Social Justice Advocates
This lawyer and civil rights leader successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court and later became the first African American Supreme Court Justice.
Thurgood Marshall
This powerhouse vocalist and lead singer of the Fugees won multiple Grammy Awards, including recognition for her critically acclaimed solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Lauren Hill
Who was the first African American and Native American woman to hold a pilot license?
Bessie Coleman
Which sports movie did Michael B. Jordan star in?
Creed
A member of Marquette’s 1977 NCAA championship team, this trailblazer earned a law degree before making history in 2002 as the first Black president of a Major League Baseball franchise with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ulice Payne
This labor leader and civil rights activist co-founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first African American labor union to be recognized by a major U.S. corporation.
A. Philip Randolph
This agricultural scientist developed over 300 products from peanuts, including dyes and plastics, to combat soil depletion in the South.
George Washington Carver
Jackie Robinson debuted in the MLB as first base for which team?
Brooklyn Dodgers
Who played Coach Carter in the 2005 film?
Samuel Jackson
This pioneering leader was the first woman to graduate from UW Law School, the first African American elected to Milwaukee’s Common Council, Wisconsin’s first African American judge, and the first African American woman elected to a statewide office in the U.S.
Vel Phillips
What was the name of the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech?
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
What Black American artist is often called the “King of Pop” and is famous for his albums “Thriller” and “Off the Wall”?
Michael Jackson
Who was the first president to recognize Black History Month?
Gerald Ford
This movie celebrated the conductor of the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and secret routes that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
Harriet Tubman
At just 16 years old, this man survived an attempted lynching in 1930, later writing A Time of Terror: A Survivor’s Story about his experience and becoming a prominent civil rights activist.
Dr. James Cameron
Where did Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech?
Washington D.C.
What is the name of the influential record label founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. in Detroit, which played a pivotal role in the development of Motown music?
Motown Records
Who was the first Black woman to serve in Congress?
Shirley Chisolm
This accomplished actress made history as the first African American woman to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony Award.
Viola Davis
Before becoming Mayor of Milwaukee, this University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate worked with at-risk youth at the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board and served as a staff assistant in the Mayor’s Office, collaborating with community and faith leaders.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson
This modern anti-poverty movement, led by William Barber II and Liz Theoharis, is called a National Call for a Moral Revival and continues the fight for economic and social justice in America.
The Poor People’s Campaign
Patented in 1923, this inventor’s three-position traffic signal was a key step toward the modern traffic lights we use today.
Garrett Morgan
Who is the first Black college basketball player to pass for over 1,000 assists and score over 1,000 points?
Your facilitator, me, Demetri Beekman
This prolific filmmaker, director, producer, and writer is known for tackling social and racial issues in his work, with films that challenge and inspire audiences.
Spike Lee
This Milwaukee-based business mogul, part owner of the Bucks and CEO of V&J Holdings, runs the largest female-owned franchise organization in the U.S., overseeing brands like Burger King, Auntie Anne’s, and Pizza Hut.
Dr. Valerie Daniels-Carter