Black on the RMS Titanic
Although various media have recounted the sinking of the Titanic over several decades, most accounts neglect to feature the only black family that sailed aboard her in second-class accommodations.
Paul Cuffee
Paul Cuffee spearheaded the first back-to-Africa movement in the U.S. at the turn of the nineteenth century and became the first free black American to meet with a sitting president at the White House.
Gold Fever
The discovery of gold in California brought white enslavers and the enslaved, immigrants from foreign nations, and many freeborn blacks from the Northeast who mined for the precious metal with varying degrees of success.
Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Rudolph, a track and field athlete, made history in 1960 by becoming the first American woman to compete in a single Olympics and win three gold medals.
Mellody Hobson
Mellody Hobson is co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a well-respected Chicago money-management firm. In 2020, she made history by being named chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation.
Tracy K. Smith
Tracy K. Smith is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet and the U.S. poet laureate appointed to the 2017 and 2018 terms by the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden.
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.
Amy Sherald
Award-winning portrait artist Amy Sherald waited tables until she was 38 before painting became a career. In 2018, the National Portrait Gallery unveiled her official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley is a highly regarded portrait painter known for his naturalistic paintings of black American men in heroic poses. Barack Obama chose Wiley to paint his presidential portrait.
Ta-Nehisi Coates
A former national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, Ta-Nehisi Coates is also an award-winning author and faculty member of Howard University.
Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland is the first black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre and a strong advocate for diversity in the art form.
Carla Hayden
In 2016, professional librarian Carla Hayden made history by becoming the first female and the first black American to serve as the Librarian of Congress.
Jon Gosier
Jon Gosier is a leading investor, software developer, and philanthropist whose organizations aim to evenly distribute wealth derived from tech.
Tamyra Mensah-Stock
Tamyra Mensah-Stock succeeded in defeating her opponent during the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final at the Tokyo Olympics, making her the first black female in the U.S. to win gold.
Usain Bolt
Jamaica-born Olympic champion Usain Bolt is considered the fastest man alive. He broke world records and won a series of gold medals at three Summer Games in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
Miriam Jiménez Román
Miriam Esther Jiménez Román was many things: a professor, archivist, curator, editor, author, and social theorist. She was also a pioneer of Afro-Latinidad studies.
Massy Arias
Massiel “Massy” Indhira Arias is an Afro-Dominican personal trainer and health coach who overcame severe depression through fitness training and now advocates for health and wellness.
Horacio Salgán
Horacio Adolfo Salgán was an Afro-Argentine tango composer, conductor, and pianist who was instrumental in expanding the boundaries of his music form. At 100 years of age, he died in Buenos Aires, where he was born.
Neymar Santos Jr.
Neymar Santos, Jr., known professionally as Neymar, is a Brazilian soccer player with several awards and championship titles to his name. He is considered one of the greatest players in the sport.