Black Names that Reigned
Martin Luther King Jr.
We never can say goodbye to the guys who helped us learn our ABCs and 123s
The Jackson 5
First African American Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall
The twin tennis phenoms have been tackling Grand Slams since they were 16 and 17 years old
The Williams Sisters or Serena and Venus Williams
Baby its cold outside! But its plenty warm in here thanks to her invention of the gas heating furnace in 1919.
Alice Parker
This number Dynasty, which was obscured from Egyptian records likely due to the ethnicity of its rulers, was also known as the Nubian or Kushite Dynasty
25th Dynasty
This TV family was hailed for being the first positive portray of a Black family - with a father as a doctor and mother as lawyer, its no wonder their children could afford to go to Hillman
The Cosby Show
Born to a Bajan mother and French Guianian father, she announced her presidential bid on January 25, 1972
Shirley Chisholm
A leader on and off the court, he created a school in his native town of Ohio that provides educational support and resources for less fortunate children
LeBron James
Before her death in 1919, she was known as the wealthiest black woman in America thanks in part to her hair care products
Madame C J Walker
This 17th century Queen fought tireless to defend her country of Angola from invasion by the Portugese
Queen Nzinga or Nzinga Mbande
Don't be in the Dark about this decorated rap artist who is helping to provide more than 600 million people with electricity across the continent of Africa
Akon
Light years ahead of her time, she was not only her small island nation's first female lawyer, she was also its only female Prime Minister
Eugenia Charles
The first African American woman to win an individual gold medal in gymnastics, she was a part of the "Magnificent Seven" who won 1st place in the Olympic team events.
Dominique Dawes
Heart not beating quite right? You can thank this man for inventing the pacemaker
Otis Boykin
This King of Mali holds the title as the richest man the ever lived
Mansa Musa or Musa I
Mammy don't take no mess, but in real life this actress was not allowed to attend the Academy Awards even though she was the first African American female to win Best Supporting Actress in 1939
Hattie McDaniels
An Oxford Scholar and well known Caribbean historian, he not only taught at Howard University but was his country's first PM from 1962-1981
The Honorable Dr. Eric Eustace Williams
The offspring of a Jamaican mother and French father, this stylish "crocodile" tennis player won 7 grand slam titles during his career
Jean Rene Lacoste
Lewis Howard Lattimer
This one-eyed Ethiopian empress fiercely defended her country from the Roman emperor Augustus to agree to a peace treaty
Amanirenas
We just can't get ourselves together in deciding if her like Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, or Ella Fitzgerald, version of this iconic song that was made into a movie in 1943
Stormy Weather
This rising Afro-Brazilian politician and activist who was known for voicing her views on police violence in the favelas was tragically assassinated on March 14, 2018
Marielle Franco
His Gold medal 4 Peat at the 1936 Olympics was a stunning blow to the leader of a country that touted white superiority.
Jesse Owens
The first African American woman to earn a doctorate at MIT, she is credited with bring us the touchtone phone, portable fax, call-waiting, and fiber optic cable
Shirley Ann Jackson