African American Firsts
She was the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968.
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
This HBCU in Atlanta is known for producing leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.
What is Morehouse College?
This poet wrote Still I Rise and became a voice for empowerment and resilience.
Who is Maya Angelou?
She became the first African American woman billionaire through her media empire.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
He performed the first successful open-heart surgery in 1893.
Who is Dr. Daniel Hale Williams?
This man was the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.
Who is Colin Powell?
Founded in 1881, this HBCU in Alabama is famous for its emphasis on vocational education.
What is Tuskegee University?
This Harlem Renaissance poet wrote The Negro Speaks of Rivers.
Who is Langston Hughes?
He founded BET (Black Entertainment Television) in 1980.
Who is Robert L. Johnson?
She was the first African American woman in space in 1992.
Who is Dr. Mae Jemison?
She was the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002.
Who is Halle Berry?
This HBCU in Florida is named after its founder, Mary McLeod Bethune.
What is Bethune-Cookman University?
“This Nobel Prize–winning author wrote powerful works such as ‘Beloved’, exploring memory, identity, and the legacy of slavery.”
Who is Toni Morrison?
He created FUBU, a clothing brand that became a global phenomenon.
Who is Daymond John?
This mathematician’s pioneering work in satellite geodesy helped create the models that would become the foundation of today’s Global Positioning System (GPS).
Who is Gladys West?
He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895.
Who is W.E.B. Du Bois?
This HBCU in Louisiana is known for its strong marching band and engineering programs.
What is Southern University?
“Known for works like ‘The Fire Next Time’, this author explored race, sexuality, and humanity with unmatched clarity and passion.”
Who is James Baldwin?
She launched a successful haircare line and became one of the wealthiest Black women in America.
Who is Lisa Price (founder of Carol’s Daughter)?
She was a NASA mathematician whose calculations helped launch John Glenn into orbit.
Who is Katherine Johnson
He became the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal in 1908.
Who is John Baxter Taylor?
This HBCU in Washington, D.C., is known as “The Mecca” of Black education.
What is Howard University?
“This author won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple, a powerful story of resilience and sisterhood.”
Who is Alice Walker?
This businessman co-founded Motown Records in 1959.
Who is Berry Gordy?
This pediatric neurosurgeon became world‑renowned in 1987 for leading the first successful separation of twins conjoined at the back of the head.
Who is Dr. Ben Carson?