| A | B |
|---|
| Alex Halley | Writer: Grew up in TN and is best known for Roots. He also collaborated with Malcolm X to write the Autobiography of Malcolm X. |
| Sissieretta Jones | Music: Opera Singer; A pioneer of black opera singers. |
| Mahalia Jackson | Music: Gospel Singer; called the Queen of Gospel Music |
| Shirley Chisholm | Politics: First black women to win a seat in the U.S. House of Rep. In 1972 she ran in the Democratic primary for the presidency. First African-American and First Woman to do so for a major party. |
| Elijah McCoy | Inventor: In 1872 invented a self-lubricating system to oil locomotive engines. Did other inventions such as a ironing table and a lawn sprinkler. Lent his name to the phrase the "Real McCoy" |
| William Leidesdorff | Business: Established a trading company in San Francisco, traded goods between San Francisco and Hawaii. First to operate a steamship pas the Golden Gate Bridge. Built San Francisco's First hotel. Leidesdorff Street in the financial district is named for him. |
| Bridget Mason | Medical: Former slave who worked as a midwife. Helped build the first African Methodist Episcopal Church in California. |
| Hazel Scott | Music: Played with Louis Armstrong's All Girl band as a saxophonist. Also played the piano. Had the first nationally syndicate musical variety hosted by an African American woman. |
| Kenny Washington | Athlete: Starred at UCLA was a teammate of Jackie Robinson. Could not play in the NFL due to exclusion of African Americans between 1934-1946. Helped integrate the league in 1946 when he joined the LA Rams. |
| Ben Carson | Medical: Director pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins university. Former candidate for president in 2016 (Republican Primary). Currently Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) |
| Ronald McNair | Astronaut: Mission Specialist killed when the Challenger was destroyed Jan. 28, 1986 |
| Patrick Healy | Educator: First African-American to earn a PhD. and served as president of Georgetown University (1873-1882). |
| Matthew Henson | Explorer: Accompanied Robert Preary to the North Pole, 1909. Belief that he actually got to the North Pole first. |
| Adam Clayton Powell Jr. | Politician: Elected to the U.S. House in 1944 introduced measures opposing lynching and the poll tax and worked to end segregation in Washington D.C. |
| Patricia Harris | Government/Law: First African-American to serve as an ambassador. Appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by President Carter. |
| Ernest Just | Marine Biology: First ever to win the Spingarn Medal for research in biology and embryology. |
| Bessie Coleman | Aviation: First licensed African American pilot. |
| Frederick Douglas | Civil Rights/Journalism: Co-Founder and Co-editor of the North Star a leading abolitionist newspaper. |
| Ralph Ellison | Writer: Best know work is Invisible Man |
| Wilma Rudolph | Athlete: First female Americna runner to win three gold Medals, 1960 Games in Rome. |
| Henry Flipper | Military: First African-American to graduate from West Point |
| Benjamin Banneker | Astronomer/Mathematician/Surveyor: Surveyed the federal land that became Washington D.C. |
| Asa Philip Randolph | Union Organizer: Led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. |
| Isaac Murphy | Athletics: Has been called the greatest jockey in the history of horse racing. |
| Countee Cullen | Writer: One of the foremost poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Best known work is Copper Sun |
| Daniel Hale Williams | Medical: First surgeon to successfully perform open heart surgery |
| Major Taylor | Athletics: Champion cyclist |
| George Schuyler | Writer: Writer of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote Black No More |
| Carter Woodson | Historian: Creator of Black History Month |
| Noble Johnson | Actor: One of the first successful Black actors. |
| Ralph Bunche | Diplomat: Successfully negotiated an armistice in the first Arab-Israeli War. Received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. |
| Garrett Morgan | Inventor: Created the safety helmet (army) the traffic light, and the gas mask. |
| Fannie Coppin | Educator: Committed to educating African-Americans after the Civil War. |
| Paul Robeson | Actor: He was also a scholar and athlete graduate of Rutgers university. Worked for civil rights. |
| Jack Johnson | Athlete: First Black prizefighter to win the heavyweight championship. |
| Lena Horne | Singer/Actor: First African American women to sign a term contract in film. |
| Barbara Jordan | Politics: First African-American women elected to the US House of Rep. from the south. Gave the keynote address at the 1976 Democratic convention. |
| Lillian Evanti | Singer: One of the first African American to develop a career in grand opera. She wrote Ghana's national anthem. |
| Oscar Micheaux | Film: Directed over 44 films |
| Ivan Dickson | Film: Also an actor. |
| August Wilson | Writer: Playwright known for plays set in Pittsburgh |
| Zora Neale Hurston | Writer: Their Eyes Were Watching God |
| Mary Bethune | Educator |
| Ida B. Wells | Journalist/Educator: One of the founders of the NAACP |
| Harriet Tubman | Politics: Leading abolitionist, conductor of the Underground Railroad. |
| Mary Church Terrell | Educator |
| James Baldwin | Writer: The Fire Next Time |
| Claude McKay | Writer: Home to Harlem |
| Langston Hughes | Writer: Poet and Novelist, The Weary Blues;Not Without Laughter |
| May Angelou | Writer: Poet |
| Samuel Delany | Writer: Science Fiction |
| Octavia Butler | Writer: Science Fiction, Earthseed, The Parable of the Talents |
| Toni Morrison | Writer: The Bluest Eye |
| Lorraine Hansbury | Writer: A Raisin in the Sun |
| Sojourner Truth | Politics: Promenient Abolitionist |
| Harriet Beacher Stowe | Writer: Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| Jackie Robinson | Athletics: Broke the color barrier in major league baseball. His number 42 has been retired by every major league team. |
| Benjamin O. Davis Jr. | Military: First African-American Air Force General |
| Benjamin O. Davis Sr. | Military: First Africa-American Army General |
| Colin Powell | Military: First African-American Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; First African American Secretary of State |
| Condolezza Rice | Politics: First African American Female Secretary of State |
| Edward Brooke | Politics: First African-American popularly elected U.S. Senator |
| Hiriam Revels | Politics: First African-American to serve in the U.S. Senate |
| Robert Smalls | Politics: First African-American to be elected to the U.S. House |
| P.B.S. Pinchback | Politics: First African-American Governor |
| L. Douglas Wilder | Politics: First African-American to be elected Governor. |
| Carol Mosely Braun | Politics: First African-American Female U.S. Senator |
| Dorothy Dandrige | Film: First African-American to be nominated for Best Actress |
| Hattie McDaniel | Film: First African American to win an Oscar; Best Supporting Actress Gone With the Wind, 1939 |
| Halle Berry | Film: First African-American to win Best Actress, Monster's Ball, 2001 |
| Sidney Poitier | Film: First African American to win Best Actor, Lillies of the Field, 1963 |
| Frank Robinson | Atheltics: First African-American Baseball Manager |
| Willie O'Rhee | Atheltics: First Black Hockey player in the NHL |
| Satchel Page | Athletics: First African-American to pitch in a World Series |
| Buck O'Neill | Atheltics: First African-American to be a coach in the Major Leagues (Baseball, Chicago Cubs) |
| Paul Lawrence Dunbar | Writer: Poet, Major and Minors, and Lyrics of Lowly Life |
| Eugene Bullard | Aviation: World War I pilot, flew for France. Nicknamed the Black Swallow of Death |
