And the Beat Goes On
This influential rapper and entrepreneur founded Roc-A-Fella Records.
Jay-Z
Kerry Washington played this character in the hit TV series Scandal.
Olivia Pope
This was was the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall
This large organization, founded in 1909, is one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the U.S.
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
She became the first African American woman to win Olympic gold in gymnastics in 2012.
Gabby Douglas
These genres of music originated in African American communities in the early 20th century and heavily influenced popular music.
Jazz and blues
This is the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Halle Berry
Former Vice President Kamala Harris attended this historically Black college.
Howard University
The name of the African American holiday that celebrates family, community, and culture, starting on December 26.
Kwanzaa
This legendary boxer was known as “The Greatest.”
Muhammad Ali
This artist is often called the “King of Pop” and is famous for his albums “Thriller” and “Off the Wall.”
Michael Jackson
This animated Disney film features the first Black Disney princess.
The Princess and the Frog
She became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history when she performed at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration.
Amanda Gorman
This leader’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail defended nonviolent resistance.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This NBA player started an iconic shoe brand with Nike.
Michael Jordan
This artist recently broke the record for most Grammy Awards won in a single night.
Kendrick Lamar
This 1990s sitcom starred Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
In this year Barack Obama became the first African American elected President of the United States.
2008
She became the first Black woman to host her own nationally syndicated talk show in 1986, revolutionizing daytime television.
Oprah Winfrey
After a Super Bowl start for the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, he sparked a movement by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality.
Colin Kaepernick
This artist's hit cover of “I Will Always Love You” is the number eight best selling song of all time, having sold over 24 million copies.
Whitney Houston
This actor portrayed the roles of Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Black Panther, and Thurgood Marshall on film.
Chadwick Boseman
This person became the first Black Congresswoman elected in the United States in 1968.
She became the first African American woman to become a Supreme Court Justice.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
This athlete has held the women's world record for the 100m and the 200m dash since 1988.
Florence Griffith Junior (Flo-Jo)