Historical Figures
January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968
Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
Earned a Ph.D in theology
He remains the only non-president with a day dedicated to him
Who is Martin Luther King Jr.?
Lasted for roughly 400 years
Lasted from the 1500s to 1867 ending in Brazil and Cuba
Abolished in the United States in 1808
Responsible for the deaths of about 2.4 million Africans
What was the Transatlantic slave trade?
Commemorates when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation
Celebrated by African Americans since 1866
Acknowledged as a federal holiday in 2021 through activism, notably by Opal Lee.
What is Juneteenth?
Created by James Hemmings in the late 1700s
The original recipe, consisted of egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla beans
Thomas Jefferson brought this back to the United States and served it at the President's House
What is Vanilla Ice Cream?
Who said "We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated"?
Who is Maya Angelou?
May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965
Founded Muslim Mosque Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity
Was a self-taught intellectual
Argued for self-defense "by any means necessary" in response to white aggression
Who is Malcolm X?
Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863
Authorized nearly 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors to fight in the Civil War
Discouraged foreign powers like Britain and France from supporting the Confederacy
What was the Emancipation Proclaimation?
A week-long, non-religious cultural festival celebrated from December 26 to January 1, honoring African-American heritage, family, and community
Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga to unite the Black community after the Watts Riots
It is customary to give handmade or educational gifts, especially to children.
What is Kwanzaa?
Invented by George Crum in 1853
Legend says he created the chips as a vengeful response to a picky customer who complained that his fried potatoes were too thick
Evidence suggests the invention may actually belong to Crum's sister, Kate Wicks, who claimed in an interview to have accidentally dropped a thin slice of potato into a pot of hot fat
Are the number one culprit for weight gain because they are high in fat and highly addictive.
What are Potato Chips?
Who said "We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it."?
Who is Barack Obama?
February 1, 1901 - May 22, 1967
Central figure in the Harlem Renaissance
Known for poem "I, too, sing America"
Who is Langston Hughes?
Was the first formal, written protest against African American slavery by a religious body in the English colonies
Argued that slavery violated Christian principles, specifically the "Golden Rule" (do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Initiated a long, internal debate among Quakers that eventually led to them formally abandoning slaveholding by the 1770s.
What was the Germantown Petition Against Slavery?
An annual, secular, and grassroots holiday celebrated on February 13
serves as a proactive, non-commercial alternative to Valentine's Day, focusing on self-love, community, and cultural pride
Participants often engage in acts of service, fostering community, exchanging gifts of love, and wearing black to symbolize pride and solidarity
What is Black Love Day?
Invented by Garrett Morgan in 1923
Allows vehicles to clear the intersection before cross-traffic started, and also gives pedestrians a safe window to cross
What is the Three-Position Traffic Signal?
Who said "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have."?
Who is James Baldwin?
April 5, 1856 - November 14, 1915
Was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite
Notable Hampton University Alumnai
Who is Booker T. Washington?
Was a slave revolt that began on 9 September 1739, in the colony of South Carolina
Was the largest slave rebellion in the Southern Colonial era, with 25 colonists and 35 to 50 African slaves killed
Led to the Negro Act of 1740, increased militia patrols, and intensified oppression while also demonstrating powerful enslaved resistance rooted in African traditions and the promise of freedom in Spanish Florida
What was the Stono Rebellion?
an intellectual and cultural movement of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship
Centered in Harlem, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s.
Saw the rise of Jazz and the Harlem Stride piano style
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
Invented by Lonnie Johnson in 1982
Was originally named the "Drencher,"
Early models caused "injuries" like skin stinging, leading to a "Constant Pressure System" (CPS) redesign and an eventual National Toy Hall of Fame induction
What is the Super Soaker?
Who said “People have to go through trials and tribulations to get where they at. Do your thing - continue to rock it - because obviously, God wants you here.”
Who is Kendrick Lamar?
April 16, 1921 - October 28, 2003
First African-American woman to receive a Ph.D for chemistry in the U.S from Columbia University
Discovered the link between cholesterol and clogged arteries
Who is Marie Maynard Daly?
A series of anti-black riots broke out in more than thirty American cities
Triggered by the return of World War I soldiers and heightened racial tensions from the Great Migration
Fueled by a blend of white resentment against Black migration and competition for jobs
What was the Red Summer of 1919?
a traditional African American cuisine originating in the Deep South, born from survival, resilience, and a blend of West African, European, and Indigenous culinary techniques
Developed during the antebellum period, with enslaved Africans using rations (like pork shoulder/ham hocks)
Includes regional variations, such as Lowcountry cooking (Georgia/South Carolina) and Creole/Cajun influences in Louisiana.
What is Soul food?
Improved design patented by Lydia Newman in 1898
Originally made with natural bristles(boar or horsehair) and wooden handles
Modern brushes use plastic or nylon to glide through hair without snagging
What is the hair brush?
Who said "Always keep swinging."
Who is Hank Aaron?