Politicians
She was the first African American woman to serve as United States Secretary of State, and the first African American and the first woman to serve as the President’s National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice
Founded by Barry Gordy in 1959, this company became one of the most successful black-owned companies in the nation, and cultivated the careers of music greats such as Diana Ross and Michael Jackson
Motown Records
After completing the STS-8 mission aboard the Challenger, this engineer and astronaut became the first black man in space
Guion Bluford
This writer and sociologist was co-founder of the NAACP, and was one of the most famous social activists during the Harlem Renaissance
W.E.B. Du Bois
This Olympic track star won three gold medals and two silver medals, and still holds world records in 100-meter and 200-meter races, which were set in 1988
Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith-Joyner
In 1993, this Illinois native became (and still is, to date) the first African American woman elected to the United States Senate
Carol Braun
This event lasted five days and left 43 dead and 467 injured; it is reputed to have deepened the divide between whites and blacks in Detroit, instigate a frantic spike in “white flight” out of the city, and created extremist groups within each racial group
1967 riots
He invented electronic control devices for guided missiles, IBM computers, and the control unit for pacemakers
Otis Boykin
This was the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, which was called a literary and intellectual flowering that fostered a new black cultural identity in the 1920s and 1930s
Harlem, New York City, NY
Also a social activist and philanthropist, he was the first boxer to win the world heavyweight championship three times
Muhammad Ali
She escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman
In 1974, he was elected as the first black mayor of Detroit
Coleman Young
A slave, he was employed at a printing office and later at the Annapolis Naval Academy, where he helped set up scientific experiments. In the 1840s he developed a steam engine for a war ship. Unable to patent his work, he sold it and with the proceeds purchased his freedom.
Benjamin Bradley
Credited as one of the founding fathers of the Harlem Renaissance, this playwright/poet/novelist became famous for his first published poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”
Langston Hughes
He won four gold medals in the 100m sprint, the long jump, 200m sprint, and the 4x100m relay in the 1936 Berlin Olympics overturning Adolf Hitler's theory that the Aryan race was superior to all other races
Jesse Owens
He was a minister, human rights activist and prominent black nationalist leader who served as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 1950s and 1960s.
Malcolm X
This Detroit native refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Alabama, which spurred a nation-wide effort to end segregation of public facilities
Rosa Parks
She is a co-founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness and is best known for her invention of the Laserphaco Probe for the treatment of cataracts.
Patricia Bath
She created specialized hair products for African-American hair and was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire. In 1916, upon returning from her travels, Walker moved to her new townhouse in Harlem where she quickly immersed herself in the Harlem Renaissance.
Madam C.J. Walker
As the man who broke the color barrier in what was then America's favorite sport, this baseball player was one of the true forefathers of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Jackie Robinson
He was the first African American to serve in the office. First elected to the presidency in 2008, he won a second term in 2012.
Barack Obama
He delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech first in Detroit, before taking it to Washington
Martin Luther King, Jr.
One of his most important inventions was a telegraph that allowed moving trains to communicate with other trains and train stations, thus improving railway efficiency and safety.
Granville T. Woods
This theatre rose to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance, during which time it was reputed to only hire black entertainers; of these were James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.
The Apollo Theatre
As a player-coach—the first black head coach in NBA history and professional sports—this Hall of Famer and former basketball player led the Celtics to two championships in three years bringing his ring total to 11
Bill Russell