Boston Black History
She was active in the movement to desegregate Boston schools, and has a road named in her honor.
MELNEA CASS
This black poet was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, MO on April 4, 1928
MAYA ANGELOU
He helped to end legal segregation and became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
THURGOOD MARSHALL
Oprah Winfrey turned this author's book Beloved into a movie
TONI MORRISON
This blind musician was a child prodigy before his first adult hit of "Superstition"
STEVIE WONDER
He was the first Black baseball player to break the race barrier.
JACKIE ROBINSON
This man is believed to be the first person killed in the Boston Massacre.
CRISPUS ATTUCKS
In May 1885 she gave her most famous Speech "Ain't I a Woman" at a women's right convention
SOJOURNER TRUTH
He was the first Black man to earn a degree from Harvard University and co-founded the NAACP.
W.E.B. Du Bois
This author's book How Stella Got Her Grove Back was made into a movie.
TERRY MCMILLAN
This musician started out in NWA but has since become a famous producer and record executive.
DR. DRE
In 1966 this man, the former owner of Slades, became the first Black basketball coach in the NBA.
BILL RUSSELL
He met his future wife while he was a student at Boston University in 1951.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
This woman helped to register voters in Georgia to help the Democrats win both senate seats in a special election this year
STACEY ABRAMS
The first black child to desegregate an elementary school in the south in 1960.
RUBY BRIDGES
This author's autobiography was published in 1965, after his death.
MALCOLM X
This musician helped to create politically and socially conscious hip hop in the 1980's with his band Public Enemy
CHUCK D
She was the first elected Black senator in 1993 from Illinois.
CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN
Boston City Council President is about to become the first black mayor when Mayor Walsh becomes Secretary of Labor.
KIM JANEY
She traveled three hours roundtrip from her house to her high school, was on the honor roll every year, and graduated as salutatorian on her high school class in 1981.
MICHELLE OBAMA
Was at Selma with Dr. King and also the first Black man to run two national campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination.
REV. JESSE JACKSON
This author has written Long Way Down and As Brave As You
JASON REYNOLDS
This famous singer is known as the Queen of Soul
ARETHA FRANKLIN
In 1998 she became the first black woman astronaut in space.
MAE JEMISON
This female poet published her first book of poetry in Boston and has a building named after her at UMass Boston
PHILLIS WHEATLEY
She became the first black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972.
SHIRLEY CHISOLM
He was a Freedom Rider, spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
JOHN LEWIS
This author just released her 4th book entitled Concrete Rose
ANGIE THOMAS
His song "What a Wonderful World" is one of the most famous songs of all time.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
She is the first black woman to be named National Youth Poet Laureate
AMANDA GORMAN