Important and Famous African Americans

From the earliest days of the African presence in the United States, Black people have contributed to the fiber of American culture, ranging from useful inventions to innovative musical interludes, and beyond. Blacks have served and died in defense of their adopted homeland. The individuals that make up the whole of the Black population, have offered up their talents to forward the cause of peace and prosperity in America. The following individuals have been selected from thousands of examples of selfless acts, sacrificing, in some cases, their own lives for the betterment of all. Obviously, this table provides only a small sample of these courageous Americans; u-s-history.com will continue to add to this list from time to time.

1700s

1800s

1900s

Name	Claim to Fame	Lifespan	Summary
1700s
Benjamin Banneker	Astronomer, clockmaker, publisher	1731-1806	Was able to make the calculations to predict solar and lunar eclipses and to compile an ephemeris for the Benjamin Banneker`s Almanac.
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable	First resident of Chicago	1745-1813	du Sable built his first house in the 1770s, 30 years before Fort Dearborn was established on the banks of the Chicago River.
Phillis Wheatley	Poet	1753-1784	One of the first African-American poets whose works were published.
The Reverend Richard Allen	Religious leader	1760-1831	In 1816, founded the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Philadelphia.
Peter Spencer	Religious leader	1760-1831	Founder of the first independent black Christian denomination in the U.S., the A.U.M.P. Church.
Sojourner Truth	Abolitionist	1797-1883	A.K.A. Isabella Baumfree; noted speaker for both the abolitionist movement and the women`s rights movement.
1800s	top of page
Nat Turner	Rebellion leader	1800-1831	In 1831, led failed slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia; the most remarkable instance of black resistance to enslavement.
Norbert Rilleaux	Inventor and engineer	1806-1894	Most noted for inventing the multiple-effect evaporator, an energy-efficient means of evaporating water.
Martin Delany	Abolitionist	1812-1885	First African-American field officer in the United States Army.
Frederick Douglass	Abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman, reformer	1818-1895	"Sage of Anacostia;" among the most prominent and influential African-American lecturers and authors in U.S. history.
Harriet Tubman	Writer, abolitionist	1820-1913	As an abolitionist, she acted as intelligence gatherer, refugee organizer, raid leader, nurse, revival speaker, and fund raiser.
Frances Harper	Poet, novelist, lecturer, activist	1754-1832	Was also a strong supporter of Prohibition and woman`s suffrage.
Harriet Wilson	Novelist	1825-1900	First African American of either gender to publish a novel on the North American continent.
William H. Carney	Civil War hero	1842-1908	Sgt. Carney was the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Cathay Williams	Soldier	1844-1893?	Williams was the first known African American woman to enlist in the U.S. military and the only woman to serve as a Buffalo soldier.
Elijah McCoy	Inventor	1844-1929	Invented an automatic lubricator for oiling the steam engines of locomotives, boats, etc.
George Washington Buckner	Physician and diplomat	1885-1943	First African American to serve as diplomatic minister to a foreign country.
George Washington Johnson	Pioneer recording artist	1855-1914	Famous for whistling and singing "The Whistling Coon" and "The Laughing Coon."
Booker T. Washington	Political leader, educator, author	1856-1915	One of the dominant figures in African-American history from 1890 to 1915; did much to improve the friendship and working relationship between the races.
George Washington Carver	Plant scientist	1860-1943	Taught former slaves farming techniques for self-sufficiency; known for suggesting hundreds of uses for the peanut, other plants.
Madame C.J. Walker	First woman millionaire	1867-1919	A.K.A. Sarah Breedlove; founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company to sell hair care products and cosmetics.
W.E.B. DuBois	Civil rights activist, sociologist, historian, writer, editor, poet, freemason, scholar.	1868-1963	"Father of Pan-Africanism" with issues of segregation, political disenfranchisement. Believed that people of African descent should work together to battle prejudice, inequality.
Scott Joplin	Ragtime composer	ca 1867-1917	Most famous piece was Maple Leaf Rag, set standard for ragtime genre.
James W. Johnson	Author, poet, folklorist, civil rights leader	ca 1871-1938	Prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance; works included The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912).
Paul L. Dunbar	Poet	1872-1906	Gained national recognition for his 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life.
W.C. Handy	Blues composer	1873-1958	Known as "The Father of the Blues."
Benjamin O. Davis Sr.	General	1877-1970	First African-American general in the U.S. Army.
