Influential Black Leaders
First Black woman VP of the United States.
Who is Kamala Harris?
Invented the potato chip.
Who is George Crum?
This style features call‑and‑response singing in church.
What is gospel?
Queen of Jazz vocals, known for scat singing.
Who is Ella Fitzgerald?
This Chicago park hosts the city’s iconic “Bean” sculpture.
What is Millennium Park?
The South African leader spent 27 years in prison before becoming president in 1994
Who is: Nelson Mandela
Valerie Thomas invented this technology that paved the way for 3d imaging.
What is the illusion transmitter?
This hairstyle originated in ancient Africa.
What are cornrows?
This music genre originated in New Orleans and is known for improvisation and swing.
What is Jazz?
This South Side high school produced famous alumni including Michelle Obama and Bernardine Dohrn.
What is Whitney M. Young Magnet High School?
She co-founded Black Lives Matter and is known for her community organizing and social activism.
Who is Alicia Garza?
Madam C.J Walker became wealthy by creating products for this part of the body.
What is hair (hair care)?
opular style of spoken storytelling performed with rhythm and beat in slam competitions.
What is spoken‑word poetry?
Known as the "Queen of Soul"
Who is Aretha Franklin?
This Chicago-based record label launched the careers of artists like The Jackson 5 and Curtis Mayfield.
What is Chess Records?
First Black woman to run for a major party’s U.S. presidential nomination (1972).
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
Invented the home security video system used in modern doorbell cameras.
Who is Marie Van Brittan Brown?
This magazine, founded in 1945, became a leading publication documenting African American life and culture.
What is Ebony?
This artist became the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Who is Jay-Z?
This Chicago journalist co-founded the Chicago Defender, one of the most influential Black newspapers in U.S. history.
Who is Robert S. Abbott
Surgeon who performed the first successful human heart transplant in the U.S.
Who is Dr. Daniel Hale Williams?
This agricultural scientist revolutionized farming with crop rotation and peanut-based innovations.
Who is George Washington Carver?
Popular dance created in Chicago known for footwork and fast movements.
What is juke dancing?
Jazz saxophonist who pioneered bebop with the album Now’s the Time.
Who is Charlie Parker?
This neighborhood served as a major hub during the Great Migration and was once called “Black Metropolis.”
What is Bronzeville?