Unsung Heroes
This mathematician specialized in orbital mechanics. Her expertise made space flight possible, and she was a central figure in the 2016 movie "Hidden Figures".
Who is Katherine Johnson?
This 150+ year old tradition became a federal holiday in 2021.
What is Juneteenth?
This 1990s sitcom featured six young single friends making their way in New York City.
What is Living Single?
This IDSA Board of Directors member is currently the Director of Health for St. Louis.
Who is Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, FIDSA?
Despite never playing in Major League Baseball, this Washington, D.C. star and Hall of Famer hit 800+ home runs and was said to be better than Babe Ruth.
Who is Josh Gibson?
This writer/actress/producer went viral for telling reporters she was "rooting for everybody Black" at the 2017 Emmy Awards.
Who is Issa Rae?
These two artists gained the national spotlight when their respective portraits of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled in 2018.
Who are Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald?
This doctor directed the team at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that provided the logistical support for clinical trials to evaluate drugs that might be potentially effective against HIV.
Who is Dr. George Counts, FIDSA?
This former NASA engineer is perhaps best known for inventing the Super Soaker and Nerf Blaster.
Who is Lonnie Johnson?
These 200-meter medalists risked their livelihoods by raising their gloved fists on the podium at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Who are Tommie Smith and John Carlos?
This sitcom, with a theme sung by Aretha Franklin, showcased life in the 80s and 90s at a fictional school called Hillman College.
What is A Different World?
This pioneering civil rights activist was a central figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the growing gay liberation movement and later became a prominent patient advocate in the 80s.
Who is Marsha P. Johnson?
This inventor developed the first automatic oil lubricator for steam engines, revolutionizing railroad and factory machinery. His name later became synonymous with authenticity.
Who is Elijah McCoy? (inspiring the phrase “The Real McCoy”)
These two actors won Best Actor and Best Actress at the 2002 Oscars.
Who are Denzel Washington and Halle Berry?
This former Shalamar singer recorded 6 Hot 100 Top Ten Singles in the 1980s, including “Looking For A New Love”, “Some Kind Of Lover”, and “Don't You Want Me” and dedicated much of her career to fundraising and awareness for AIDS patients and health equity.
Who is Jody Watley?
This doctor innovated the mobile blood bank was the first black man selected as an examiner on the American Board of Surgery.
Who is Dr. Charles Drew?
This civil rights activist was also on the forefront of shaping biomedical research ethics and had a DC elementary school named after her in 2015.
Who is Dorothy Height?
In 1980, this musician released "Happy Birthday," a song written to urge the establishment of a U.S. holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Who is Stevie Wonder?
This science fiction writer wrote an award-winning and bestselling 1993 novel, Parable of the Sower, that has a plot centering around climate change and wealth inequality.
Who is Octavia Butler?
This doctor was at the forefront of health equity, bringing quality affordable health care to families below the poverty line and was the first black woman to direct a public health service bureau.
Who is Dr. Marilyn Gaston?