Section One
Who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus at age 15, preceding Rosa Parks by nine months?
Who was Claudette Colvin?
Joined the Lakers in 1979, former Michigan State University grad. He was the recipient of many NBA awards. He was phenomenal on the court and went on to coach in the NBA, win the BET Humanitarian Award, and the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. As a successful businessman he has partnered with major companies like Starbucks, Hewlett Packard and Loew's movie theaters.
Who is Earvin "Magic" Johnson?
Who became the first African-American woman and Native American to hold a pilot license?
Who was Bessie Coleman?
Which inventor’s most notable device was a protective smoke hood used in a 1916 tunnel rescue? And the known for creating the stop light.
Who was Garret Morgan?
Who popularized the phrase “Black Power” while working for global Black liberation? Also an original SNCC Freedom Rider.
Who was Stokely Carmichael?
Trained as a social worker, he spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and turning the National Urban League from a relatively passive civil rights organization.
Author of; To Be Equal and Beyond Racism
(A Magnet school in Chicago is named after him.)
Whitney M. Young
Which leader served as longtime head of the NAACP and investigated lynchings to combat segregation?
He was a double agent, passing as white to collect information on the KKK and Lynchings.
Who was Walter White?
Strategist of nonviolent protest was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington? He was known for his forward thinking and strategies, however he was often kept in the shadows.
Who was Baynard Rustin?
Famed attorney is known for representing families in high-profile police brutality cases? He represented George Floyd's family and many other civil rights' cases that gain publicity.
Who is Ben Crump?
Served as an NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi and organized voter registration efforts? He was assassinated in Mississippi as he entered his home.
Who was Medgar Evers?
This actor became widely known for portraying T'Challa a superhero in the MCU film Black Panther?
Who was Chadwick Boseman?
Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson?
Which comedian cocreated, wrote, and starred in a groundbreaking sketch television show? Known for his bold truths, and stepping away from a 50 million dollar contract due to his ethical beliefs.
Who is Dave Chappelle?
Which group revolutionized gospel music and brought it to mainstream audiences? Originally from Detroit, these 5 celebrate 50 years in the music industry.
Who are the Clark Sisters?
Early soul figure wrote the civil rights anthem A Change Is Gonna Come and also known for the light-hearted classic Twistin the Night Away? From Chicago, he was the son of a Pastor.
Who was Sam Cooke?
Responsible for one of the most socially conscious, celebrated and timeless works of 20th century popular art: his 1971 album, What's Going On. Other bestselling Motown songs; Mercy Mercy and Ain't No Mountain High enough (duet with Tammi Terrell) From Washington, D.C. (was eventually murdered by his father)
Who was Marvin Gaye?
Called the “Queen of Soul” with music that became an anthem for civil rights and women’s empowerment? At the age of 14 she quit school to go on the road with her Father's Gospel Caravan.
(R.E.S.P.E.C.T.)
Who was Aretha Franklin?
From Akron, Ohio however this athlete grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has led the NBA in free throw percentages four times. He was an NBA all-star nine times and is considered one of the greatest point guards and shooters in NBA history.
Who is Stephen Curry?
(AKA Steph Curry)
Who is recognized as the “First Lady of Gospel Music”?
Known for singing on Broadway in "Mama I want to Sing" and movies such "The Fighting Temptations".
Who is Shirley Caesar?
Who is a leader of the neo-soul movement, celebrating Black identity and spirituality? She has received American Music Awards, 4 Grammys, and 2 NAACP Awards.
Who is Erykah Badu?
He highlighted Black excellence in a genre rooted in Black music. His achievements are deeply connected to broader narratives about Rock and Roll. This connection made him unique in the music industry.
Who is Jimi Hendrix?
Which bandleader and composer mentored many musicians and helped establish jazz as serious concert music with symphonic works? He was a pianist, composer and big band leader.
Known for snazzy songs such a "It don't mean a thing".
Who was Duke Ellington?
Which director is noted for gritty action and thriller films such as Training Day and The Equalizer?
Who is Antoine Fuqua?
Her competitive career began in 2011, in the 2018 Olympics she became the second gymnast to win a medal for every event becoming a five-time World Champion gymnast. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 from Biden.
Who is Simone Biles?
Who is known for playing Sergeant Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon series? (iconic partner in buddy-cop films)
Who is Danny Glover?
Who made history onstage as Brutus Jones in Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones? (groundbreaking African American lead)
Who was Charles Gilpin?
Which actor is celebrated for a deep, authoritative voice and acclaimed roles in The Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby?
Who is Morgan Freeman?
Who pioneered a fusion of African, Caribbean, and ballet movement and founded a self-supporting Black dance company?
Who is Katherine Dunham?
Actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and civil rights activist. She is best known for originating the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun (1961).
She is celebrated for activism and work in African American theatre and film?
Married to Ossie Davis.
Who is Ruby Dee?
An extraordinary tennis player, she was the first Black to play at Wimbledon in 1951. First Black to win Grand Slam event in 1956.
She has served as a member of as a member of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.
*2002 her career and life was celebrated at the U.S. Open Tournament
*Author of ; I Always Wanted to be Somebody
Who was Althea Gibson?