Jack Johnson	Pugilist	1878-1946	First black heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
George Herriman	Cartoonist	1880-1944	Best known for his comic strip Krazy Kat.
Eubie Blake	Composer and musician	1883-1983	Shuffle Along (with Noble Sissle), in 1921, was the first Broadway musical ever to be written and directed by African Americans.
Arthur W. Mitchell	Politician	1883-1968	First black Congressman from the Democratic Party.
Mamie Smith	Vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist, actress, blues singer.	1883-1946	First African American to make vocal blues recordings, in 1920.
Marcus Garvey	Publisher, journalist, entrepreneur	1887-1940	Best remembered as a champion of the "Back-to-Africa" movement.
Bessie Coleman	Pilot	1892-1926	First black licensed pilot in the world.
Ethel Waters	Blues, gospel vocalist	1892-1977	Successful in a number of styles; member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Oscar Charleston	Negro Leagues star	1896-1954	Some consider him to be the best all-around ball player the Negro Leagues ever produced.
Marian Anderson	Opera, concert singer	1897-1993	Contralto, best remembered for her performance on Easter Sunday, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
Duke Ellington	Jazz composer, musician, bandleader	1899-1974	Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and the Legion of Honor by France in 1973.
Oliver Law	Communist, labor organizer, social activist	1899-1937	Fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War.
1900s	top of page
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong	Jazz trumpeter	1901-1971	Was a charismatic, innovative performer with musical skill; bright personality transformed jazz into a popular art form.
Langston Hughes	Poet, novelist, playwright, newspaper columnist	1902-1967	Particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the 1920s through the 1960s.
Cool Papa Bell	Negro Leagues star	1903-1991	Considered by many baseball observers to have been the fastest man ever to play the game; "So fast he can turn off the light and be in bed before the room gets dark!" (Satchel Paige)
Count Basie	Jazz pianist, organist, bandleader	1904-1984	One O`Clock Jump and Jumpin` at the Woodside were among his more popular numbers.
Ralph Bunche	Diplomat; Nobel laureate, 1950	1904-1971	Was the first African American, and first individual of non-European ethnicity or race, to be so honored in the history of the prize.
Satchel Paige	Negro Leagues star	1905?-1982	Pronounced the greatest pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues; career highlights span five decades; legendary showman.
Buck Leonard	Negro Leagues star	1907-1997	First baseman; called the "Black Lou Gehrig" as a result of hitting prowess, defensive position.
Thurgood Marshall	Jurist	1908-1993	First African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Josh Gibson	Negro Leagues star	1911-1947	The "Black Babe Ruth;" catcher; elected to Baseball Hall of Fame, 1972; slugger credited with "about" 800 home runs.
Jesse Owens	Track and field athlete	1913-1980	Won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, embarrassing German dictator Adolf Hitler.
Rosa Parks	Civil rights activist, seamstress	1913-2005	Dubbed the "Mother of the modern-day Civil Rights Movement."
Emmett Ashford	Umpire	1914-1980	First African-American umpire in Major League Baseball.
Joe Louis	Pugilist	1914-1981	A.K.A. the "Brown Bomber;" heavyweight boxing champion.
Muddy Waters	Blues musician	1915-1983	Considered "The Father of Chicago Blues."
Ella Fitzgerald	Jazz singer	1918-1996	The "First Lady of Song;" winner of 13 Grammy awards.
^Edward Brooke III	Politician	1919-	First African American elected to the U.S. Senate.
Jackie Robinson	Athlete	1919-1972	First African American to play Major League Baseball in the 20th century.
Goose Tatum	Harlem Globetrotters	1921-1967	Considered to be the original "clown prince" of the Trotters.
James Baldwin	Novelist, short story writer, essayist	1924-1987	Known for his novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain.
Shirley Chisholm	Politician, educator, author	1924-2005	First African-American woman elected to Congress.
Sammy Davis Jr.	Entertainer	1925-1990	Was a dancer, singer, multi-instrumentalist (vibraphone, trumpet, drums); impressionist, comedian, actor.
Medgar Evers	Civil rights activist	1925-1963	Instrumental in eventually desegregating the University of Mississippi.
Malcolm X	Civil rights leader	1925-1965	A.K.A. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz; one-time Nation of Islam leader.
Miles Davis	Jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer	1926-1991	Was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz after World War II.
Althea Gibson	Sportswoman	1927-2003	First African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour.
Coretta Scott King	Activist	1927-2006	Widow of the slain civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.; noted community leader in her own right.
