Athletes
This Louisville boxer's punch stung and had a prolific career
Who is Muhammad Ali?
The "Black Leonardo", an agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and wrote bulletins that contained advice for poor farmers, including combating soil depletion with limited financial means, producing bigger crops, and preserving food.
Who is George Washington Carver?
An American memoirist and poet; her most famous work "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
Who is Maya Angelou?
Born in poverty in Mississippi, pregnant by age 14, became one of the leading TV personalities of the 20th century and at one point, was the world's only black billionaire.
Who is Oprah (Winfrey)?
A jazz trumpeter sometimes referred to as simply “Satchmo”, is credited with getting the genre of jazz itself, “on the map.” Known for hits like the first jazz version of "The Saints Go Marching In", "Mack the Knife", and "What a Wonderful World".
Who is Louis Armstrong?
First male black baseball player in Major League History.
Who was Jackie Robinson?
Was the first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license. Is the earliest known Black person to earn an international pilot's license.
An American dancer, director, and choreographer who founded a Dance Theater & its affiliated Dance Center as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance.
Who is Alvin Ailey?
Was one of the first Black women featured in a major television series and widely considered a groundbreaking figure for African American actresses on American television.
Who was Nichelle Nichols?
Was a Psychedelic rock and blues artist who chose to play a right-handed guitar upside down. Experimented with his guitar tone and effects to develop his signature sound. His song "Purple Haze” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.
Who is Jimi Hendrix?
Is the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.
Who is Simone Biles?
The first African-American woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.
Who is Mae Jemison?
An American science fiction writer who won several awards for her works especially her novelette "Bloodchild"; became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
Who is Octavia E Butler?
Became the first African-American woman to host nationally televised U.S. public affairs program in 1999 and moderated the 2004 & 2008 vice-presidential debates
Who was Gwen Ifill?
Irish front man for the band that produced hits such as "The Boys Are Back in Town", "Jailbreak" and "Waiting for an Alibi".
Who is Phil Lynott?
Is one of only two women Tennis Players who ever was a simultaneous holder of Olympic singles gold and all four Grand Slams in singles
Who is Serena Williams?
One of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist calculating trajectories, launch windows, and emergency return paths. She was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson as a lead character in the 2016 film Hidden Figures.
Who is Katherine Johnson?
Is recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century, was best known for the "exuberant", colorful, abstract paintings that she created.
Who is Alma Woodsey Thomas?
The first African-American broadcast network news anchor in the United States on co-anchor on ABC World News Tonight alongside Frank Reynolds and Peter Jennings
Who was Max Robinson?
Known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Queen of Jazz"; She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, absolute pitch, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
Who is Ella Fitzgerald?
In 1988, set a world record time in the 100 meter dash during Olympic Qualifiers and then proceeded to win 3 gold medals at those Athens Olympics
Who is Florence Joyner?
In 1864 she became the first African-American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the United States and was also one of the first female physician authors in the nineteenth century.
Who was Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler?
Credited with having been the first African-American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company.
Who is Raven Wilkinson?
Was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture in 1927, was a spy in the French Resistance during WW2, and after was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (the highest French order of merit, both military and civil)
Who was Josephine Baker?
An American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger whose music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop. Her piano playing was strongly influenced by baroque and classical music, especially Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied expressive, jazz-like singing in her contralto voice.