Richmond Barthé: A Distinguished American Sculptor
[dropcap size=big]R[/dropcap]ichmond Barthé was an African-American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Barthe was one of the first sculptors to focus on Black people as...
Tag : Black Firsts
Ora Mae Washington: The forgotten Queen of Tennis
Ora Mae Washington was an African-American tennis player known as the “Queen of Tennis” in her Philadelphia neighborhood. Washington was an accomplished all-around athlete, excelling...
Willa B. Brown: Trailblazing Aviatrix who accomplished many historical firsts
[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]illa B. Brown was the first African-American woman to become a licensed pilot in the United States. She was also the first Black officer...
Leonard Roy Harmon: The first Black man to have a warship named after him
Leonard Roy Harmon was an African American sailor who died in action during World War II and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his...
Edward Garrison Walker: The son of David Walker
Edward Garrison Walker, the son of David Walker, came to prominence in his own right as an attorney in 1861; he was one of the...
John Hanks Alexander: The first African-American professor of military science and tactics
John Hanks Alexander was the second African-American graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, following Henry O. Flipper; but was the first...
Harry Lew: The first African-American professional basketball player
Harry Lew is best known for becoming the first African-American professional basketball player when he joined the New England League in 1902. Lew played basketball...
Carter G. Woodson: The Father of Black History
Carter G. Woodson, known as The Father of Black History, was the African American historian who first opened the long-neglected field of Black studies to...
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr: The First African American General in the U.S. Air Force
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., born on December 18, 1912, in Washington, D.C., was a pioneering pilot, officer, and administrator who broke barriers as the first...
Maria W. Stewart: Powerful Public Orator for Black Women’s Rights
Maria W. Stewart, essayist, teacher, and political activist, is thought to be the first woman in America and the first African-American woman to make public...