Black Inventors
Who invented the traffic light?
Garrett Morgan
Who was the first Black woman to refuse to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama
Claudette Colvin
Who was the first Black person to win an Academy Award?
Hattie McDaniel
What is the oldest historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the U.S.?
Cheyney University
Who was the first Black player in Major League Baseball?
Jackie Robinson
Who created the first home security system
Marie Van Brittan Brown
Who was the first Black Supreme Court Justice?
Thurgood Marshall
This movie, directed by Ryan Coogler, became the first superhero film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
Black Panther
Which HBCU is known as “The Mecca”?
Howard University
Who was the first Black woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics?
Alice Coachman
This Black inventor created the automatic elevator doors.
Alexander Miles
This leader of the Nation of Islam was known for his powerful speeches on Black empowerment.
Malcolm X
Who was the first Black woman to headline Coachella?
Beyonce
Martin Luther King attended this HBCU
Morehouse College
This basketball player won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Michael Jordan
Who invented the first gas mask used in World War I?
Garrett Morgan
Who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)?
Marcus Garvey
Who was the first Black person to be on the cover of Vogue?
Beverly Johnson
What is the only HBCU founded by a Black woman?
Bethune-Cookman University
This basketball icon, often referred to as "The Big Fundamental," was a five-time NBA champion and known for his quiet, dominant style of play with the San Antonio Spurs.
Tim Duncan
Who was the first Black woman to receive a U.S. patent for her hair care products?
Madam C.J. Walker
This activist led the NAACP’s legal team in Brown v. Board of Education, which ended school segregation.
Charles Hamilton Houston
This actress became the first African American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Monster's Ball.
Halle Berry
Who founded the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)?
Dr. Frederick D. Patterson
Who was the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl?
Doug Williams