Black History 1
Who was the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license?
Bessie Coleman.
Who created the iconic “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the Black national anthem?
James Weldon Johnson.
Who became the first African American woman to win Olympic gold in gymnastics?
Gabby Douglas
Madame C.J. Walker became America's first self-made female millionaire in 1910. What item or items lead to her accomplishment?
Beauty and hair products for black women
Who was the first African American to serve as the United States Secretary of State?
Colin Powell
In 1870 what state elected the first African American to be seated as a Representative in the United States Congress?
South Carolina
What was the name of the landmark Supreme Court case that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional?
Brown v. Board of Education
What was the name of the bus driver who ordered Rosa Parks to give up her seat? A name he shares with a professional tennis player.
James Blake
In 1954, Brown vs the Board of Education demolished the legal basis of segregation in schools and public places. What was the name of the case that had originally put these practices in place?
Plessy vs Ferguson
Which poet and activist wrote Still I Rise and became the first Black woman to recite a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration (Bill Clinton, 1993)?
Maya Angelou
Who was the first African American to publish a book of poetry (Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral) in 1773?
Phillis Wheatley.
What inventor and engineer co-founded the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in 1975 to support underrepresented students?
Dr. John W. Logan Jr.
Who was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics (1949) and later helped develop the computer software for NASA’s Apollo missions?
Dr. Evelyn Boyd Granville.
This chemist invented a portable X-ray machine and improved blood storage techniques, saving lives during World War I. Who was he?
Dr. George Washington Carver.
What visual artist’s murals and illustrations celebrated Black culture and became emblematic of the Harlem Renaissance?
Aaron Douglas
Which activist and lawyer co-founded the National Black Feminist Organization (1973) and fought for reproductive rights?
Florynce “Flo” Kennedy.
What do the initials NAACP stand for?
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
What was the name of the Supreme Court case that opened all public schools to black students?
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling in the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
Who wrote the book Roots?
Alex Haley
Who was the first African American to win an Academy Award for best actor?
Sidney Poitier
On April 13, 1964, Sidney Poitier becomes the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role as a construction worker who helps build a chapel in Lilies of the Field (1963).
Who became the first African American to win the heavyweight boxing title in 1908?
Jack Johnson
Who was the first Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968, representing New York’s 12th District?
Shirley Chisholm
Who broke the color barrier in professional golf by becoming the first Black player to compete in the PGA Tour?
Charlie Sifford
Who was the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry in the U.S.?
Marie Maynard Daly
Which inventor co-created the first home security system in 1966, laying the groundwork for modern surveillance technology?
Marie Van Brittan Brown (with her husband Albert Brown).