Civil Rights Icons
On August 28, 1963, he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr.?
This neighborhood in Upper Manhattan became the global "Mecca" for Black culture and art in the 1920s.
What is Harlem?
Known as the "King of Pop," his Thriller remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Who is Michael Jackson?
This baseball legend broke the color barrier in 1947 when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Who is Jackie Robinson?
He is the inventor of the Super Soaker water gun and also worked as an aerospace engineer for NASA.
Who is Lonnie Johnson?
In 1955, her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger sparked the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Who is Rosa Parks?
This poet wrote "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and is often called the poet laureate of the Harlem Renaissance.
Who is Langston Hughes?
This "Queen of Soul" is best known for her powerhouse vocals on the hit song "Respect."
Who is Aretha Franklin?
Often called "The Greatest," this heavyweight champion was as famous for his activism as he was for his "float like a butterfly" style.
Who is Muhammad Ali?
This inventor created the three-light traffic signal after witnessing a carriage accident, greatly improving road safety.
Who is Garrett Morgan?
A chief attorney for the NAACP, he argued the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education and became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Who is Thurgood Marshall?
She was a world-renowned jazz singer known as the "First Lady of Song" who got her start at the Apollo Theater.
Who is Ella Fitzgerald?
He was the blind virtuoso who revolutionized Soul music with hits like "Georgia on My Mind."
Who is Ray Charles?
She holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era and is widely considered the greatest female tennis player ever.
Who is Serena Williams?
In 1897, he patented an improved version of the ice cream scooper that allowed for one-handed operation.
Who is Alfred L. Cralle?
Born Malcolm Little, this human rights activist and leader in the Nation of Islam later adopted the name El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz.
Who is Malcolm X?
This anthropologist and author wrote the famous novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Who is Zora Neale Hurston?
This guitarist and singer, known as the "King of the Blues," named all of his guitars "Lucille."
Who is B.B. King?
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, this track star won four gold medals, single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy.
Who is Jesse Owens?
This scientist's work at Bell Labs led to the development of Caller ID and Call Waiting technology.
Who is Dr. Shirley Jackson?
This organizer and strategist was a key advisor to Dr. King and the lead architect behind the 1963 March on Washington.
Who is Bayard Rustin?
He was the multi-talented actor, singer, and activist who famously sang "Ol' Man River" and was valedictorian at Rutgers.
Who is Paul Robeson?
This opera singer made history in 1955 as the first Black soloist to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.
Who is Marian Anderson?
In 1920, he became the first African American to play in the NFL (then the APFA) and was also a celebrated singer and actor.
Who is Fritz Pollard?
He invented the automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks, which revolutionized the transportation of food and medicine.
Who is Frederick McKinley Jones?