Mostly music, but also other things
This university graduated the first African American doctorate in mechanical engineering - Aprille Ericsson.
Howard University
This African American woman became the first female millionaire for producing and selling hair styling and beauty products.
Madame C. J. Walker
Some may call me a dream chaser. I put out some of the hottest flamer mixtapes and came up in the rap scene in Philadelphia, signed by Maybach Records.
Meek Mills
This American scientist, educator, humanitarian and former slave developed hundreds of products from peanuts, sweet potatoes, pecans and soybeans.
George Washington Carver
She is the all-time best female tennis player with 39 Grand Slam titles to prove it.
Serena Williams
He was the first African-American musician to perform at the White House.
“Blind Tom” Wiggins
She is the daughter of the greatest of all time! This super middleweight champion grew her career from just boxing to being a philanthropist and multi-media personality
Laila Ali
This rapper said “We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us. No heat, no wonder why Christmas missed us. Birthdays were the worst days…”
Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls
In 1914, he patented a breathing device, which was the first gas mask. He also patented the traffic signal in 1923.
Garrett Morgan
At 6’9” he was the tallest point guard in league history. During his astonishing 13-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was a member of five championship teams, won the MVP Award and the Finals MVP Award three times each, and was a 12-time All-Star.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
He was president when the Civil Rights Act was passed.
Lyndon B. Johnson
She was one of the WNBA’s original players in 1997. She was also the first woman to ever dunk in the WNBA.
Lisa Leslie
Worldwide it was the first “Original American Music” Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane are but a few of the vanguards for my genre.
What is Jazz
Patricia Bath was the first African American female physician to receive a patent for a medical invention related to the removal of this from the eye.
Cataract
At the 2006 Winter Olympics, this speed skater became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport. They currently hold the world record for the 1000m sprint.
Shani Davis
He served as the first Black U.S. representative to the United Nations in 1977.
Andrew Young
After winning nine Olympic gold medals in his record setting track and field career, he was voted Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee.
Carl Lewis
Her 1939 Easter Sunday concert at the Lincoln Memorial drew 75,000 attendees after being denied the right to perform at Constitution Hall due to her race.
Marian Anderson
Thomas Edison invented it, but Latimer Lewis improved it.
The light bulb
Winning almost every match she played, this racket master was the first Black person to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament after winning the French Open singles title.
Althea Gibson
This currently living biochemist worked for NASA as a remote sensing scientist as well as discovering a method of instantly detecting bacteria in water.
Emmett W. Chapelle
Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5 are a few of the acts that came from this record label.
Motown Records
For almost 35 years, Don Cornelius hosted this dance show that premiered the hottest musical talent in the nation.
Soul Train
Played by Taraji P. Henson in the movie ‘Hidden Figures’ this pioneering African-American woman mathematician made NASA’s rocket flights possible.
Katherine Johnson
This twelve-time All-Star never played in the minors, is a seven-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner and was the highest paid player in MLB in 1985.
Dave Winfield