Black Excellence
This NBA legend, known as "His Airness," won six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Michael Jordan
Known as the "Queen of Soul," this singer told us to show her "R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Aretha Franklin
This phrase, originating in Black communities, refers to someone looking well-dressed and put-together.
Drip
This Black female mathematician, played by Taraji P. Henson in Hidden Figures, helped NASA send astronauts to space
Katherine Johnson
This Caribbean nation became the first independent Black republic after a successful slave rebellion in 1804.
Haiti
Before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, this legal mastermind successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall
The first rap album to win Album of the Year at the Grammys.
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
In 2020, this slang term became popular for calling out performative activism.
Woke
The first Black astronaut to travel to space in 1983
Guion Bluford
This South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader became the country’s first Black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison.
Nelson Mandela
This athlete dominated both the Olympics and professional boxing, becoming one of the greatest sports figures of all time.
Muhammad Ali
Beyoncé made history as the artist with the most Grammy wins ever in this year.
2023
The phrase “All skinfolk ain’t kinfolk” means...
Not all Black people share the same beliefs or values
This scientist led the Human Genome Project, mapping human DNA.
Dr. Francis Collins
Dr. Eric Lander
Dr. Charles Rotimi is a leading Black geneticist in this field.
The “Father of Pan-Africanism,” this thinker and activist was born in the Caribbean and became a key figure in the decolonization movement across Africa.
W.E.B. Du Bois
The first Black woman elected to Congress, she later ran for president in 1972.
Shirley Chisholm
This producer, behind hits for Michael Jackson, launched a jazz, R&B, and hip-hop fusion career spanning over 60 years.
Quincy Jones
This phrase, popularized by Black Twitter, means something is impressive or high-quality.
Thats fire
This doctor performed the first successful open-heart surgery.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
This Nigerian-born author and poet is known for her works on feminism, race, and African heritage, including the novel Americanah.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A pioneer in Black banking and finance, he became the first African American billionaire.
Robert L. Johnson
The first hip-hop group to win a Grammy (though they boycotted the ceremony).
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
The first Black-owned beauty brand to be sold in major department stores, launched by a former model.
Fashion Fair
The father of blood banking, this doctor revolutionized blood transfusions but was tragically denied care at a white hospital.
Dr. Charles Drew
This Afro-Brazilian martial art, developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil, blends dance, acrobatics, and music
Capoeira