Thespians
In 1939, she became the first Black person to win an Academy Award for her role in Gone with the Wind.
Who is Hattie McDaniel?
This inventor turned an engineering experiment into the Super Soaker, one of the most successful water toys in history.
Who is Dr. Lonnie Johnson?
This agricultural scientist at the Tuskegee Institute developed over 300 uses for the humble peanut.
Who is George Washington Carver?
Established as the governing umbrella for these nine organizations, this council ensures unity and cooperation.
What is the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)?
Founded in 1908 at Howard University, this organization was the very first historically Black sorority.
Who is Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.?
For his role in Lilies of the Field, he became the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor.
Who is Sidney Poitier?
To improve roadway safety, he invented the three-position traffic light and various life-saving safety devices.
Who is Garrett Morgan?
His high-quality steam engine innovations were so reliable they inspired the famous phrase "the real McCoy."
Who is Elijah McCoy?
Founded in 1963 at Morgan State College, this fraternity holds the title of the youngest member of the Divine Nine.
Who is Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.?
These 22 founders performed their first public act by participating in the 1913 Women’s Suffrage March.
Who is Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.?
She broke television barriers as the star of Julia, one of the first shows with a Black woman in a non-servant lead role.
Who is Diahann Carroll?
In 1966, she laid the foundation for modern security by inventing the first home security system using closed-circuit TV.
Who is Marie Van Brittan Brown?
An IBM legend, he led the team that created the first gigahertz computer chip and the color PC monitor.
Who is Mark Dean?
Seven educators founded this sorority at Butler University in 1922 under the motto “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”
Who is Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.?
This fraternity was the first of its kind, founded at Cornell University by seven men known as the “Jewels.”
Who is Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.?
Long before The Matrix, this actor first gained attention as "Cowboy Curtis" on Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
Who is Laurence Fishburne?
Homes became safer and more efficient during winter thanks to her patent for a heating furnace fueled by natural gas.
Who is Alice H. Parker?
She was the first Black woman to receive a U.S. patent, granted in 1885 for her "folding cabinet bed" that transformed into a fully functional desk.
Who is Sarah E. Goode?
Founded at Indiana University, this second-oldest Black fraternity places a heavy emphasis on "achievement."
Who is Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.?
Brotherhood is at the heart of this Howard-founded fraternity, whose motto is “Friendship Is Essential to the Soul.”
Who is Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.?
Actors use their craft not just for entertainment, but as a way to challenge these—opening doors for authentic stories.
What are stereotypes?
She became the first self-made female millionaire in the U.S. by building a hair-care empire for Black women.
Who is Madam C.J. Walker?
This inventor and mechanical engineer held over 50 patents, but is best known for creating the multiplex railway telegraph, which allowed moving trains to communicate with stations, drastically reducing collisions.
Who is Granville T. Woods?
Reflecting their unique "constitutional bond," both Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma share these two official colors.
What are Royal Blue and Pure White?
While all Divine Nine organizations are friendly, these two are the only ones in the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) to be constitutionally bound as brother and sister organizations.
Who are Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.?