Black Innovators & Inventors
This inventor created the first automatic elevator doors.
Who is Alexander Miles?
She was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
Who is Shirley Chisholm
She is known as the “Queen of Soul.”
Who is Aretha Franklin
This group is known as the “Magnificent Seven” at FedEx.
Who are the first seven Black pilots hired at FedEx
This surgeon performed one of the first successful open‑heart surgeries.
Who is Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
This NASA engineer invented the Super Soaker.
Who is Lonnie Johnson?
He broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
Who is Jackie Robinson
This poet became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history.
Who is Amanda Gorman.
FedEx has supported these institutions as part of its community programs.
What are HBCUs
This scientist pioneered blood‑banking techniques used worldwide.
Who is Dr. Charles Drew.
Her mathematical work helped make GPS possible.
Who is Dr. Gladys West
She was the first Black woman to travel into space.
Who is Mae Jemison
This genre, rooted in Black American culture, originated in New Orleans.
What is jazz
FedEx has been recognized on this list for its commitment to diversity.
What is the DiversityInc Top 50
This chemist created synthetic cortisone and other life‑changing medicines.
Who is Percy Julian.
This agricultural scientist discovered hundreds of uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans.
Who is George Washington Carver
He argued before the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education and later became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Who is Thurgood Marshall
This legendary Memphis soul label launched artists like Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes.
What is Stax Records
This FedEx leader became the first African American to serve as Chief Diversity Officer for the company.
Who is Shannon Brown
This astronaut became the first Black woman in space in 1992.
Who is Dr. Mae Jemison
This inventor developed the first home security system with cameras.
Who is Marie Van Brittan Brown
She refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, sparking a major civil rights movement.
Who is Rosa Parks
This Memphis rapper became the first female rapper to win Best New Artist at the BET Hip Hop Awards.
Who is GloRilla
FedEx supports this national organization that empowers Black professionals through leadership development and community impact.
What is the National Urban League
This astronaut became the first Black man in space in 1983.
Who is Guion “Guy” Bluford