Historical Heroes
This man was known for his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Who was the first Black president of the United States?
Barack Obama
In February, we celebrate the value and achievements of Black people all month long. What is the name of this monthly celebration?
Black History Month
A popular toy that squirts water was invented by a man named Lonnie Johnson. Which toy is that?
Squirt Gun
Black History goes back hundreds, even thousands of years...before slavery in the USA.
TRUE!
There were Nubian Pharaohs in Egypt, Ethiopian and Ashanti Empires, the warrior leader Shaka Zulu in South Africa, and MANY others.
One of the youngest civil rights activists, Ruby Bridges, was the first Black girl to attend an all-white school. How old was she when she started?
6 years old
Mae Jemison was the first African American woman to this faraway place...where it's high up, dark, and there's no air!
Space!
What is the name of the war that was fought over whether or not America should stop slavery?
The American Civil War
Garrett Morgan created something that helps people start, stop, and slow down when they drive.
Three-Light Traffic Signal
George Crum, a chef in the 1800s, invented potato chips...as revenge against a whiny customer!
False!
Many people still believe this story, but it has been debunked by historical records. Recipes for thin, fried potatoes existed before Mr. Crum became a chef!
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, and Christine Dardan, worked for NASA and were called "human computers" because of how well they did their job. What was their job?
Mathematicians.
Their work helped get Apollo 11, the first American spaceflight, safely to the moon!
Jupiter Hammon and Phyllis Wheatley were the first African American man and woman to publish a certain kind of writing. What kind of writing was that?
Poetry
In 1909, the oldest, biggest civil rights organization in the USA was made. It ensures the rights of Black people and fights racism. What's it called?
NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Madam C. J. Walker became the first African American woman millionaire by making and selling a special kind of product: it's mostly used by women and it makes people look nice. What is it?
Cosmetics (make-up and hair products)
Thomas Edison didn't invent the light bulb...Lewis Latimer did!
False!
Thomas Edison DID invent the light bulb, but Lewis Latimer improved it.
A brave woman helped Black people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad, which was a group of secret pathways and safe houses. What was her name?
Harriet Tubman
This woman was the first African American woman to be the main dancer for the American Ballet Theater.
Misty Copeland
In the 1920's, major companies and important people started paying attention to Black art, writing, politics, and music. This movement was named after Harlem, a town where it started.
The Harlem Renaissance
George Washington Carver, a scientist known for his work with crops, came up with 300 inventions from this type of food.
Peanut
Rosa Parks was NOT the first Black person to refuse to give up her bus seat to a white person.
True!
Several people, the most famous of which is Claudette Colvin, refused to give up their seat to a white person BEFORE Rosa Parks did. Claudette was only 15!
This former slave was a great writer and abolitionist. He was also the first Black man to have an important government position. He was also a consultant to President Abraham Lincoln! Who was he?
Frederick Douglass
Hiram Revels was the first African American man to have a certain kind of governmental job. It had to do with representing individual states. Which job was that?
Senator!
And he replaced the previous senator, Jefferson Davis, who used to be president of the Confederate States of America...fighting to keep slavery!
In 1964, the US government passed a law that stopped segregation and made it illegal to have workplace discrimination against people's race, color, religion, gender, or which country they were born in. What was it called?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Marie Van Brittan Brown felt unsafe at night in a high-crime area, so she invented this way of keeping her home safe. What was it?
Home Security System
Jackie Robinson was the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball.
False!
Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first!