Black History Review

Women 1

100

American civil rights and women's rights activist. She focused on the issues of African American women, including unemployment, illiteracy, and voter awareness. President of the National Council of Negro Women.

Dorothy Height 

200

Refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Bus at 15 years old. (before Rosa Parks). (was 'too young and passionate' to be a face of the movement at the time) 

Claudette Colvin 

300

civil rights activist, poet and award-winning author known for her acclaimed 1969 memoir, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' and her numerous poetry and essay collections.

Maya Angelou 

400

 first African American, and the first Native American woman pilot

Bessie Coleman 

500

first African American woman in Congress (1968) and the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from one of the two major political parties (1972)

 

Shirley Chisolm 

Women 2

100

“Upfront, pleasant and…absolutely fearless" 

African-American civil rights activist in the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement who is best known for punching Dallas County, Alabama Sheriff Jim Clark. 

Hint: Movie "Selma" 

Annie Lee Cooper

200

played a key role in some of the most influential organizations of the time, including the NAACP, Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Ella Baker 

300

 youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer

Amanda Gorman 

400

African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Madam CJ Walker 

500

was an American athlete. She specialized in high jump and was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. 

Alice Coachmen 

Men 1

100

first African-American president of the United States (44 president) 

Barack Obama 

200

 African American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King Jr.

300

American trumpeter, composer, vocalist, and actor who was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and different eras in the history of jazz.

Louis Armstrong

400

American track and field athlete and four-time gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic Games. He  specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifetime as "perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history.

Jessie Owens 

500

 Gay American civil rights activist who was an adviser to Martin Luther King, Jr., and who was the main organizer of the March on Washington in 1963.

 

Bayard Rustin 

Women 3

100

refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. 

Rosa Parks 

200

At the age of six, she advanced the cause of civil rights in November 1960 when she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South.

Ruby Bridges

300

Transgender, American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. She was known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.

Marsha P Johnson 

400

was an American actress and fashion model. In a career spanning more than seven decades, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. (died on Jan 28th, 2021) 

Cicely Tyson 

500

one of the most highly regarded, influential, and widely read poets of 20th-century American poetry. She was a much-honored poet, even in her lifetime, with the distinction of being the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize

Gwendolyn Brooks