Musicians
Athletes
Civil Rights Activists
Inventors and Entrepreneurs
Scientists
100
Rising to prominence during the first half of the 20th century, this pianist was one of the best jazz composers of his time. Some of his work includes Take The “A” Train and It Don’t Mean a Thing.
Who is Duke Ellington?
100
Born in Brooklyn, New York, at age 20, this man became the youngest ever heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Who is Mike Tyson?
100
This prominent Civil Rights activist was a minister at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He delivered a world famous speech at the 1963 March on Washington.
Who is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
100
This woman was the first female self-made millionaire in American history.
Who is Madame C. J. Walker?
100
This physician and engineer served aboard the space shuttle Endeavor becoming the first black women ever to travel to space.
Who is Mae Jemison?
200
This trumpet player, composer, vocalist and actor was among the most influential figures in jazz. He received many accolades including three Grammy Award nominations and a win for his vocal performance of “Hello, Dolly!” in 1964. Known for work for such as What a Wonderful World.
Who is Louis Armstrong?
200
This NBA player holds the records for the most points scored in a single game (100pts), highest average points per game in a season (50.4pts), and highest rebounds per game average (27.2).
Who is Wilt Chamberlain?
200
This prominent abolitionist and Civil Rights activist escaped from slavery in his youth before becoming a world famous orator, prolific writer, publishing a newspaper called "The North Star," and becoming an advisor to presidents Lincoln, Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes.
Who is Frederick Douglass?
200
This man was a revolutionary agricultural scientist who developed techniques of soil rotation to prevent the nutrient depletion of soil caused by continual cotton cultivation. Additionally, he was responsible for the invention of hundreds of agricultural products including peanuts and sweet potatoes.
Who is George Washington Carver?
200
This man is the director of the Hayden Planetarium since 1996. Perhaps the coolest Astrophysicist and planetary scientist in American History, this man has done cameos on "The Big Bang Theory," and been host of "The Universe."
Who is Neil DeGrasse Tyson?
300
This jazz trumpet player, bandleader, composer, educator and singer was known for his improv and virtuoso style with harmonic and rhythmic complexity. He is also credited with popularizing Bebop.
Who is Dizzy Gillespie?
/GettyImages-112686638-590abdf15f9b586470d3e223.jpg)
300
Born in Richmond, Virginia, this professional tennis player was the only black man to ever win the single's title at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open. The main stadium used for the U.S. Open in Flushing, Queens, New York is named after him.
Who is Arthur Ashe?
300
Considered one of the "Big Six" leaders of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, this person was a Freedom Rider, spoke at the March on Washington, and led the "Bloody Sunday" demonstration. He later served as a member of the House of Representatives since 1986 until is death in 2020.
Who is John Lewis?
300
This woman developed haircare products designed specifically for black women
Who is Annie Turnbo Malone?
300
This educator and physicist was the first black man in American history to earn a Ph.D. In 1876, he completed his physics dissertation at Yale.
Who is Edward Bouchet?
400
This blues artist was known for his singing, songwriting and his guitar skills. His fluid sting bending, vibrato and staccato picking has influenced many blues guitar players. Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was given the nickname “The King of Blues”.
Who is B. B. King?
400
This Olympic gold medalist in track & field was the first man to run 200 meters under 20 seconds. His protest at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics was met with anger and controversy upon his return to the USA.
Who is Tommie Smith?
400
She was a prominent journalist and educator who helped to found the NAACP. She also led an anti-lynching campaign in 1892 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Who is Ida B. Wells?
400
Founder and owner, until his death in 2005, of the largest black-owned publishing company in the United States. His Chicago-based company published Jet and Ebony Magazines
Who is John H. Johnson?
400
While working for NASA, this woman designed the image processing system on the Landsat, the first satellite to send images back to Earth. In 1980, she patented the illusion transmitter which enabled the creation of 3D movies.
Who is Valerie Thomas?
500
This female blues singer was one of the first blues singers to record. Singing hits such as See See Rider Blues and Black Bottom, this artist was known for her powerful vocals.
Who is Gertrude "Ma" Rainey?
500
This five-time NBA champion is one of the only Americans to ever be invited to North Korea to meet with Kim Jung Un.
Who is Dennis Rodman?
500
He was a prominent abolitionist and the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. After the war he became an outspoken advocate for economic independence and self-reliance for black communities.
Who is Martin Delany?
500
Born in Paris, Kentucky, this inventor and businessman patented the three position traffic signal in the early 20th century.
Who is Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr.?
500
This man was a solar physicist who invented a methods of using multilayer XUV telescopes to allow astronomers to photograph the solar corona.
Who is Arthur B. C. Walker Jr.?
