Uncommon Black History Facts
The first African American U.S. senator.
Who is Hiram Revels?
This civil rights leader gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr.?
This 2018 superhero film was the first Marvel movie to feature a majority Black cast.
What is “Black Panther”?
This track and field star won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Who is Jesse Owens?
The first Black President of the United States.
Who is Barack Obama
This Black cowboy was one of the inspirations for the Lone Ranger.
Who is Bass Reeves?
This young girl was the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South.
Who is Ruby Bridges?
She was the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Who is Halle Berry?
She was the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam title in tennis.
Who is Althea Gibson?
This famous abolitionist and former enslaved person helped hundreds escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
Who is Harriet Tubman?
The first African American astronaut to travel in space.
Who is Guion Bluford?
The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in this U.S. city.
What is Oakland, California?
This 1989 Spike Lee film, centered around racial tensions in Brooklyn, is considered a classic.
What is “Do the Right Thing”?
This NFL quarterback became a civil rights figure by kneeling during the national anthem.
Who is Colin Kaepernick?
This author and poet wrote *The Hill We Climb* and recited it at President Biden’s inauguration.
Who is Amanda Gorman?
This all-Black military regiment was known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Who were the Buffalo Soldiers?
This civil rights activist refused to give up her seat on a train in 1884, over 70 years before Rosa Parks.
Who is Ida B. Wells?
The 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood” featured this famous rapper-turned-actor in his breakout role.
Who is Ice Cube?
The first Black coach in the NBA, he also won 11 championships as a player.
Who is Bill Russell?
This media mogul became the first Black female billionaire.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
She founded the first African American-owned newspaper in the U.S.
Who is Mary Ann Shadd Cary?
The landmark 1965 law that outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests.
What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
This actress became the first Black Disney princess in “The Princess and the Frog".
Who is Anika Noni Rose?
This boxer, known as “The Greatest,” refused to fight in the Vietnam War, citing religious and moral beliefs.
Who is Muhammad Ali?
A brilliant scholar, he was one of the founders of the NAACP and wrote “The Souls of Black Folk”.
Who is W.E.B. Du Bois?