Discover and celebrate the achievements of some of America's most inspiring women! The first female. African American vice president, first U.S. senator, the 83rd U.S. Attorney General, and first black state legislator in Alaska. The first time a black woman and a white band shared the same stage; the first black woman writer to win a Pulitzer Prize; and the first black prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera Company. Black women have accomplished incredible things throughout American history. An important book, Originals! profiles the lives and successes of such notable and iconic women as abolitionist Harriet Tubman, Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, mathematician Katherine Johnson, organizer and politician Stacy Adams Stacey Abrams, astronaut Mae Jemison, jazz legend Billie Holiday, ballerina Misty Copeland, Vice President Kamala Harris, and also the accomplishments of hundreds of less-famous and lesser-known women, including ... Gail Fisher, the first black actress to receive an Emmy Award. Tina Sloan-Green, the first black American women to compete on the U.S. National Lacrosse team. Sarah J. (Smith Thompson) Garnet, the first black female principal in the New York City public school system. Ruth Carol Taylor, the first flight attendant to smash the color barrier. Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler, the first black woman awarded a medical degree in the United States. Camilla Ella Williams, the first black woman to sing with the New York City Opera. Altha Stewart, the first African American president of The American Psychiatric Association. Jessie Carney Smith, the first black national president of Beta Phi Mu, the honor society for persons with graduate degrees in library science. Gwendolyn Brooks, the author of Annie Allen, a book of poetry that won the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to an African American. Jeanine McIntosh-Menze, the first African American female aviator in the U.S. Coast Guard's 215-year history. The story of black women in America is one of struggle and obstacles overcome. It's a story of great achievement and soaring heights. Let Originals! Barrier-breaking Black Women inspire and educate you as it shares the stories and breakthroughs of hundreds of black women in American history!! With more than 120 photos and illustrations, this enlightening book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.
Achievement engenders pride, and the most significant accomplishments involving people, places, and events in black history are gathered in Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Events.
A celebration of achievement, accomplishments, and pride! The first African American president, U.S. senator, and the first black lawyer in the Department of Education. The first black chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American commissioned officer in the Marine Corps. The first black professors in a variety of fields. The first African American advertising agency. The first African American Olympian. The first black pilot for a scheduled commercial airline. The first recorded slave revolt in North America. The first African American cookbook writer. Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields—arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more. Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events, Fourth Edition bears witness to the long and complex history of African Americans! Expanded, updated, and revised for the first time in over eight years, Black Firsts collects more than 500 all-new achievements and previously unearthed firsts. This massive tome proves that African American accomplishments are wide-ranging and ongoing, documenting thousands of personal victories and triumphs. Who was the first black American depicted on a postage stamp? (1940 Booker Taliaferro Washington) Who was the first African American bookseller? (1834 David Ruggles, New York City) Where was the first black car dealership? (1941 Edward Davis, Detroit, Studebaker) When was the first black-owned company listed on a major stock exchange? (1971 Johnson Products) Who was the first black U.S. senator? (1870 Hiram Rhoades [Rhodes] Revels, Mississippi) Who was the African American columnist who won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary? (1989 Clarence Page) Who was the U.S. Supreme Court’s first black justice? (1967 Thurgood Marshall) Who first broke the color barrier to become a flight attendant? (1958 Ruth Carol Taylor) Who became the first black to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point? (1877 Henry Ossian Flipper) Which model was the first black to grace Sports Illustrated cover? (1997 Tyra Banks) Who became the American Medical Association’s first black president? (1995 Lonnie Bristow) What is the oldest surviving black church in America? (The African Meeting House, built in 1806 and known as the Joy Street Baptist Church, in Boston) Who became the first black pitcher to win a World Series game? (1952 Rookie of the Year, Joe Black, of the Brooklyn Dodgers) Who was the first regularly recognized black physician in the United States? (1780s James Durham [Derham]) Who was the first black actress to receive an Emmy Award? (1969 Gail Fisher) Who became the first black professional football player? (1904 Charles W. Follis) What was first short story published by a black woman in the United States? (1859 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s “The Two Offers”) Who was the black explorer who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition? (York) Who was the first black lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court? (1880 Samuel R. Lowery) Which two songs by black Americans were the first to