Posts

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…

The Infamous Letter That Frederick Douglas Wrote to Harriet Tubman
In the late 1800s, slavery was at its height as figures like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass made plans to dismantle the entire slave trade. Not many people know, however, t…

Floyd Norman Was Walt Disney Studio’s First African American Animator
Walt Disney Animation Studios, one of the world's largest and most profitable film studios today, has been around for many decades. Not many know, however, that it took 25 f…

A Black Man Named Alexander Pushkin is Considered to be the Father of Russian Literature
Born in 1799, Alexander Pushkin would one day grow up to become who many consider to be the Father of Russian Literature. Not only were his poems and passages an eye-opener to Rus…

This 11-Year Old is the Youngest Fashion Designer Ever to Present at New York Fashion Week
The fashion business has broken societal norms by the dozen, but 11-year old Kheris Rogers has certainly made a name for herself in the fashion industry. In 2017, she became the y…

In 2017, BP Appointed its First Ever Black Female CEO
BP, a world-class multinational oil and gas company, changed its direction of leadership back in 2017 when they appointed their fir st-ever black female CEO,  Priscillah Mabelane.…

Jack Johnson, the First African American Boxer to Be a Heavyweight Champion
Boxing is a sport that has been around since ancient times, starting in the Olympics as a bloody-knuckled contest to become a champion. Many years have passed since then and in 18…

Meet David Harris, the First Black Pilot For a Commercial Airline
Up until 1964, the skies above America were populated only by white pilots. Although there had been some pilots of differing races during wartime, commercial flights were not flow…

Richard Greener, the First Black Student to Graduate from Harvard
Established in 1636, Harvard Law School is an Ivy League university that prides itself on accepting only the top scholars who apply to it.  However, its exclusivity didn't com…

Janice Bryant Howroyd, the First Black Woman to Own and Run a Billion-Dollar Company
In 1976, Janice Howroyd began her journey to becoming the first black woman to own and run a company now worth $420 million. According to Entrepreneur , Howroyd's story began …

Oscar Micheaux, the First African-American Filmmaker
In 1919, filmmaking history was made when Oscar Micheaux b ecame the first-ever African American to direct and make his own feature film. Micheaux got his start early when he wrot…

Jennifer King, the First Black Woman to be a Full-Time NFL Coach
In Jan uary of 2021, the NFL went an entirely new and exciting direction with its staffing when Jennifer King  was named assistant running backs coach for the Washington Football…

Max Robinson, America’s First Black Television Network Anchor
In 1978, history was made as Max Robinson became the first black television anchor in America. Robinson had his heart set on this achievement as far back as 1959 when he " ap…

Why Jim Brown is One of the Greatest NFL Players of All Time
There are m an y "greats" in the National Football League, but Jim Brown remains both relevant and stellar in both his history as well as his status as a previous fullba…

Mary Alexander, the First Black Woman to Appear in Coca-Cola Advertisements
Born in Alabama, Mary Alexander is truly a trailblazer as well as a lovely example for models and company advertisers as well. Her legacy? Becoming the first Black woman to appea…