Civil Rights Movement Pioneers
Who organized the 1963 March on Washington and delivered the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This agricultural scientist developed over 300 products from peanuts, including dyes and plastics, to combat soil depletion in the South.
George Washington Carver.
Known as the “Queen of Soul,” which singer’s 1967 hit Respect became an anthem for civil rights and feminism?
Aretha Franklin.
Who became the first Black athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games (1936 Berlin Olympics)?
Jesse Owens
Which poet and activist wrote Still I Rise and became the first Black woman to recite a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration (Bill Clinton, 1993)?
Maya Angelou
What activist co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and later became a U.S. Congressman?
John Lewis
Who invented the modern gas mask in 1914 and later patented an improved traffic signal in 1923?
Garrett Morgan
What genre of music, born in the Bronx in the 1970s, was pioneered by artists like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash?
Hip-hop.
Who was the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal (1948 London Olympics) in the 80m hurdles?
Alice Coachman
What city and state were home to Black Wall Street, a thriving early 20th-century Black business district?
Tulsa, Oklahoma
What phrase did Malcolm X popularize to advocate for Black self-defense and empowerment?
“By any means necessary”
Which African American woman was the first to receive a patent in the United States for her invention of a hair straightening process?
Madam C.J. Walker
Which singer-songwriter’s 1971 album What’s Going On addressed themes of police brutality and environmentalism?
Marvin Gaye
This gymnast became the most decorated American gymnast in history, with 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. Who is she?
Simone Biles
Which Jamaican sprinter became the first person to win back-to-back Olympic 100m and 200m titles (2012, 2016)?
Usain Bolt.
Which activist and journalist co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966?
Huey P. Newton (with Bobby Seale)
What NASA engineer invented the Super Soaker water gun, one of the top-selling toys of all time?
Lonnie G. Johnson.
Which jazz trumpeter and vocalist co-wrote Strange Fruit, a haunting protest song against lynching?
Billie Holiday (with Abel Meeropol)
Which Hall of Fame running back was the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl (MVP of Super Bowl XXII in 1988)?
Doug Williams
Who was the first Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968, representing New York’s 12th District?
Shirley Chisholm.
Who was the first Black student to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957?
Elizabeth Eckford (of the Little Rock Nine)
Which medical pioneer developed a method to process and store blood plasma, leading to the first large-scale blood banks during WWII?
Dr. Charles Drew.
What legendary guitarist, known as the “King of the Blues,” influenced rock icons like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton?
B.B. King.
Who co-founded the National Negro League in 1920 to provide opportunities for Black baseball players during segregation?
Rube Foster.
Who co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1980, creating the first cable network targeting Black audiences?
Robert L. Johnson.