be send out of the solar system? (1977 Chuck Berry’s song “Johnny B. Goode” and Blind Willie Johnson’s “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” on Voyager I) What famous inventor and agronomist has a national monument named after him in Diamond, Missouri? (1960 George Washington Carver) What movie featured the first black female lead in a Disney animated feature? (2009 “The Princess and the Frog” starred Anika Noni Rose) Who was the first black American to win a gold medal in the women’s all-around final competition.? (2012 Gabrielle “Gabby” Christina Victoria Douglas) Who were the Tuskegee Airmen and why are they so famous? (1941 The U.S. Congress established the first combat unit for blacks in the Army Air Corps with a training facility for black airmen, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, located at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama) Who participated in the first armed encounter of the American Revolution and later became the first black to receive an honorary master's degree? (Lemuel Haynes) Who was the author of a book of poetry that won the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to a black American? (1950 Gwendolyn Brooks for “Annie Allen”) What was the first black record company? (Pace Phonograph Company established 1921 by Henry Pace) Who was the black hero who sacrificed himself at the Boston Massacre, an event that would help inspire the American Revolution? (1770 Crispus Attucks) Who was the first black entertainer to host his own talk show on national television? (1989 Arsenio Hall) Who was the first African American to lead the NASA space program? (2009 Charles Frank Bolden Jr.) Who was the first black American to win the Nobel Peace Prize? (1944 Ralph Johnson Bunche) Who was the first black American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal? (1908 John Baxter “Doc” Taylor Jr. winner of the 4 X 400-meter relay in London) Which inventor had the first patent granted an African American? (1872 Elijah McCoy) Who was the first African American to win a Grammy Award? (1959 Count [William] Basie) Who is thought to be the United States’ first black millionaire? (1890 Thomy Lafon, New Orleans real estate speculator and moneylender) Who was the first black named Association of College and Research Librarian of the Year? (1985 Jessie Carney Smith) Which black first sang a principal role with the Metropolitan Opera? (1955 Marian Anderson) When was the first black judge appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals? (1966 Spottswood Robinson) Which black artist was the first to be featured in a solo exhibit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art? (1937 William Edmondson) When was the first black mayor of Dallas elected? (1995 Ron Kirk) Who was the first elected black chairman of Republican National Convention? (1884 John Roy Lynch) Who was the first known black to graduate from an American college? (1823 Alexander Lucius Twilight received a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont) With more than 350 photos and illustrations, this information-rich book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. This vital collection will appeal to anyone interested in America’s amazing history and resilient people.
Discover and celebrate the achievements of some of America’s most inspiring women! The first female. African American vice president, first U.S. senator, the 83rd U.S. Attorney General, and first black state legislator in Alaska. The first time a black woman and a white band shared the same stage; the first black woman writer to win a Pulitzer Prize; and the first black prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera Company. Black women have accomplished incredible things throughout American history. An important book, Originals! Barrier-breaking Black Women profiles the lives and successes of such notable and iconic women as abolitionist Harriet Tubman, Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, mathematician Katherine Johnson, organizer and politician Stacy Adams Stacey Abrams, astronaut Mae Jemison, jazz legend Billie Holiday, ballerina Misty Copeland, Vice President Kamala Harris, and also the accomplishments of hundreds of less-famous and lesser-known women. This fascinating read recounts 1,400 achievements, including … Gail Fisher, the first black actress to receive an Emmy Award. Tina Sloan-Green, the first black American woman to compete on the U.S. National Lacrosse team. Sarah J. (Smith Thompson) Garnet, the first black female principal in the New York City public school system. Ruth Carol Taylor, the first flight attendant to smash the color barrier. Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler, the first black woman awarded a medical degree in the United States. Camilla Ella Williams, the first black woman to sing with the New York City Opera. Altha Stewart, the first African American president of The American Psychiatric Association. Jessie Carney Smith, the first black national president of Beta Phi Mu, the honor society for persons with graduate degrees in library science. Gwendolyn Brooks, the author of Annie Allen, a book of poetry that won the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to an African American. Jeanine McIntosh-Menze, the first African American female aviator in the U.S. Coast Guard’s 215-year history. The story of black women in America is one of struggle and obstacles overcome. It’s a story of great achievement and soaring heights. Let Originals! inspire and educate you as it shares the stories and breakthroughs of hundreds of black women in American history!! With more than 210 photos and illustrations, this enlightening book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.
