African Leaders
Who was the first president of South Africa elected after apartheid?
Nelson Mandela
💡 Fun Fact: Mandela spent 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa’s first Black president in 1994.
Which African desert is the largest in the world?
Sahara desert
💡 Fun Fact: The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, covering an area roughly the size of the United States! Some scientists believe that parts of the Sahara were lush and green just 6,000 years ago.
Which sport did Serena and Venus Williams dominate?
Tennis
💡 Fun Fact: Serena and Venus Williams grew up playing tennis on the public courts of Compton, California. Together, they have won more than 120 singles titles and 30 Grand Slam doubles titles, dominating women’s tennis for decades.
Who delivered the famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963?
Martin Luther King Jr.
💡 Fun Fact: The speech was delivered during the March on Washington and became a defining moment of the civil rights movement in the U.S.
What was Black History Month Previously known as?
Negro History Week
💡 Fun Fact: Black History Month was originally celebrated as Negro History Week, created by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Dr. Woodson, a historian, wanted to raise awareness of the contributions of Black people throughout history. He chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two important figures in the fight against slavery.
Which Kenyan leader is known as the "Father of the Nation" for leading Kenya to independence?
Jomo Kenyatta
💡 Fun Fact: Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya’s first president after independence in 1963 and was a leading figure in the Pan-Africanism movement.
Which country in Africa was never colonized?
Ethiopia
Fun Fact: Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonized, maintaining its independence. It is also considered the birthplace of coffee!
Simone Biles is the most decorated sportsperson in which sport?
Gymnastics
💡 Fun Fact: Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history. She even has four gymnastic moves named after her. One of her most daring moves, the Biles II on floor exercise, is so difficult that few gymnasts attempt it
Who was the first African American woman to travel into space?
Dr. Mae Jemison
💡 Fun Fact: In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She also appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation—a lifelong dream of hers!
Who starred as Black Panther in the Marvel movie?
Chadwick Boseman
💡 Fun Fact: Chadwick Boseman performed many of his own stunts in Black Panther while battling cancer. The movie became the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination and inspired the phrase “Wakanda Forever.”
Which Ghanaian leader was a key figure in Africa's independence movement?
Kwame Nkrumah
💡 Fun Fact: Nkrumah led Ghana to become the first African country to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957.
Which African river is the longest in the world?
River Nile
💡 Fun Fact: The Nile is the longest river in the world, stretching about 6,650 km (4,130 miles). It was vital to the development of ancient Egyptian civilization, providing fertile land, transport, and trade routes.
Which African country’s national football team is known as the "Indomitable Lions"?
Cameroon
💡 Fun Fact: Cameroon made history as the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1990.
Which famous musician was known as the "King of Pop"?
Michael Jackson
💡 Fun Fact: Michael Jackson’s album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time worldwide.
Who wrote the acclaimed novel "Things Fall Apart"?
Chinua Achebe
💡 Fun Fact: Published in 1958, Things Fall Apart is one of the most widely read books in modern African literature and has been translated into more than 50 languages.
Which South African Nobel Prize winner was known for his anti-apartheid activism and served as Archbishop?
Desmond Tutu
💡 Fun Fact: Desmond Tutu coined the term "Rainbow Nation" to describe post-apartheid South Africa. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role in opposing apartheid.
The Great Pyramids of Giza are located in which African country?
Egypt
💡 Fun Fact: The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one still in existence today!
Which legendary boxer was known as “The Greatest” and famous for saying, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”?
Muhammad Ali
💡 Fun Fact: Ali was not only a boxing champion but also a civil rights activist who refused to fight in the Vietnam War, citing religious beliefs and opposition to racial injustice.
Which American civil rights leader gave the speech titled "The Ballot or the Bullet"?
Malcolm X
💡 Fun Fact: Malcolm X’s autobiography, co-written with Alex Haley, is considered one of the most important books on Black empowerment in the U.S. He was known for his powerful speeches advocating for Black pride and human rights.
Who was known as the "Moses of her people" for leading enslaved people to freedom?
Harriet Tubman
💡 Fun Fact: Harriet Tubman led more than 70 enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad and later worked as a spy for the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Who was the leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo assassinated shortly after independence, becoming a symbol of African resistance?
Patrice Lumumba
💡 Fun Fact: Patrice Lumumba’s assassination in 1961 remains one of the most controversial events in African history, with many seeing him as a martyr for African unity and independence.
Which African island nation is famous for its unique wildlife, such as lemurs?
Madagascar
💡 Fun Fact: About 90% of Madagascar's wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth, including the lemur, the fossa, and the baobab trees. It’s often referred to as the “eighth continent” due to its unique biodiversity.
Who was the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal?
Alice Coachman
💡 Fun Fact: Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States in the 1948 London Olympics for the high jump. She was later honored by President Harry Truman.
Which African American poet became the first to perform at a U.S. presidential inauguration (Bill Clinton's in 1993)?
Maya Angelou
💡 Fun Fact: Maya Angelou was the first Black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco at age 16. Her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is one of the most celebrated works on racism and identity in America.
Which Black author wrote Hair Love, a story about a dad doing his daughter’s hair?
Matthew A. Cherry
💡 Fun Fact: Matthew A. Cherry won an Oscar in 2020 for his animated short film "Hair Love," which celebrates the relationship between an African-American father and daughter and highlights the beauty of natural Black hair.