Important People
Name the inventor who patented an automatic system to safely open and close elevator doors:
A) George Washington Carver
B) Booker T. Washington
C) Alexander Miles
Who is Alexander Miles?
If you had to give a 1–2-minute elevator speech honoring Black history, what would your key message be?
What year was Black History Month first recognized nationally in the U.S.?
A) 1926
B) 1964
C) 1976
What is 1976?
Who is a significant figure in Black history that inspires you? Why?
On September 4, 1957, ________ helped to integrate Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The 15-year-old faced an angry mob of white students and adults as she walked into the all-white Harding High School.
A) Ruby Bridges
B) Dorothy Counts-Scoggins
C) Thelma Mothershed
Who is Dorothy Counts-Scoggins?
Like Dorothy Counts Scoggins, have you ever been the first to do something? What was it? Share your experience.
Name the notable Civil Rights icon who gave a speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps in Washington, DC during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963?
A) Malcolm X
B) Martin Luther King, Jr.
C) Frederick Douglass
Who is Martin Luther King, Jr.?
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream" speech. Why are speeches like the “I Have a Dream” speech still relevant today?
There are 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. dedicated to educating Black Americans, with many founded between 1865 and the 1950s following the Civil War. Which institution was established in 1837 and is recognized as the first HBCU in the United States?
A) Howard University
B) Cheyney University
C) North Carolina Central University
What is Cheyney University?
What does progress look like to you?
___________, a 20-year old Black artist with The Charlotte Observer, won the contest sponsored by the Mecklenburg County Chamber of Commerce in the late 1950s/early 1960s to design the county seal. His winning design, officially adopted in 1964, was created to reflect the county's history, growth, and future. The emblem is still used today on county vehicles, buildings, and official documents.
A) Harvey Boyd
B) Julius Chambers
C) Fred Alexander
Who is Harvey Boyd?
If someone told your story years from now, what impact would you hope they describe?
Who invented the letter box (the modern mailbox)?
A) Garrett Morgan
B) Philip B. Downing
C) Elijah McCoy
Who is Philip B. Downing?
If you could write a letter to a significant figure in Black history, who would it be and what would you ask or say?
A 19 year old Black man named ____________ was killed in the first documented racial terror lynching in Mecklenburg County on August 26, 1913 at the site of the former Good Samaritan Hospital, which is now located under the home side of Bank of America Stadium.
A) Joe McNeely
B) Willie McDaniel
C) Keith Lamont Scott
Who is Joe McNeely?
How can storytelling preserve culture and history?
__________ was the first Black mayor of Charlotte, serving from 1983 to 1987. He was the first African-American student admitted to Clemson University. A local Charlotte museum was named in his honor.
A) Leon Levine - Levine Museum of the New South
B) Charles Illusions - Museum of Illusions
C) Harvey B. Gantt - Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
Who is Harvey B. Gantt?
What does your name represent to you, and how are your daily actions shaping the legacy it will leave?
Who triggered a boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system in 1955 by refusing to give up their seat to a white passenger on a bus?
A) Martin Luther King, Jr.
B) Malcolm X
C) Rosa Parks
Who is Rosa Parks?
What leadership lesson can we learn from Rosa Parks?
At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, _______ delivered what is now recognized as one of the most famous abolitionist and women’s rights speeches in American history, “Ain’t I a Woman?” She continued to speak out for the rights of African Americans and women during and after the Civil War.
A) Betsy Ross
B) Harriet Tubman
C) Sojourner Truth
Who is Sojourner Truth?
What role does public speaking play in advancing social change?
__________ is best known for his vibrant, richly textured collages that celebrate the African American experience, depicting everyday life, historical narratives, and cultural themes from jazz to the rural South, often highlighting social realities and the Civil Rights Movement. He became a leading figure in American art, particularly known for his intricate technique using magazine and photo cutouts, though he also worked in painting, printmaking, and theatrical design.
A) Tommie Robinson
B) Romare Bearden
C) Abel Jackson
Who is Romare Bearden?
Art is activism. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
What was the name of the formerly enslaved woman who became a renowned “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, risking her life to lead enslaved people to freedom?
A) Harriet Tubman
B) Sojourner Truth
C) Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Who is Harriet Tubman?
If you could lead a movement like Harriet Tubman, what change would you fight for?
Who was the civil rights activist and lawyer who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on February 12, 1909?
A) Thurgood Marshall
B) W.E.B. Du Bois
C) Nelson Mandela
Who is W.E.B. Du Bois?
How can you use your gifts, skills, and/or talents to create positive change in your community?
In 1951, at age 17, _________ made history by becoming Charlotte's first Black female radio DJ and was one of the few Black women in radio in the 1950s and 1960s.
A) Mary Dee Dudley
B) Stacey "Hotwaxx" Hale
C) Hattie "Chatty Hatty" Leeper
Who is Hattie "Chatty Hatty" Leeper?
How does music help shape cultural identity?