Celebrating the impact of African Americans on U.S. society, culture, and history! Traces African American history through four centuries of profound changes and amazing accomplishments. Walking readers through a rich but often overlooked part of American history, The Handy African American History Answer Book addresses the people, times, and events that influenced and changed African American history. An overview of major biographical figures and history-making events is followed by a deeper look at the development in the arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, music, government, journalism, religion, science, sports, and more. Covering a broad range of the African American experience, showcasing interesting insights and facts, this helpful reference answers 700 commonly-asked questions including ... What is the significance of the Apollo Theater? What were the effects of the Great Depression on black artists? Who were some of America's early free black entrepreneurs? What is the historical role of the barbershop in the African American community? and What was Black Wall Street? What does “40 acres and a mule” mean? What was the Black Arts Movement? Who were the Harlem Hellfighters? Who was the first black saint? Who was called the “Father of Blood Plasma”? What caused African Americans to lose their fidelity to “the Party of Lincoln”? What was the impact of Negro Leagues Baseball on American culture? Blending trivia with historical review in an engaging question-and-answer format, The Handy African American History Answer Book is perfect for browsing and is ideal for history buffs, trivia fans, students and teachers and anyone interested in a better and more thorough understanding of the history of black Americans. With many photos and illustrations this fun, fact-filled tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness.
[This work] will be useful to librarians, to genealogists, and to persons searching American Indian, Asian-American, black American, and Hispanic-American ancestries. . . . Family researchers or librarians will find this comprehensive, user-friendly work invaluable." Reference Books Bulletin
Provides biographical information on five hundred African American men who were pioneers, entrepreneurs, artists, reformers, leaders, officials, educators, or significant figures in other fields over three centuries.
Spanning nearly 400 years from the early abolitionists to the present, Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience profiles more than 400 people, places, and events that have shaped the history of the black struggle for freedom. Covering such mainstay figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks as well as delving into how lesser known figures contributed to and shaped the history of civil rights, Freedom Facts and Firsts chronicles the breadth and passion of an entire people's quest for freedom. Among the inspiring stories found in this comprehensive resource are: How the Housewives' League of Detroit started a nationwide movement to support black businesses, helping many to survive the Great Depression. What effect the sports journalist Samuel Harold Lacy had on Jackie Robinson's historic entrance into the major leagues. How the 9th and 10th Calvary and the 24th and 25th Infantry became known as the Buffalo Soldiers, a term of respect and endearment. How Whoopi Goldberg survived poverty, drug addiction, single parenthood, and a welfare income and used her personal history to take a satirical look at social issues. How world champion bicyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor was the first American-born black champion in any sport. How in 1890 John Mercer Langston became the first black U.S. congressman elected from his native state of Virginia. This inspiring resource offers an encouraging look at the historic struggles and triumphs of black men and women in politics, arts, music, journalism, law, social work and sports, the authors chart a full and inspiring history of African American activism!
Originally published in 1994, Black Firsts inspired readers of all ages. An epic record of African American achievement, it testified to a rich but often overlooked part of our history. Jessie Carney Smith, William and Camille Cosby Professor of the Humanities at Fisk University, greatly expands the new edition with more than 1,000 new stories of a people overcoming adversity to emerge triumphant. With more than 100 illustrations, Black Firsts includes modern-day pioneers like Halle Berry and Denzel Washington, Suzan-Lori Parks (winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for drama), and Vonetta Flowers, the first African American to be awarded the Winter Olympic gold medal. Readers will revel and rejoice in the stories of barrier-breaking pioneers in all fields -- arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, inventing, journalism, religion, science, sports, and more.
This four-volume encyclopedia contains compelling and comprehensive information on African American popular culture that will be valuable to high school students and undergraduates, college instructors, researchers, and general readers. From the Apollo Theater to the Harlem Renaissance, from barber shop and beauty shop culture to African American holidays, family reunions, and festivals, and from the days of black baseball to the era of a black president, the culture of African Americans is truly unique and diverse. This diversity is the result of intricate customs forged in tightly woven communities—not only in the United States, but in many cases also stemming from the traditions of another continent. Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture presents information in a traditional A–Z organization, capturing the essence of the customs of African Americans and presenting this rich cultural heritage through the lens of popular culture. Each entry includes historical and current information to provide a meaningful background for the topic and the perspective to appreciate its significance in a modern context. This encyclopedia is a valuable research tool that provides easy access to a wealth of information on the African American experience.
