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100 Greatest African Americans is a biographical dictionary of one hundred historically great Black Americans (in alphabetical order; that is, they are not ranked), as assessed by Temple University professor Molefi Kete Asante in 2002. A similar book was written by Columbus Salley.
- Molefi Kete Asante
- 2002
- Claudette Colvin, Civil Rights Activist. When one thinks of the famed Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks doubtless comes to mind. However, it was actually a teenaged girl named Claudette Colvin who was first arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person.
- Bass Reeves, the Lone Ranger. Western films typically depict the wild west as entirely white. This concept couldn’t be further from reality, given that around 25% of cowboys were actually black.
- Esther Jones, the real-life Betty Boop. The 1920s icon Betty Boop was purportedly based on white jazz singer Helen Kane. Kane went so far as to sue to the creators of Betty Boop for stealing her likeness and singing style.
- Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Founder of Chicago. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a Haitian Black man, was the first non-Indigenous settler of the area that became Chicago, Illinois.
A list of inspirational black people who played a key role in the world and American history. Martin Luther King (1929 – 1968) – King was a pivotal figure in the non-violent civil rights movement.
- Origins of Black History Month, NAACP
- Famous Lawyers, Activists, Scientists and Politicians
- Famous Black Athletes
- First Black Millionaire, Billionaire and Oscar Winner
- First Black President, Black Vice President, Population Growth
Black History Month: The celebration of Black History Month began as “Negro History Week,” which was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator and publisher. It became a month-long celebration in 1976. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham ...
First Lawyer: John Mercer Langston was the first Black man to become a lawyer when he passed the bar in Ohio in 1854. When he was elected to the post of Town Clerk for Brownhelm, Ohio, in 1855 Langston became one of the first African Americans ever elected to public office in America. John Mercer Langston was also the great-uncle of Langston Hughes...
Heavyweight Champ: Jack Johnsonbecame the first African American man to hold the World Heavyweight Champion boxing title in 1908. He held onto the belt until 1915. First Professional Black Baseball Player: On April 5, 1947, Jackie Robinsonbecame the first African American to play Major League Baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. He led the...
Self-Made Millionaire: Madam C.J. Walker was born on a cotton plantation in Louisiana and became wealthyafter inventing a line of African American hair care products. She established Madame C.J. Walker Laboratories and was also known for her philanthropy. Oscar Winner: In 1940, Hattie McDaniel was the first African American performer to win an Acad...
First Black President: In 2008, Barack Obamabecame the first Black president of the United States. First Black Vice President: In January 2021, Kamala Harris became the first woman of African or Asian descent to become vice president. Harris's mother immigrated to the United States from India and her father immigrated from Jamaica. Population Growt...
- Claudette Colvin. Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to move to the back of a bus to give up her seat to a white person.
- Robert Sengstacke Abbott. Abbott laid the foundation for what would eventually birth many Black publications including Ebony, Jet, Essence, Black Enterprise, Right On!
- Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm kicked the door in for African American women holding major roles in government. She first served as an educational consultant for New York City’s Bureau of Child Welfare and ran for New York State Assembly in 1964.
- Johnson H. Johnson. Hailed as one of the most influential Black media publishers, Johnson got his start working for Supreme Life Insurance Company collecting weekly news clippings for his manager, which sparked his idea for his first publication, Negro Digest.
Black history is the story of African Americans in the United States and elsewhere. Learn about Black History Month, Black leaders, the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and more.
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Feb 1, 2023 · When it comes to pioneers in African American history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Muhammad Ali are often mentioned—and rightfully so. But what do you know about other Black history heroes, like Claudette Colvin, Alice Coachman, or Shirley Chisholm?
