Trailbrazers
Historical Figures
Entertainment & Culture
Athletes & Achievements
Leaders & Activists
100
She was the first Black woman to become a billionaire in America
Oprah Winfrey
100
This political activist and scholar fought for civil rights, prison abolition, and was a leading figure in the Black Power movement and feminist movement.
Angela Davis
100
She was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance, and won Best Rap Album for the 2025 Grammy Awards. Overcoming addiction and personal struggles, her journey from being fired and homeless to becoming a Grammy-winning artist highlights her resilience.
Doechii
100
This tennis icon, known for her power and dominance on the court, has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era.
Serena Williams
100
She refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the civil rights movement.
Rosa Parks
200
The first Black woman to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show as the main act
Beyonce
200
This South African activist fought against apartheid, was married to Nelson Mandela, and was a leader in the ANC.
Winnie Mandela
200
This acclaimed singer, with the launch of Fenty Beauty, challenged the beauty industry by offering a wide range of foundation shades for all skin tones, setting a new standard for inclusivity.
Rihanna
200
This gymnast is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, with 7 Olympic medals and 25 World Championship medals, including four golds in a single Olympics.
Simone Biles
200
An American bondwoman who escaped from slavery in the South to become a leading abolitionist before the American Civil War. She led dozens of enslaved people to freedom in the North along the route of the Underground Railroad.
Harriet Tubman
300
This woman became the first Black woman Vice President of the United States
300
Known as the “Queen of Soul,” this legendary singer is famous for hits like “Respect” and “Think.”
Aretha Franklin
300
A major influencer in fashion, this model and media mogul broke barriers as the first African-American supermodel.
Naomi Campbell
300
This tennis prodigy won her first Grand Slam at 15 and made history as the youngest American to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1999.
Coco Gauff
300
She was a poet, author, and civil rights activist who wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Maya Angelou
400
The first Black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Toni Morrison
400
This educator, civil rights leader, and founder of the National Council of Negro Women also played a pivotal role in the creation and support of the Six Triple Eight during World War II, an all-Black female battalion that helped resolve backlogged mail for U.S. soldiers. She also founded Bethune-Cookman University and served as an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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Mary McLeod Bethune
400
She became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for her role in How to Get Away with Murder.
Viola Davis
400
Nicknamed "Bayou Barbie" and "Chi Barbie" this basketball player made history by leading LSU to a national title and was named the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2023.
Angel Reese
400
She challenged racial segregation in a Nova Scotia movie theatre in 1946 and is featured on the Canadian $10 bill.
Viola Desmond
500
She was the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress.
Halle Berry
500
This mathematician and physicist made vital contributions to space exploration at NASA and was the first African-American woman to be honored by the National Medal of Technology
Katherine Johnson
500
The Abbott Elementary star’s 2023 Emmy win for Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series made her first Black woman to win in that category in over 40 years. (The Jeffersons’ Isabel Sanford took home the award for her role in 1981).
Quinta Brunson
500
Shestarted her career as a tennis star, becoming the first Black woman to win multiple major titles, including the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, in 1957. After acquiring several more tennis accolades (not to mention a successful jazz singing career), she moved to golf, becoming the first Black golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1963. Though she did not win awards as a golf player, her presence in those spaces, especially amid the Civil Rights Movement, was significant.
Althea Gibson
500
She was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement and the first Black woman to run for President in 1972.
Shirley Crisholm