Inventors
Powerful water shooting toy created by Lonnie Johnson in 1982
Super Soaker
Initially launching as a two-hour a week programming block on Nickelodeon in 1980, this television network, founded by former husband-wife duo Robert L. Johnson and Sheila Johnson — became the first network developed primarily for African-American viewers.
BET
The first black artist to win Best Country Album at the Grammys in 2025
Beyonce
First black tennis player to hold all grand slam titles
Serena Williams
Who was the first black president of the United States?
President Barack Obama
One of the most popular snacks created by a black chef from a customer complaint about french fries.
Potato Chips
In the summer of 1883, George Crum, a chef, encountered a customer at his restaurant who complained about his plate of French fries, saying they were neither crunchy nor thin enough. In response, Crum sliced a potato into extremely thin pieces, fried them until they were crispy, and then heavily salted them to make them palatable. The customer was delighted with the new dish, and the potato chip was born.
The first cartoon with an all black cast
Fat Albert
At the 1999 Grammys, this artist had five wins, becoming the first woman to win five GRAMMYs in one night. One of those golden gramophones was for Album Of The Year, which made her the first rapper to win Album Of The Year. (One year prior, she also became the first woman to win in the Best Rap Album Category, when her group won.)
Lauryn Hill
First black golf major champion
Tiger Woods
This food was created in Buffalo, NY in 1966 by a black restauranteur named John Young.
Buffalo wings
This invention by a black innovator named Garrett Morgan in 1923 is stationed at most intersections in every city.
Traffic lights! Fun fact: he also patented the gas masks used in World War 1.
The first black woman to win an academy award for Best Actress
Halle Berry for her role in Monster's Ball in 2001. She is still the only black woman to hold that title.
This famous jazz singer was the first woman to be nominated for Album of the Year
A. Ella Fitzgerald
B. Billie Holiday
C. Nina Simone
D. Dinah Washington
A. Ella Fitzgerald
First black all-around gymnastics champion in the 2012 Olympics
Gabby Douglas
America's first female self-made millionaire was in what kind of business?
A. Music
B. Stocks
C. Beauty
D. Hospitality
C. Beauty
Madam C.J. Walker became famous as a beauty and hair care pioneer who built a cosmetics empire for Black women, becoming America's first self-made female millionaire while providing economic opportunities and serving as a prominent philanthropist and activist for African American rights during the Jim Crow era. Her last words were "I want to live to help my race." She invented the hot comb and pomade.
This item used in the Montgomery Riverfront Brawl in 2023 was also invented by a black man.
Folding chair.
First black late night host
Arsenio Hall
What genre of music was created by black people?
A. Country
B. Hip Hop
C. Rock N' Roll
D. All of the above
D. All of the above. Black people created almost every music genre in America.
The team of the first black player in modern football history to start at quarterback, Marlin Briscoe, in 1968
Denver Broncos
This popular queer sub-culture, that originated in black and hispanic communities in the early 70s in Harlem, has heavily influenced fashion, dance, culture, social structure, and language in America and beyond
Ballroom
This item is used to clean the streets in Chicago monthly
Street Sweeper
Charles Brooks actually decided to improve on the sweeper design of C.S. Bishop, from Pennsylvania, who is credited with having invented the first street sweeper on September 4, 1849. Because Bishop's sweeper was a tow-behind machine, Brooks decided he could make the job a lot easier. So, he decided to create a sort of broom – or sweeper – and attach this device to a truck. Hence the concept was born of the 'street sweeper truck.' This was the first time a machine was built that looked more like what is used today.
The first African American to win an Academy Award was Hattie McDaniel in _____?
A. 1929
B. 1940
C. 1966
D. 1946
B. 1940
She won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Due to the "whites-only" policy at the Ambassador Hotel, she needed special permission to attend, entered through a side door, and sat at a segregated, isolated table far from her castmates
The inventor of house music
Frankie Knuckles
In 1977, DJ Frankie Knuckles began playing regularly at his friend Robert Williams’ club, Warehouse (located at S Jefferson St in Chicago.) Mixing disco classics, Eurodisco, indie soul and other genres, Knuckles soon created his own eclectic dance sound. Warehouse was, at that point, largely a club for Black gay men – with Knuckles sets growing it popularity, it began to attract straight, white patrons as well and the new genre spread. Knuckles’ style became known as ‘house’ music – an abbreviation of ‘Warehouse’.
First professional black head coach of a major professional sports team, former player and MVP in 1958. Also was the first black man to coach his team to a championship two years later. (*HINT* Team was the Boston Celtics)
Bill Russell
The first and only rapper to win a Pulitzer prize
Kendrick Lamar