Joe Louis was highly regarded as 1st black to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II.

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Bob Beamon was one the 1st inductees into the the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico City Olympics; 1968.

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Lupita Nyong’o first black spokesperson for Lancôme and first Kenyan, Mexican, and African to win an Oscar, for Best Supporting Actress in 12 Years a Slave both in 2014.

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Earl Graves Sr. is the founder of Black Enterprise magazine and chairman of the media company Earl G. Graves, Ltd; 1970.

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Tamron Hall was the first black woman to co-anchor The Today Show in 2014.

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David Dinkins is the first black person (and as of 2019 the only one) to hold office as Mayor of New York City; 1990 to 1993.  

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Maritza Correia first black woman to earn a place on the U.S.Olympic team, 2004 and first black American person of any gender to set an American and world swimming record.

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William Leidesdorff Jr. first black millionaire. One of the founders of San Francisco, California. Named “African founding father of California” by the California State legislature in 2011. He died in 1848.

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Karen Williams first openly black lesbian comic to discuss queer issues in her act starting in 1983.

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