1900-1919
This scholar and civil rights leader co-founded the NAACP and wrote The Souls of Black Folk.
Who is W.E.B. Du Bois?
This jazz trumpeter, nicknamed "Satchmo," helped shape modern jazz music.
Who is Louis Armstrong?
This physician developed large-scale blood banks and plasma storage techniques during WWII.
Who is Dr. Charles R. Drew?
This activist and scholar became associated with the Black Power movement.
Who is Angela Davis?
This civil rights leader ran for U.S. president in the 1980's.
Who is Jesse Jackson?
This educator founded Bethune-Cookman University and advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Who is Mary McLeod Bethune?
This Broadway star and civil rights activist used her platform to fight segregation.
Who is Josephine Baker?
This jazz composer led one of the most influential big bands in history.
Who is Duke Ellington?
This baseball legend broke Babe Ruth's home run record.
Who is Hank Aaron?
This athlete dominated track and filed, winning nine Olympic gold medals.
Who is Carl Lewis?
This agricultural scientist developed hundreds of products from peanuts and sweet potatoes.
Who is George Washington Carver?
This activist and publisher founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).
Who is Marcus Garvey?
This actress and singer challenged Hollywood stereotypes and later became a civil rights activist.
Who is Lena Horne?
This poet wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Who is Maya Angelou?
This author won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Who is Toni Morrison?
This heavyweight boxer was the first Black world heavyweight champion.
Who is Jack Johnson?
This poet and writer was a leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance.
Who is Langston Hughes?
This singer was the first Black artist to host a national television variety show.
Who is Nat King Cole?
Known as the "Godfather of Soul", this singer shaped funk and R&B.
Who is James Brown?
This filmmaker directed Do the Right Thing.
Who is Spike Lee?
This investigative journalist led an anti-lynching campaign and co-founded the NAACP.
Who is Ida B. Wells-Barnett?
Known as the "Empress of the Blues", this singer was one of the highest-paid Black performer of her time.
Who is Bessie Smith?
This tennis champion dominated women's tennis before the Open Era.
Who is Althea Gibson?
This comedian broke barriers with social commentary and satire.
Who is Richard Pryor?
This media mogul became the first Black female billionaire.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?