?
Michael Jackson
Who defeated Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight boxing championship in 1964
Muhammad Ali
What landmark piece of civil rights legislation, signed into law in 1965, aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for Black Americans?
Voting Rights Act of 1965
At the age of 35, he became the youngest man ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize
Martin Luther King Jr
She was the first African American woman to be elected to US Congress
Shirley Chisholm
Which Black American woman is celebrated as a pioneering electric blues guitarist and singer
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
He was the first African American coach to win an NBA Championship
Bill Russell
At the age of 22 he won 4 gold medals in track and field events in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin
Jesse Owens
The youngest speaker at the March on Washington, he later served more than 30 years as a U.S. Congressman.
John Lewis
He is the first African American to appear on a postage stamp in 1940
Booker T. Washington
Who wrote Lift Every Voice and Sing, often referred to as the Black National Anthem
James Wheldon Johnson and his brother John
In 2021, she became the first full-time female African American NFL coach?
Jennifer King
On May 22, 1863 The war he War Department issued General Order 143. What did this order create?
It created the United States Colored Troops
Who's 2 Birthdays are the reason for celebrating Black History Month in February?
Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass (February 14).