Game Changers & Activists
Before NASA used electronic supercomputers, this brilliant Black female mathematician manually calculated the exact orbital flight path for America's first human spaceflight.
Who is Katherine Johnson? [1, 2]
If you wake up on a Sunday morning and hear music blaring through the house, it is a universal sign that you are about to do this activity.
What is cleaning the house?
Originating in Mexico and popularized by Latino subcultures in the U.S., this style movement features oversized flannel shirts buttoned only at the top, crisp khakis, and classic Nike Cortez sneakers.
What is Chicano?
In the film Sinners, identical twins Elijah and Elias return home to Mississippi to open a juke joint, but are better known by these two rhyming nicknames.
In the film Sinners, identical twins Elijah and Elias return home to Mississippi to open a juke joint, but are better known by these two rhyming nicknames.
Building a massive empire across modern-day Peru, this ancient Indigenous civilization constructed the breathtaking mountain fortress of Machu Picchu completely without the use of mortar or iron tools.
Who are the Incas?
At just 17 years old, this Pakistani activist became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her brave fight for girls' education.
Who is Malala Yousafzai?
Tracing its roots back to West African hibiscus and kola nut drinks, this vibrant beverage color is an absolute staple at Black American celebrations like Juneteenth.
What is red? (Kool-Aid)
At just 15 years old, this Black American tennis phenom defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019 and went on to win the US Open, instantly becoming a modern style and sports icon.
Who is Coco Gauff?
In 2021, this famous Colombian family—including characters Mirabel, Bruno, and Luisa—won the hearts of millions and topped the music charts with the hit song "We Don't Talk About Bruno."
What is Encanto?
Revered as the wealthiest individual in all of human history, this 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire once caused global inflation just by giving away gold during his journey to Mecca.
Who is Mansa Musa?
Whether you are doing karaoke, streaming on Twitch, or just talking into a smartphone, 90% of microphones used today rely on a cheap, compact microphone technology patented by this Black American engineer in 1964.
Who is Dr. James E. West?
In many households, you must always look inside this appliance before turning it on, because it is used to store pots, pans, and comales.
What is an oven?
Born in Puerto Rico, this legendary baseball star was not only a Hall of Famer on the field, but a massive activist off the field, paving the way for Latino athletes to be celebrated globally in sports culture.
Who is Roberto Clemente?
In the classic Nickelodeon movie, Kel Mitchell greets every customer with, "Welcome to Good Burger...
What is home of the Good Burger, can I take your order?
: Spanning thousands of miles to connect Asia with Europe, this ancient trade route network allowed for the historic exchange of silk, spices, cultures, and technologies starting over 2,000 years ago.
What is the Silk Road?
Every time you have to type in a distorted, annoying word on a computer screen to prove to a website that "you are not a robot," you are using the CAPTCHA system invented by this Guatemalan computer scientist.
Who is Luis von Ahn? (he also co-founded Duolingo!)
In almost every household, it is a strict rule to never throw away a plastic grocery bag; instead, they are stuffed entirely into one of these.
What is a tissue box? (Acceptable answers: another plastic bag / a cabinet under the sink)
Centered on repeating, self-similar patterns, African people used complex math called fractal geometry for centuries to design this protective hairstyle.
What is braids?
In this 1998 hit, Lauryn Hill warns men about women with ulterior motives. Finish the next lyric after: "Guys, you know you'd better watch out...".
What is some girls, some girls are only about
That thing, that thing, that thing?
Long before European explorers arrived, these brilliant Indigenous people developed a fully functional written language, mapped the stars, and independently invented the mathematical concept of zero.
Who are the Mayans?
Known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," this journalist and activist risked her life in the 1890s to document and expose the horrors of lynching in the American South.
Who is Ida B. Wells?
This heavy, iconic blanket often featuring a giant tiger, lion, or wolf is a legendary staple found in practically every Hispanic household for winter comfort.
What is a San Marcos blanket?
At the 1912 Olympic Games, this legendary Native American athlete—a member of the Sac and Fox Nation—won two gold medals in shoes he found in a trash can after his own were stolen right before the race.
Who is Jim Thorpe?
This iconic 1998 buddy-cop action film made Hollywood history as one of the first major blockbusters to feature both a Black and an Asian actor as the primary co-leads.
What is Rush hour?
Centuries before the compass was invented, these ancient oceanic navigators settled the vast Pacific Islands using only the stars, ocean swells, and bird flight paths—a skill known as wayfinding.
Who are the Polynesians?