Events/Historical Landmarks
In 1954, in this landmark case, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. What AM I?
: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
This man founded Motown Records in 1959, becoming the most successful black owned music company in the history of the United States. He developed artists such as including the Supremes, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that same year. Who Am I?
Barry Gordy
A Bahamian-American actor, born in Miami, raised in the Bahamas, and returned to the United States at age 15. The first African-American actor to achieve leading man status in Hollywood. He’s performed in plays and films such as ‘Raisin in the Sun’, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? And Lilies of the Field (Grammy Award Winner). Who Am I?
Sidney Poitier
She was best known for her major contributions to the United States' aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers. Her work was recently recognized and featured in the movie Hidden Figures. Who Am I?
Katherine Johnson
I was a minister, educator, writer and one of America’s most influential black leaders. I founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.), the first independent black denominational church in the US. I helped to organize: Sabbath schools, a denomination for free blacks to worship w/out racial oppression, and political strategies. Who Am I?
Richard D. Allen
She was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and the first Black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title. Who Am I?
Althea Gibson
This Amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” What AM I?
15th Amendment
Hailed as the first professional African-American and Native-American sculptor, she earned critical praise for work that explored religious and classical themes. She was born in 1844 in Greenbush, New York. Who AM I?
Edmonia Lewis
He was an American poet, activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Mississippi. After moving to New York, he founded jazz-poetry and the Harlem Renaissance. Who Am I?
Langston Hughes
I was the youngest Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland from 1984 until 2003. I performed the only successful separation of conjoined twins joined at the back of the head and pioneered the first successful neurosurgical procedure on a fetus inside the womb. I was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 and recently held the position of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Who AM I?
Dr. Benjamin Carson
I am the first African American Billionaire and the first black majority stake-holder for a professional sports team. My company was the first African American Controlled Company listed on the New York Stock exchange and I founded BET. Who Am I?
Robert Johnson
This team represented Texas Western College, now known as the University of Texas El-Paso, and was coached by Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The team made history by winning the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament, becoming the first team with an all-black starting lineup to win an NCAA basketball national championship. Who Am I?
1965-1966 Texas Western Miners Basketball Team
In 1869, This University became the country’s first black law school. It ranks among the highest producers of the nation's Black professionals in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, nursing, architecture, religion, law, music, social work and education. Who Am I?
Howard University
She was an acclaimed singer whose performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 helped set the stage for the civil rights era, and became the first African American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1955. Who Am I?
Marian Anderson
He started out in radio, then later became a television reporter in New York City in 1981. He joined NBC in 2000 as a reporter, then landed work on such shows as Today, and became the anchor on NBC Nightly News making him the first African-American to be the lead anchor on a broadcast network's weekday nightly newscast. Who AM I?
Lester Holt
First Black psychiatrist in the United States. Researched degenerative brain disorders with Dr. Alois Alzheimer while in medical school and became an authority on Alzheimer’s Disease research. Published the first comprehensive review of Alzheimer’s cases in 1912. Who AM I?
Solomon Carter Fuller
I am an American Baptist Minister who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and my speech on equality is regarded as one of the most famous speeches in both American and World History. Who Am I?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he changed the culture for African-American track athletes by winning four gold medals in the 100m sprint, the long jump, 200m sprint, and the 4x100m relay. Who Am I?
Jesse Owens
For their skill, bravery, and fearfulness, the 332nd – the Black Birdmen of the Skies – became one of the most sought-after units in the newly formed U.S. Air Force. On February 19, 1942, they were initiated into the U.S. Armed Forces. Who Am
Tuskegee Airmen
She is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre, one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre’s 75-year history. Who AM I?
Misty Copeland
He was an sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer, and editor.
W.E.B. Du Bois
He was an inventor, chemist and botanist born into slavery in 1864, in Diamond Grove, Missouri. He developed hundreds of products using the peanut, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. Who Am I?
George Washington Carver
In 1972 I was the first African-American major party candidate for president. I also was a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination and participated in the Democratic primaries in numerous states winning 152 delegates. Who Am I?
Shirley Chisolm
He was an American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. Nicknamed “the Greatest”, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest boxers of all time. Who Am I?
Muhammad Ali
It is the first institution built by a major United States city to showcase the life and work of African Americans. It displays stories on how African Americans contributed to America’s founding, and has hands-on exhibits that describe the slavery and reconstruction era for children in Philadelphia. What AM I?
The African American Museum in Philadelphia
In 1987 she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2008 she won her 18th Grammy Award, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history. Also known as the “Queen of Soul”. Who Am I?
Aretha Franklin
He supplemented his limited schooling with newspaper work and in 1829 went to Baltimore to aid Benjamin Lundy in publishing the Genius of Universal Emancipation. This led (1830) to his imprisonment for seven weeks for libel. On Jan. 1, 1831, he published the first number of the Liberator, a paper that he continued for 35 years (to Dec. 29, 1865), until after the Thirteenth Amendment had been adopted. In the Liberator, Garrison took an uncompromising stand for immediate and complete abolition of slavery. Though its circulation was never over 3,000, the paper became famous for its startling and quotable language.
Garrison, William Lloyd
She is an American engineer, physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
Mae Carol Jemison
I was born into slavery, an abolitionist and political activist. I founded and facilitated a means for slaves to escape freedom to Northern States using an intricate system dubbed “The Underground Railroad”. Who Am I?
Harriett Tubman
He is former professional American football player and actor. He was a running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1957 -1965. He also was considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. Who Am I?
Jim Brown
President Lincoln issues this document, declaring "that all persons held as slaves" within the Confederate states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
Emancipation Proclamation
Known as a composer, arranger and conductor, In 1931, he became the first African American to have a major orchestra play one of his compositions, Afro-American Symphony. He was also the first African American to conduct a leading American orchestra. Many of his works reflect his concerns about the position of African Americans in society. Who AM I?
William Grant Still
He is an American comedian, actor, screen writer, singer, and film producer. Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. He has worked as a stand-up comedian and was ranked #10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time
Eddie Murphy
She created specialized hair products for African-American hair and was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire.
Madam C. J. Walker
He was an sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer, and editor.
W.E.B. Du Bois
He was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. Who Am I?
Jack Roosevelt Robinson