Notable Firsts
He was the first and only US president to serve as the president of the Harvard Law Review
Who is President Obama?
This former NBA player is currently the head coach for the University of Memphis men’s basketball team
Who is Penny Hardaway?
This color barrier breaking baseball player was the first African-American inducted into the National Baseball Hall of fame in 1962
Who is Jackie Robinson?
Despite being imprisoned for 27 years, this civil rights activist never ended the fight against Apartheid in South Africa, and later became the nation’s first black president
Who is Nelson Mandela?
In 2018, this artist became the first black man to win an EGOT
Who is John Legend?
She was the first African-American woman to hold the position of Secretary of State
Who is Condoleezza Rice?
Born in 1942, this iconic singer was known as the Queen of Soul
Who is Aretha Franklin?
This former Memphis Grizzlies player was traded to the Utah Jazz in 2019
Who is Mike Conley?
This civil rights activist and 17 term congressman, marched on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016
Who is Congressman John Lewis?
This songstress has the most Grammy nominations of any female artist and 24 wins to date
Who is Beyonce?
Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American elected to the Senate. He represented this magnolia filled state
What is Mississippi?
This comedienne is known for her role in the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters and was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live
Who is Leslie Jones?
This basketball player holds the record for the most career points scored during an NBA tenure
Who is Kareem Abdul Jabaar?
Led by François Toussaint Louverture in 1804, this country had the first and only successful slave revolt in modern history
What is Haiti?
In 2006, this group became the first hip-hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song
Who is Three Six Mafia?
This legendary producer was the first African American to hold a top executive position at a major American record label. His credits include Thriller, The Color Purple, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Who is Quincy Jones?
This journalist and civil rights activist was one of the founding members of the NAACP
Who is Ida B Wells?
This Tennessee native overcame childhood polio to become the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympiad
Who is Wilma Rudolph?
This group of extraordinary aviators proudly served their country across the European theatre during WWII, despite the segregation and discrimination in the US military at the time
What are the Tuskegee Airmen?
This Minneapolis native changed his name to a symbol to rebel against his record label and to fight for more freedom for artists
Who is Prince?
This Bahamian-American actor was the first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field
Who is Sidney Poitier?
As the first black millionaire in Memphis, this man helped rebuild the Bluff City following the yellow fever epidemic
Who is Robert Reed Church?
This former NFL Wide Receiver holds the record for the most all time catches and also the record for the most receiving yards
Who is Jerry Rice?
Known as the Black Swallow of Death, Eugene Jaques Bullard, the first African-American military pilot, earned the Legion of Honour, the highest military and civilian honor of which country
What is France?
His warm feelings towards this country caused entertainer Paul Robeson to be called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956
What is Russia/USSR?