Politicians and Activists
Musicians
Historical Moments
Black Entertainers
Athletics and Recreation
100
This individual was the 44th President of the United States and the first Black president in the history of the U.S.
Barack Obama
100
American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist who is also known as the "King of Pop." His hits include “Beat It,” “Thriller” “Billie Jean” and many more.
Michael Jackson
100
In 1976, President Gerald Ford designated this month as "Black History Month"
February
100
This deceased actor is known for playing Jackie Robinson in the movie “42” and T’Challa in “Black Panther”
Chadwick Boseman
100
This athlete broke baseball's color barrier playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Jackie Robinson
200
This person was an agricultural scientist and inventor who developed hundreds of products using peanuts
George Washington Carver
200
This superstar holds the record for the most grammy award wins ever (32!), and just announced her next album “Act II,” but has a long list of hits, including “Crazy in Love" and "Halo"
Beyoncé
200
This woman's brave actions on a bus led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and made her an icon in the face of segregation
Rosa Parks
200
This American actor, rapper, and film producer has made films grossing over $9.3 billion globally; his credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Men in Black, Independence Day, and Aladdin.
Will Smith
200
This basketball player went by "His Airness” and has one of the world’s most recognizable shoes brands
Michael Jordan
300
This woman was the first Black First Lady of the United States; she focused on supporting military families and child/student nutrition
Michelle Obama
300
This rapper from Brooklyn is known for albums like The Blueprint, The Black Album, and 4:44; he is also known as HOV
Jay-Z
300
After escaping slavery herself, this woman served as the conductor of the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and secret routes that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
Harriet Tubman
300
This actress is known for Disney shows, Spiderman, Euphoria, and the “Dune” movies
Zendaya
300
A kid from Akron who has competed in 10 NBA Finals (with eight consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2018), winning four NBA championships.
LeBron James
400
This person was the first African American child to attend a whites-only school in Louisiana during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis
Ruby Bridges
400
Known in part for her massive collaborations, including “Empire State of Mind” and “My Boo,” which she performed at the Super Bowl
Alicia Keys
400
This is the location (city) where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech
Washington, D.C.
400
Dubbed the "Queen of all media," she's best known for her long-running talk show
Oprah Winfrey
400
Nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", he held the MLB home run record (714) for 33 years, before Barry Bonds passed it in 2007.
Hank Aaron
500
This activist was brutally attacked at Selma on Bloody Sunday; he advocated across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality and continued to fight for people's rights after joining Congress in 1987.
John Lewis
500
This Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter is often considered a global symbol of Jamaican music, culture, and identity.
Bob Marley
500
This Afrocentric intellectual and cultural movement was centered in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s; it included theater, dance, literature, art, fashion, music, and politics.
The Harlem Renaissance
500
This famous actor is known for having the “voice of god," which has seen him narrate many movies
Morgan Freeman
500
Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, she played alongside her sister Venus for many years
Serena Williams
600
This young black artist and his artwork dealt with themes of racism, classism, colonialism, and other power structures and their effects on U.S. society
Jean-Michael Basquiat
600
This woman, referred to as the "Queen of Soul" and named as the greatest singer of all time by many, has hits including "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"
Aretha Franklin
600
Known as the winning lawyer of the famous case Brown v. Board of Education, in which segregated schools were declared unconstitutional
Thurgood Marshall
600
This Brooklyn-based director and actor known for his work that explores race relations, including She's Gotta Have It, BlacKkKlansmen, and Da 5 Bloods; he is also known for always having a courtside seat at Knicks games
Spike Lee
600
The tall centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.
Bill Russell
700
This man founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and advised Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft
Booker T. Washington
700
Seen as one of the biggest pop singers in history, the New Jersey-born star had hits including “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
Whitney Houston
700
This woman was born into slavery in New York but escaped to freedom with her infant daughter; she famously delivered a speech titled "Ain't I a Woman?", demanding equal rights for all women
Sojourner Trouth
700
Influential actor who is one of 18 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award; her biggest roles have included “The Color Purple,” “Sister Act,” and more
Whoopi Goldberg
700
This famous boxer, born as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., denounced his birth name, calling it a “slave name." He changed this name to this.
Muhammad Ali
800
This woman was a prominent journalist, activist, and researcher in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; she was one of the founders of the NAACP
Ida B. Wells
800
This Black American artist released the groundbreaking album "What's Going On" in 1971, addressing social and political issues of the time.
Marvin Gaye
800
In 1968, she became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress and represented New York's 12th congressional district.
Shirley Chisholm
800
Popular actress known for a massive list of movies like “The Help,” “The Woman King,” "Suicide Squad," and more
Viola Davis
800
This athlete was acclaimed as the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games.
Wilma Rudolph