The Tuskegee Airmen: These black military pilots were the first African-American pilots to fly and fight in the armed forces. Formed in the early 40’s, these pilots and their crews fought and were a vital part of World War II at a time when blacks were still living under the racially driven Jim Crow laws. The Tuskegee Airmen, later nicknamed the Red Tails because of the paint on their aircrafts, conducted 1578 combat missions over the course of their active duty. They were later awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 for their efforts.
Thurgood Marshall: Marshall was the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. An Associate Justice, Marshall was the 96th Justice to sit with the council. Marshall got his start in the field defending Tuskegee Airmen in small cases, before rising to prominence as a high success rate attorney arguing before the Supreme Court. Marshall’s biggest case before sitting on the Supreme Court was Brown v. the Board of Education, the famous court case that led to the desegregation of public schools.
Serena Williams: Williams is an African-American tennis player that is currently ranked number one in women’s singles. In a sport that is still lacking diversity and success of non-white athletes, Williams has broken through the long-time thought of tennis being a “white” sport. Williams turned pro when she was only 13 years old and has since dominated the sport. Heavily regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, Williams is the reigning French Open, Olympic and Wimbledon champion. She holds 36 major titles and has held all four major singles titles at once
Colin Powell: Now retired, Powell served as the 65th United States Secretary of State and was the first African-American to hold the position. Powell served his position from 2001 to 2005 under President George W. Bush. Before holding office, Powell was a four-star general in the United States Army and was also the first and only African-American to serve on the Joints Chiefs of Staff. He was succeeded in his Secretary of State position by the second African-American to hold the position, Condoleezza Rice.
Maya Angelou: Born in 1928, Maya Angelou was a poet, author and civil rights leader. Angelou grew up in segregation and gained national fame when she released her first of several autobiographies, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She talks about her life growing up until the age of 17 in the book. Angelou went on to publish dozens of books, hundreds of poems and a number of movies, shows and plays. She was a vital part of the civil rights movement and worked alongside leaders Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr. She recited one of her poems at Bill Clinton’s inauguration and has been a leader for both blacks and women.
Riley King: King was a blues artist whose style defined a corner of the genre. More popularly known as B.B. King, he is considered to be one of the most influential musicians of all time. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was known for working harder than any other musician of his era. He appeared in more than 200 concerts a year all the way into his early 70’s. King is known as the “King of the Blues” and was active all the way up to his death in 2015.
Charlie Sifford: Sifford was a professional golfer and the first African American to play on the PGA Tour. Early in his professional career, Sifford competed in tournaments that were organized by other black golfers because blacks were not allowed on the PGA Tour. After fighting racism and threats to obtain an official invitation, Sifford would eventually become a member of the tour in 1961. Sifford went on to win the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969 and took down the “white-only” PGA cause. He opened the doors to other black golfers and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
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