Part Twelve

Robert Weaver (1907-1997) – First black presidential Cabinet member, 1966

Douglas Wilder (1931- ) – First black governor, 1990

Carol Moseley-Braun (1947- ) – First black woman Senator, 1993

Colin Powell (1937- ) – First black Secretary of State, 2001

Charlotte Forten Grimke (1837-1914) – 19 th century educator and abolitionist

Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954) – 20 th century civil rights and women rights activist

W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) – 20 th century writer, social scientist, and intellectual

Shirley Graham Du Bois (1896-1977) – First black woman to produce an all black opera, 1932

Alaine Locke (1885-1954) – First black to receive a Rhodes Scholarship, 1907

John Hope Franklin (1915- ) – African American history scholar, educator

Charles Follis (1879-1910) – First black professional football player, 1902

Frederick “Fritz” Pollard (1894-1986) – First black NFL head coach, 1921

Arthur Shell (1946- ) – Second black NFL head coach, 1989

Willie Thrower (1930-2002) – First black professional quarterback, 1953

Ernie Davis (1939-1963) – First black Heisman Trophy winner, 1961

Richard Wright (1908-1960) – Writer of famous novel, Native Son , 1940

James Baldwin (1924-1987) – Writer of famous essays, Notes of a Native Son, 1950s

Ralph Ellison (1914-1994) – Writer of famous novel, Invisible Man, 1953

Alex Haley (1921-1992) – Writer of famous historical book, Roots, 1977

Toni Morrison (1931- ) – First black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1993

Octavia Butler (1947- ) – First black woman to publish science fiction novels, 1975

Josephine Baker (1906-1975) – International star, known as “Black Venus,” 1924

Katherine Dunham (1909- ) – Founded the first black modern dance company, 1940

Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965) – First black to receive an Academy Award nomination as best actress, 1954

Sammy Davis, Jr., (1925-1990) – Hollywood actor, comedian, singer, and dancer until 1989

Bill Cosby (1937- ) – First black actor to win Emmy awards, 1965

Berry Gordy, Jr. (1929- ) – Founder of Motown Records, 1959

Earl Graves (1935- ) – Founder of first black business magazine, Black Enterprise, 1970

Percy Sutton (1920- ) – Founder of Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, 1971

Cathy Hughes (1947- ) – Founder of Radio One, Inc., 1979

Robert Johnson (1946- ) Founder of first black television cable network, 1980

Oprah Winfrey (1954- ) First nationally syndicated talk show host, 1986