2000s Revival
This 2001 film, starring Halle Berry and a predominantly Black cast, earned Berry an Oscar for Best Actress, making history in the process.
Monster's Ball
In 2008, this NBA star won his first championship with the Boston Celtics, becoming the league’s youngest player at the time to reach 20,000 career points.
LeBron James
This African-American scholar and civil rights leader founded the Moorish Science Temple of America in 1913, blending Islamic teachings with a message of racial uplift.
A. Elijah Muhammad
B. Noble Drew Ali
C. Louis Farrakhan
D. Marcus Garvey
Noble Drew Ali
This chemist developed over 300 uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans, revolutionizing agricultural science in the early 20th century.
George Washington Carver
This African-American sculptor, active in the Harlem Renaissance, created works celebrating Black history, including a famous bronze of Frederick Douglass.
A. Augusta Savage
B. Lois Mailou Jones
C. Elizabeth Catlett
D. Faith Ringgold
Augusta Savage
This “Godfather of Soul” recorded the 1968 anthem “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud,” which became a defining song of the Black Power era.
James Brown
In 2003, this comedy-drama series debuted on UPN featuring a wealthy Black family and became one of the network’s most-watched shows.
One on One
This track and field sprinter became the fastest man in the world, winning gold in both the 100m and 200m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Usain Bolt
This West African scholar and traveler of the 14th century documented his extensive journeys across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia in a work called Rihla.
A. Ibn Khaldun
B. Ibn Battuta
C. Al-Idrisi
D. Leo Africanus
Ibn Battuta
She was the first African American woman to receive a PhD in chemistry in the United States, earning it from MIT in 1940.
A. Alice Ball
B. Marie Maynard Daly
C. Mae Jemison
D. Patricia Bath
Marie Maynard Daly
During World War II, this African-American infantry unit earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for their heroism in the Italian Campaign.
A. Tuskegee Airmen
B. 92nd Infantry Division
C. 369th Infantry Regiment
D. 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion
92nd Infantry Division
This singer, nicknamed the “Queen of Soul,” recorded classics like “Respect” and became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Aretha Franklin
This 2004 hip-hop/R&B artist released Confessions, one of the decade’s biggest-selling albums, spawning hits like “Yeah!” and “Burn.”
Usher
This NFL running back, drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, became one of the most prolific rushers of the decade and a key figure in multiple Super Bowl runs.
A. Adrian Peterson
B. LaDainian Tomlinson
C. Marshawn Lynch
D. Curtis Martin
LaDainian Tomlinson
This African-American poet and playwright converted to Islam in the 1970s and wrote works celebrating Black identity, faith, and social justice.
A. Langston Hughes
B. Amiri Baraka
C. James Baldwin
D. August Wilson
Amiri Baraka
This physician and epidemiologist co-discovered the link between sickle cell disease and genetics, significantly advancing hematology.
A. Percy Julian
B. Ernest Everett Just
C. Charles Drew
D. George Washington Carver
Ernest Everett Just
This painter and muralist, a contemporary of Jacob Lawrence, is known for large-scale works depicting African-American labor and everyday life.
A. Gordon Parks
B. Jacob Lawrence
C. Aaron Douglas
D. Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden
This Mississippi-born guitarist revolutionized electric blues and influenced generations of rock musicians with songs like “The Thrill Is Gone.”
B.B. King
In 2005, this film, directed by Spike Lee, explores Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath and stars Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington.
A. Do the Right Thing
B. Inside Man
C. When the Levees Broke
D. Malcolm X
When the Levees Broke
This NFL quarterback led the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl victory in 2010, breaking records and inspiring a city’s comeback.
A. Russell Wilson
B. Patrick Mahomes
C. Drew Brees
D. Cam Newton
Drew Brees
This African-American activist and scholar helped found the Islamic Society of North America, advocating for interfaith dialogue and education in the 20th century.
A. Imam Warith Deen Mohammed
B. Louis Farrakhan
C. Khalid Abdul Muhammad
D. Malcolm X
Imam Warith Deen Mohammed
Known as the "mother of computer programming," this mathematician and physicist worked for NASA, helping calculate trajectories for early spaceflights.
Katherine Johnson
Known as the “Black Panthers of the Navy,” this group of sailors in WWII fought against segregation in training and combat assignments.
A. Golden Thirteen
B. Tuskegee Airmen
C. Buffalo Soldiers
D. Harlem Hellfighters
Golden Thirteen
This hip-hop group from Long Island released the 1986 album Raising Hell, helping bring rap music into the mainstream with the hit “Walk This Way.”
Run-D.M.C.
This 2008 film starring Eddie Murphy revisited the classic “Coming to America” storyline for a new generation.
The Haunted Mansion
This WNBA superstar, known as "The Goat," won four championships with the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2000s and became a role model on and off the court.
Lisa Leslie
This African city-state, in modern-day Senegal, became a center for Islamic scholarship and trade in West Africa during the 16th century, influencing regional education.
A. Gao
B. Timbuktu
C. Dakar
D. Accra
Gao
This immunologist co-developed a lifesaving therapy for pediatric leukemia, paving the way for modern cancer treatments in children.
A. Alexa Canady
B. Joycelyn Elders
C. Patricia Bath
D. Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Patricia Bath
This 21st-century visual artist explores themes of African-American identity and history in large-scale paintings and installations.
A. Kehinde Wiley
B. Kara Walker
C. Kerry James Marshall
D. Amy Sherald
Kara Walker
This Chicago-born gospel singer and civil rights supporter was known as the “Queen of Gospel,” popularizing songs like “Move On Up a Little Higher.”
A. Mahalia Jackson
B. Shirley Caesar
C. Yolanda Adams
D. Dorothy Norwood
Mahalia Jackson