African American “Firsts”
Who broke the color barrier by becoming the 1st African American Major League Baseball player?
Jackie Robinson
What famous boxer was stripped of his 1st championship title for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War?
Muhammad Ali
This women writer wrote 7 autobiographies including “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. She was also a poet, dancer, and civil rights activist.
Maya Angelou
What does NAACP stand for?
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
This former slave made 19 trips to the South to rescue other slaves via the Underground Railroad?
Harriet Tubman
Who, in 2004 became the first African American female billionaire?
Oprah Winfrey
In the NBA’s very first year (1949-1950), how many African American basketball players were in the league?
0
What NYC borough is known as the birth place of hip hop?
The Bronx
What was the name of the famous court case that challenged school segregation and ruled it unconstitutional?
Brown v. Board of Education
This former slave went on to become an abolitionist, public speaker, presidential adviser, and writer. He is known for his famous autobiography. He fought for the rights of black people AND women.
Frederick Douglas
Who was the first Black woman chosen as Miss America?
Vanessa Williams
He was the first basketball player to score 100 points in a single game and also the first to score 30,000 points in the NBA.
Wilt Chamberlin
This group created the very first commercially successful rap song?
The Sugar Hill Gang (with their hit song Rapper's Delight)
In what year did the United States abolish slavery?
1865
This woman was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist. She became the wealthiest African American of her time and first self-made millionaire.
Madame C.J Walker
Who was the first African American appointed to the United States Supreme Court?
Thurgood Marshall
The NBA’s all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He won 3 Super Bowls while playing for the San Francisco 49’ers.
Jerry Rice
This period of time spanning the 1920’s is known as the “Golden Age” of African American culture. There was an explosion of art, music, and literature during this time and the works of Langston Hughes, Billie Holiday, and Zora Neale Hurston became popular.
The Harlem Renaissance
What was the name of the set of laws than enforced racial discrimination in the United States?
Jim Crow Laws
In 1961, this group of Black and White volunteers traveled together on bus trips in the South to fight against segregation. They staged “sit-ins” and restaurants and often became the target of physical and verbal attacks. By what name was this group known?
Freedom Riders
Who was the first African American to receive a Ph.D from Harvard University?
W.E.B DuBois
This track and field athlete won 4 Gold Medals at the 1936 Olympics.
Jesse Owens
This person became the youngest person ever and first African American nominated for an Academy Award for his 1991 film Boyz N The Hood. He also directed Poetic Justice and Shaft.
John Singleton
Which Amendment in the U.S. Constitution was passed in 1865 outlawing slavery?
The 13th Amendment
This political organization was founded in 1966 in Oakland California to fight against police brutality, racial injustice, poverty, and public health in Black communities. This group was targeted by the government and the FBI until its’ unfortunate ending in 1982.
The Black Panthers