Spanning nearly 400 years from the early abolitionists to the present, Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience profiles more than 400 people, places, and events that have shaped the history of the black struggle for freedom. Covering such mainstay figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks as well as delving into how lesser known figures contributed to and shaped the history of civil rights, Freedom Facts and Firsts chronicles the breadth and passion of an entire people's quest for freedom. Among the inspiring stories found in this comprehensive resource are: How the Housewives' League of Detroit started a nationwide movement to support black businesses, helping many to survive the Great Depression. What effect the sports journalist Samuel Harold Lacy had on Jackie Robinson's historic entrance into the major leagues. How the 9th and 10th Calvary and the 24th and 25th Infantry became known as the Buffalo Soldiers, a term of respect and endearment. How Whoopi Goldberg survived poverty, drug addiction, single parenthood, and a welfare income and used her personal history to take a satirical look at social issues. How world champion bicyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor was the first American-born black champion in any sport. How in 1890 John Mercer Langston became the first black U.S. congressman elected from his native state of Virginia. This inspiring resource offers an encouraging look at the historic struggles and triumphs of black men and women in politics, arts, music, journalism, law, social work and sports, the authors chart a full and inspiring history of African American activism!
Achievement engenders pride, and the most significant accomplishments involving people, places, and events in black history are gathered in Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Events.
Celebrating the impact of African Americans on U.S. society, culture, and history! Traces African American history through four centuries of profound changes and amazing accomplishments. Walking readers through a rich but often overlooked part of American history, The Handy African American History Answer Book addresses the people, times, and events that influenced and changed African American history. An overview of major biographical figures and history-making events is followed by a deeper look at the development in the arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, music, government, journalism, religion, science, sports, and more. Covering a broad range of the African American experience, showcasing interesting insights and facts, this helpful reference answers 700 commonly-asked questions including ... What is the significance of the Apollo Theater? What were the effects of the Great Depression on black artists? Who were some of America's early free black entrepreneurs? What is the historical role of the barbershop in the African American community? and What was Black Wall Street? What does “40 acres and a mule” mean? What was the Black Arts Movement? Who were the Harlem Hellfighters? Who was the first black saint? Who was called the “Father of Blood Plasma”? What caused African Americans to lose their fidelity to “the Party of Lincoln”? What was the impact of Negro Leagues Baseball on American culture? Blending trivia with historical review in an engaging question-and-answer format, The Handy African American History Answer Book is perfect for browsing and is ideal for history buffs, trivia fans, students and teachers and anyone interested in a better and more thorough understanding of the history of black Americans. With many photos and illustrations this fun, fact-filled tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness.
Discover and celebrate the achievements of some of America’s most inspiring women! The first female. African American vice president, first U.S. senator, the 83rd U.S. Attorney General, and first black state legislator in Alaska. The first time a black woman and a white band shared the same stage; the first black woman writer to win a Pulitzer Prize; and the first black prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera Company. Black women have accomplished incredible things throughout American history. An important book, Originals! Barrier-breaking Black Women profiles the lives and successes of such notable and iconic women as abolitionist Harriet Tubman, Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, mathematician Katherine Johnson, organizer and politician Stacy Adams Stacey Abrams, astronaut Mae Jemison, jazz legend Billie Holiday, ballerina Misty Copeland, Vice President Kamala Harris, and also the accomplishments of hundreds of less-famous and lesser-known women. This fascinating read recounts 1,400 achievements, including … Gail Fisher, the first black actress to receive an Emmy Award. Tina Sloan-Green, the first black American woman to compete on the U.S. National Lacrosse team. Sarah J. (Smith Thompson) Garnet, the first black female principal in the New York City public school system. Ruth Carol Taylor, the first flight attendant to smash the color barrier. Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler, the first black woman awarded a medical degree in the United States. Camilla Ella Williams, the first black woman to sing with the New York City Opera. Altha Stewart, the first African American president of The American Psychiatric Association. Jessie Carney Smith, the first black national president of Beta Phi Mu, the honor society for persons with graduate degrees in library science. Gwendolyn Brooks, the author of Annie Allen, a book of poetry that won the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to an African American. Jeanine McIntosh-Menze, the first African American female aviator in the U.S. Coast Guard’s 215-year history. The story of black women in America is one of struggle and obstacles overcome. It’s a story of great achievement and soaring heights. Let Originals! inspire and educate you as it shares the stories and breakthroughs of hundreds of black women in American history!! With more than 210 photos and illustrations, this enlightening book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.
[This work] will be useful to librarians, to genealogists, and to persons searching American Indian, Asian-American, black American, and Hispanic-American ancestries. . . . Family researchers or librarians will find this comprehensive, user-friendly work invaluable." Reference Books Bulletin
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