Inventors
She invented a line of African American hair products after suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in her own hair loss. Her business led her to be the first female self-made millionaire in Americas.
Who is Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919)
He won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and played on both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning consecutive gold medals.
Who is Kobe Bean Bryant (1978-2020)
He is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president of the United States.
Who is Barack Hussein Obama II (1961)
He was a scholar and minister who led the civil rights movement.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan she rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who during the 1960's and became Motown's most successful act.
Who is Diana Ross (1944)
One of the greatest scientist of all time, he is famous for over 300 inventions including a number of uses for the peanut.
Who is George Washington Carver (1860-1943)
He broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball after joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He played in six World Series and helped give the Dodgers a World Series win in 1955. He also won the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Who is Jackie Robinson (1919-1972)
She was an African American abolitionist and women's rights activist best-known for her speech on racial inequalities, "Ain't I a Woman?", delivered extemporaneously in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention.
Who is Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)
She was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has called her "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement".
Who is Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (1913-2005)
Now a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording solo artist, she was the lead singer of the world's best-selling girl group of all time, selling over 85 million records worldwide.
Who is Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (1981)
He invented items such as ironing board and lawn sprinkler, however, he is best known for inventing lubrication devices used to make train travel more efficient.
Who is Elijah J. McCoy (1843-1929)
She brought style to track and field with form-fitting bodysuits, six-inch fingernails and amazing speed. She still holds the world records in the 100- and 200-meter events.
Who is Florence Joyner (1959–1998)
She was the first black woman elected to the United States Congress, and she represented New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.
Who is Shirley Anita Chisholm (1924-2005)
He was a Freedom Rider, spoke at 1963's March on Washington and led the demonstration that became known as "Bloody Sunday." He was elected to Congress in 1986 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
Who is John Robert Lewis (1940-2020)
Nickname “the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 1992, and was a 2003 recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor.
Who is James Brown (1933-2006)
He invented the three position traffic signal and a smoke hood (the first modern gas mask) notably used in a 1916 tunnel construction disaster rescue.
Who is Garrett Morgan (1875 - 1963)
He was a heavyweight boxing champion with an impressive 56-win record. He was also known for his brave public stance against the Vietnam War.
Who is Muhammad Ali (1942–2016)
She was the first African American woman to be secretary of state served as the 66th United States Secretary of State.
Who is Condoleezza Rice (1954)
He was an American lawyer who served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from October 1967 until October 1991. He was the Court's first African-American justice.
Who is Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993)
This New Jersey American singer and actress began singing in church as a child. She was one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, becoming the only artist to chart seven #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits in a row. Her dramatic, powerful voice composed with strong romantic ballads coined her "The Voice" of the late 80's and 90's.
Who is Whitney Houston (1963-2012)
She was the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology and the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent. She also invented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986.
Who is Patricia Bath (1942-2019)
Known as "The Buckeye Bullet," he was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals and broke two world records at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. His long jump world record stood for 25 years.
Who is Jesse Owens (1913–1980)
These three women are human rights activist, writer, strategist, and community organizer. They founded the Black Lives Matter movement. (Name at least one)
Who is Alicia Garza- 1981
Patrisse Cullors- 1984
and Opal Tometi- 1984
He was a prominent lawyer and civil rights advocate from Wilmington, Delaware. He was the first African American to be admitted to the Delaware bar and was part of the NAACP legal team that challenged school segregation in the Brown v. Board of Education case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Who is Louis Lorenzo Redding (1901-1998)
He is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. He rose to fame in the late 1980s as a member of the rap group N.W.A. before enjoying success as a solo artist and actor.
Who is Ice Cube (1969)