African American Firsts
Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?
Who is Justice Thurgood Marshall?
Who said, "I never run my train off the track and never lost a passenger"?
Who is Harriet Tubman
Who made agricultural advancements and inventions pertaining to the use of peanuts and was one of the first African-Americans admitted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990?
Who is George Washington Carver
Who was the first African American to be President of the US?
Barack Obama
This amazing man is the self–proclaimed “greatest [boxer] of all time” was originally named after his father, who was named after the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Marcellus Clay.
Who is Muhammad Ali
Who was the first African American to serve as the United States Secretary of State?
Who is Colin Powell
Who said "The time is always right to do what is right"?
Who is Martin Luther King, Jr.
Also known as Madame C. J. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women with her hair softening cream and shampoo which helped heal dry skin
Who is Sarah Breedlove Walker
Who was the main leader of the civil rights movement in the United States during the 1950's and 1960's, and won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for leading nonviolent civil rights demonstrations?
Who is Martin Luther King Jr.
Who was the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the US?
Which author became the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature. (Hint: Her resume includes "Sula" and "The Bluest Eye")
Who is Toni Morrison
Who said "Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise."?
Who is Maya Angelou
Name one of the three trailblazing mathematicians who were part of a team that helped launch satellites and humans into space. They were featured in book & movie "Hidden Figures"
Who is Dorothy Johnson Vaughan, Katherine Goble/Johnson, or Mary Jackson
This little girl was the first to attend a segregated school
Who is Ruby Bridges
This beloved musician was hailed as one of the best and most influential pianists during the swing era, with the biggest hit recording "The Christmas Song"
Who is Nat King Cole
Who was the first African American to have his likeness portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp?
Who is Booker T. Washington
Who said "Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."
Who is Colin Powell
This African American inventor saved countless lives with gas masks and improved traffic lights in 1916
Who is Garrett Morgan
In 1972, who was the first African American woman to be on the ballot as a candidate for President?
Who is Shirley Chisholm
Nicknamed the "Father of Rock and Roll," his refinement of rhythm and blues became a major influence in rock music. He was best known for "Johnny B. Goode" and the famous duck walk
Who is Chuck Berry
Who was the first African American golfer to be inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame?
Who is Charlie Sifford
Who said "In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute."
Who is Thurgood Marshall
This African American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut was onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Sept 12, 1992
Who is Mae Jemison
In 1862, during the Civil War, this brave African American commandeered a heavily armed Confederate ship and delivered its 17 Black passengers (9 men, 5 women, and 3 children) from slavery to freedom
Who is Robert Smalls
This pioneering film director started his career with a movie shot in 2 weeks and a budget of $175k, and grossed $7m at the box office. Some of his works were "Malcolm X" (1992) and "Do The Right Thing" (1989)
Who is Spike Lee