Maya Angelou	Poet, memoirist, actress, civil rights activist	1928-	Best known for her autobiographical writings I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969); All God`s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986).
Bo Diddley	Rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist	1928-	Best known for the "Bo Diddley beat", a rhumba-based beat.
Martin Luther King Jr.	Civil rights activist, minister, Nobel laureate	1929-1968	Won the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of Freedom before assassination in 1968; known for advocating non-violence, racial equality; peacemaker, martyr.
Ray Charles	Pop musician	1930-2004	Brought soulful sound to everything from country music to pop standards to now-iconic rendition of "America the Beautiful."
Willie Mays	Major League Baseball	1931-	"The Say Hey Kid," played center field; Hall of Famer; regarded as one of the finest players ever to have played the game.
Toni Morrison	Author, Nobel laureate	1931-	Instrumental in bringing recognition to the genre of African-American literature.
Louis Farrakhan	Nation of Islam leader	1933-	Controversial quote, "Hitler was a very great man;" in response to a Jewish journalist referring to him as a "Black Hitler."
Hank Aaron	Major League Baseball	1934-	Hall of Famer; holds career mark for home runs, RBIs, other records.
Bill Russell	Basketball	1934-	Considered the greatest defensive center to ever play the game.
Eldridge Cleaver	Civil rights activist	1935-1998	Prominent member of the Black Panther party; author of Soul on Ice.
Bob Gibson	Major League Baseball	1935-	Hall of Fame pitcher; voted to the all-20th-century team.
Meadowlark Lemon	Harlem Globetrotters	1935-	Played in more than 16,000 games in 94 countries for the Globetrotters; succeeded Goose Tatum as the "clown prince" of the Trotters.
Frank Robinson	Major League Baseball	1935-	First player to win MVP awards in both National, American leagues.
Jim Brown	Football, actor, activist	1936-	College All-American in football, lacrosse; Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.
Wilt Chamberlain	Basketball	1936-1999	The "Big Dipper;" regarded as one of the most dominant basketball players of all time.
Colin Powell	U.S. Army general, statesman	1937-	Highest ranking African-American government official in history.
Tina Turner	"Queen of Rock"	1939-	Kennedy Center Honors recipient, most known for her frenetic interpretation of "Proud Mary" by Credence Clearwater Revival.
Ron Brown	Politician	1941-1996	Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party.
Jessie Jackson	Politician, civil rights activist, minister.	1941-	Created the "Rainbow Coalition" of various minority groups.
Dr. Maulana Karenga	Activist, author, founder of Kwanzaa	1941-	Best known as founder of Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration following Christmas.
Muhammad Ali	Boxer; war protester; member, Nation of Islam; civil rights protester; poet	1942-	A.K.A. Cassius Clay; three-time heavyweight boxing champion; crowned Sportsman of the (20th) Century by Sports Illustrated.
Aretha Franklin	Gospel, soul, R&B singer	1942-	"Queen of Soul;" first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Huey Newton	Activist	1942-1989	Co-founder, inspirational leader of the Black Panther party.
Arthur Ashe	Tennis star, activist	1943-1993	One of the key figures behind the formation of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Angela Davis	Author, activist	1944-	Radical activist, member of the Black Panther party, working for racial, gender equity; prison abolition.
Barry White	Record producer, singer	1944-2003	Known for deep bass voice, suave delivery.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Basketball	1947-	A.K.A. Lew Alcindor; NBA`s all-time leading scorer.
Clarence Thomas	Jurist	1948-	Second African American to serve on U.S. Supreme Court.
Stevie Wonder	Singer, songwriter, producer, musician, humanitarian, social activist	1950-	Recorded more than 30 Top-10 hits, won nearly two dozen Grammys, including one for lifetime achievement; been inducted into both the Rock and Roll, Songwriters halls of fame.
Walter Payton	Football	1954-1999	"Sweetness," Pro Football Hall of Famer; held career rushing record for 18 years.
Condoleezza Rice	University professor, politician	1954-	Current U.S. Secretary of State.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson	Basketball, entertainment entrepreneur	1959-	The only NBA rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP Award.
Jerry Rice	Football	1962-	Regarded as the best receiver ever to play the game; arguably the greatest football player ever; holder of 38 NFL records.
Michael Jordan	Basketball	1963-	"Air Jordan," "His Airness;" named "the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century," by ESPN.
Barack Obama	Politician	1961-	Obama was the first Black president of the U.S., and incidentally, the first Hawaiian-born person to be president.
Kamala Harris	Politician	1964-	Kamala Harris has the distinction of many firsts in U.S. history and politics: She is the first female U.S. vice president, the first Black vice president, and the first Asian American vice president.

top of page