Captain Robert Smalls
Robert Smalls was born into slavery in 1839 but escaped with his family and a crew of other enslaved persons during the American Civil War. He eventually became a sea captain, a politician, businessman, and publisher.
Charles Q. Brown Jr
General Charles Q. Brown made history as the first black American to lead a U.S. branch of the military when he became the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force on August 6, 2020.
Esteban Hotesse
Esteban Hotesse served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the 619th Squadron of the 477th Bombardment Group. That made him the only Afro-Latino member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
Cathay Williams
Cathay Williams became the first black female to enlist in the United States Army after posing as a man and using the pseudonym William Cathay.
General Lloyd J. Austin III
As the 28th Secretary of Defense, retired four-star general Lloyd J. Austin III made history by becoming the first black American appointed to that office.