Black History & Heritage – Pivotal Moments and Trailblazers
This 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre destroyed the prosperous "Black Wall Street" community.
What is the Tulsa Race Massacre? or (What is Greenwood?)
This legendary Grambling State coach won 408 games over 57 years and sent over 200 players to the NFL including Doug Williams who became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl (1988).
Who is Eddie Robinson?
This 1982 album by Michael Jackson became the best-selling album of all time and featured hits like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."
What is Thriller?
Synonymous with the name of a song by Hip Hop duo Outkast, her refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery sparked a 381-day boycott that became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.
Who is Rosa Parks?
Founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit, this record label became known as "Hitsville U.S.A." and launched the careers of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.
What is Motown Records?
Founded in Philadelphia in 1787, this was America's first independent Black church.
What is African Methodist Episcopal Church? (What is AME?)
This Celtics legend won 11 NBA championships, the most of any player in history.
Who is Bill Russell?
This 1991 John Singleton film about South Central LA launched the careers of Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube and earned Singleton an Oscar nomination.
What is Boyz n the Hood?
This formerly enslaved person became one of America's greatest orators and used his powerful speeches and autobiographies to change minds about slavery.
Who is Frederick Douglass?
This jazz singer's haunting rendition of "Strange Fruit" became a powerful protest against lynching in the American South.
Who is Billie Holiday?
This Haitian-born trader established the first permanent settlement in what became Chicago in the 1780s. His settlement included Chicago's first bakery and mill.
Who is Jean Baptiste Point DuSable?
This Milwaukee Bucks forward won back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2019 and 2020 and led the team to a championship in 2021.
Who is Giannis Antetokounmpo?
This young director became the youngest filmmaker to direct a billion-dollar movie when "Black Panther" crossed that milestone in 2018.
Who is Ryan Coogler?
This lawyer won the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case and later became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Who is Thurgood Marshall?
Known as the "Queen of Salsa," this Cuban-born singer shouted "¡Azúcar!" and became one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century.
Who is Celia Cruz?
In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded this organization in Oakland.
What is the Black Panther Party?
This tennis star won 7 Grand Slam singles titles and is a successful entrepreneur who founded her own venture capital firm.
Who is Venus Williams?
This 1988 Olympic champion brought high fashion to the track with her asymmetrical running suits, elaborate nails, and flowing hair while breaking world records.
Who is Florence Griffith-Joyner (or FloJo)?
She founded what became Bethune-Cookman College and was the highest-ranking Black official in FDR's administration.
Who is Mary McLeod Bethune?
In 2018, this Compton-born rapper became the first non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Who is Kendrick Lamar?
This Trinidad-born activist and scholar wrote "The Black Jacobins" about the Haitian Revolution.
Who is C.L.R. James?
This sprinter is the only man to win both the 100m and 200m sprints at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016).
Who is Usain Bolt?
This actor became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964 for his role in "Lilies of the Field."
Who is Sidney Poitier?
A Howard University graduate, she became the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to serve as Vice President of the United States.
Who is Kamala Harris?
This jazz pianist and composer wrote over 1,000 compositions including "Round Midnight" and "Blue Monk" and is considered one of the founders of Bebop.
Who is Thelonious Monk?