Athletes
Performers
Inventors
Civil Rights Movement
First Black ______
100
This NBA small forward won his third championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and is widely considered to one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Who is LeBron James?
100
This singer holds the records for most Grammys won by a woman (22) and is tied with Adele for most Grammys won in a single night.
Who is Beyonce?
100
This American botanical researcher discovered hundreds of uses for the peanut in the late 1800's.
Who is George Washington Carver?
100
Often viewed as the head of the Civil Rights Movement, this civil rights activist delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963.
Who is Martin Luther King, Jr.?
100
In 2008, he was elected at the first black President of the United States.
Who is Barack Obama?
200
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, this track star won 4 gold medals; USA Track's highest honor is named after him.
Who is Jesse Owens?
200
This actress was the first—and only—African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
Who is Halle Berry?
200
This mathematician had a 35-year career at NASA, helped send Alan Sheppard into space, and was the focus of the book/film Hidden Figures, in which she was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson.
Who is Katherine Johnson?
200
On December 1st, 1955, she was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a Montgomery city bus.
Who is Rosa Parks?
200
During President George W. Bush's presidency, this man became the first black Secretary of State.
Who is Colin Powell?
300
These sisters have dominated tennis since they won doubles at the French Open in 1999; the younger sister has won 23 Grand Slams in singles.
Who are Venus and Serena Williams?
300
This controversial singer's album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, with sales estimated at 120 million copies worldwide.
Who is Michael Jackson?
300
This mustachioed astronomer works at the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of National History, and is a popular educator in space and astrophysics.
Who is Neil DeGrasse Tyson?
300
In 1955, this young man was lynched in Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman.
Who is Emmett Till?
300
in 1947, he became the first professional baseball player when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Who is Jackie Robinson?
400
This retired baseball player holds the records for most home runs in a season (73) and most all-time home runs (762).
Who is Barry Bonds?
400
This actor is nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars for the film Get Out, which has also been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Jordan Peele) and Best Original Screenplay. He also starred in Black Panther as W'Kabi.
Who is Daniel Kaluuya?
400
Often referred to the first female self-made millionaire, this entrepreneur developed the first beauty products for black women.
Who is Madame C.J. Walker?
400
This Georgia congressman helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and wrote a graphic novel series about his role in the Civil Rights Movement titled March.
Who is Congressman John Lewis?
400
On December 26th, 1964, this NBA team became the first team to have an all-black starting lineup, in a game against the St. Louis Hawks.
What is the Boston Celtics?
500
This first-time Olympian made history at the 2018 PyongChang Winter Games as the first black woman to compete in speed skating for the United States.
Who is Maame Biney?
500
This American singer, dancer, actor, and comedian was part of Frank Sinatra's famed "Rat Pack" in the 1960's.
Who is Sammy Davis, Jr.?
500
Known as "Black Edison," he registered nearly 60 patents in his lifetime, including a telephone transmitter, a trolley wheel and the multiplex telegraph.
Who is Granville T. Woods?
500
This piece of legislation banned discrimination and also made it a federal crime to "by force or by threat of force, injure, intimidate, or interfere with anyone...by reason of their race, color, religion, or national origin." It was signed shortly after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
What is the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
500
In 2016, this woman was elected as the first black Librarian of Congress.
Who is Dr. Carla Hayden?