Patricia Roberts Harris

Patricia Roberts Harris was the 1st black woman to hold a Cabinet position (1977), serve as U.S. ambassador (1965), and head a law school (1969).

Patrisse Cullors

Patrisse Cullors is a black queer activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, 2013.

Rita Dove was the 1st black female Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, 1993–1995.

Sherman “Jocko” Maxwell was the 1st black sportscaster; WNJR, Newark, New Jersey, 1929.

Nadja West, first black female major general in Army Medicine, 2015.

Hanif Johnson, at age 27, is the youngest elected judge in the history of Pennsylvania state, 2018

Mary Seacole, British-Jamaican business woman and “nurse”. She died in 1881. In 2004 she was voted the “greatest black Briton”.

Nancy Abu-Bansrah first black female neurosurgery resident in Johns Hopkins 30 year history, 2019.

Bernie Custis was the 1st black quarterback to become a regular starter for a professional football team; Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Canada, 1951.

The first ordained black woman minister in Canada was the Rev. Addie Aylestock, 1959.