Posts

Robert H. Lawrence Jr. was the First Black Man to be Trained As an Astronaut
Born and raised in Illinois, Robert H. Lawrence Jr. took a running start in his academic journey, starting with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and later studying at Ohio Sta…

Martin Luther King Jr. Was Once Stabbed During a Book Signing
Prior to his death in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. survived a close brush with death many years earlier. During a public signing for his book, titled  Stride Toward Freedom: The M…

Quincy Jones Composed the Theme Song for the Popular 70’s “Sanford and Son” TV Sitcom with Redd Foxx
As one of history's most influential record producers, Quincy Jones has decades of experience under his belt. In fact, Jones is one of the first African Americans to sit as a …

Michael Jackson Wrote "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie
"We Are The World" is a seven-minute ballad that was written by both Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. However, what makes this piece so powerful is not only its lyrics…

The First African-American Congresswoman Survived Multiple Assassination Attempts When Running for President
American history is overrun by stories of presidential elections conducted and won by white males. However, not many are aware that Black women have been running for president for…

John Baxter Taylor, The First African-American Olympic Gold Medalist
Born in 1882, John Baxter Taylor Jr. grew up in Philadelphia. There, Taylor studied at Brown Preparatory School. This launched his lifetime career as an athlete, as he would compe…

Meet the Black Woman Who Helped Create Shockwave, Which Led to Animated GIFs
In the age of social media, cryptocurrency, and video streaming, it's easy to forget the days of old when people lived on dial-up internet and used landlines. However, all of …

Bryant Gumbel Was the First Black Person to Host a TV Network’s Morning Show
With a humble background working in sales, Bryant Gumbel made his name known in the vast majority of American households after becoming the first Black person to host a TV network…

Stevie Wonder was the First Black Artist to Win a GRAMMY for “Album of the Year”
Released in 1973, "Innervisions" carries some of the most iconic tunes created by the great Stevie Wonder. Not only does the album include songs like "Don't You…

Nat King Cole Was the 1st Black Person to Have His Own Nationally-Syndicated TV Show on NBC
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Nat King Cole Show!" This was the intro to a TV show only a few people today remember as it aired back in the mid-1950s. The Nat King Cole Sho…

Johnny Grier, the NFL’s First Black Referee
For as long as there has been American football, there have been referees. Some of them become famous for their many appearances on TVs and jumbotrons. However, through the many y…

Jane Cooke Wright, M.D., an African American Who Pioneered The Advancement of Cancer Medicine
Born just after World War II, Jane Cooke Wright was exposed to greatness at a young age, as her father was one of the first black graduates from Harvard Medical School. Wright car…

Despite Being Born a Free Black Woman, Sarah Parker Remond Fought Against Slavery
Born as a free black woman in 1894, Sarah Parker Remond had a more stable life as a child than the grand majority of black Americans in her time. According to BlackPast , Remond h…

Meet William Leidesdorff, America’s First Biracial Millionaire
Born in 1810, William Leidesdorff was a biracial West Indian immigrant who grew up in what is now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was the son of a Danish man and a woman of &…

Sojourner Truth Was 29-Years Old When She Escaped Slavery with Her Young Daughter
Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth was a legendary abolitionist and fighter for equal rights in America. Truth spent the majority of her young life as a slave in New York, sufferi…

Frances Watkins Harper, a Black Poet and Speaker Who Fought Against Slavery
As a daughter to free black parents, Frances Watkins Harper was one of few black children in the 1820s who weren't born into slavery. Harper learned to use this unique positio…

David Ruggles, the Owner of America’s First Black-Owned Bookstore
During the early 1800s, the United States was still growing and the spread of businesses hadn't reached even a fraction of the scale it had today. This gave inventive people s…

James Forten, a Black Inventor and Shipping Businessman in the 1800s
On August 2nd, 1776, America declared itself a new country through the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Founding fathers and congress members gathered together in the P…