Pioneers & "Firsts"
This woman became the first Black person and South Asian person to serve as Vice President of the United States.
Who is Kamala Harris?
This poet and activist is famous for the poem "Still I Rise" and her memoir I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing.
Who is Maya Angelou?
After being enslaved, she became a famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading dozens of people to freedom.
Who is Harriet Tubman?
This agricultural scientist at Tuskegee university developed hundreds of products using peanuts and sweet potatoes
Who is George Washington Carver?
In 1846, this enslaved man and his wife, Harriet, sued for their freedom at the St. Louis Old Courthouse, leading to a Taylor-made Supreme Court decision that fueled the Civil War.
Who is Dred Scott?
In 1968, she made history as the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress.
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
Known as the "Queen of Soul," she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Who is Aretha Franklin?
Nine months before Rosa Parks, this 15-year-old was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus.
Who is Claudette Colvin?
Known as the "Father of the Blood Bank," he pioneered methods for storing blood plasma that saved countless lives during WWII.
Who is Dr. Charles Drew?
This St. Louis native and "First Lady of Jazz" became an international superstar in France and was a brave spy for the French Resistance during WWII.
Who is Josephine Baker?
This civil rights leader became the first African American to serve as a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967.
Who is Thurgood Marshall?
This author wrote the 1982 novel The Color Purple, which was later adapted into a major motion picture.
Who is Alice Walker?
Born Malcolm Little, this human rights activist was a prominent leader in the Nation of Islam before his assassination in 1965
Who is Malcolm X?
This inventor and draftsman created the carbon filament that made lightbulbs long-lasting and practical for homes.
Who is Lewis Latimer?
Located in the Ville neighborhood of St. Louis, this was the first hospital in the U.S. built specifically for the training and treatment of Black doctors and patients.
What is Homer G. Phillips Hospital?
She is recognized as the first Black female self-made millionaire in America, having built an empire with her line of hair care products.
Who is Madam C.J. Walker?
This trumpeter was a pioneer of bebop jazz, famous for his "bent" trumpet and puffed-out cheeks.
Who is Dizzy Gillespie?
This voting rights activist and lawyer served in the Georgia House of Representatives and founded the organization Fair Fight.
Who is Stacey Abrams?
: He was a self-taught mathematician and astronomer who helped survey the territory for Washington, D.C.
Who is Benjamin Banneker?
Before becoming a registered nurse, an activist, and the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress, she was a Top Teen in the St. Louis Chapter.
Who is Cori Bush?
In 1983, this NASA astronaut became the first African American to travel into space.
Who is Guion Bluford?
She was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature, awarded in 1950 for her poetry
Who is Gwendolyn Brooks?
: This civil rights icon and longtime Congressman from Georgia was known for his "Good Trouble" philosophy and leadership in the Selma marches.
Who is John Lewis?
This physician and NASA astronaut was the first African American woman to travel in space aboard the shuttle Endeavour.
Who is Dr. Mae Jemison?
This St. Louis native and former Top Teen in the St. Louis Chapter now represents Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Who is Jasmine Crockett?