Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, suffragist, and politician.  After escaping from slavery Douglass educated himself and became a famous orator and writer. Douglass was the first African American to be on a presidential ticket.

Wes Moore became the first African American Governor of Maryland in 2023 and only the fifth African American Governor in American history.

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Hakeem Jeffries became the first African American leader of a major party in the House after leading the Democratic caucus for four years.

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Maxwell Frost is the first gen Z congressman elected in 2022.  He represents Florida and leads the way for the next American generation in politics. He was also the national organizing director for March for Our Lives.

Douglas Wilder was the first African American governor to serve since the Reconstruction era.  He served the state of Virginia from 1990 to 1994.

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Jalen Hurts is a Quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles after playing for Alabama and Oklahoma in college.  He led the Eagles to the playoffs, winning 14 of the 15 games he started. 

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Dieunerest Collin rose to fame initially as the Pop Eyes Chicken kid from the popular meme.  Since then he has worked hard and become a prominent high school football player being sought by several colleges.

Aabriya Iyengar is one of the most prominent roleplaying game managers in the world.  Her latest venture is a podcast called Worlds Beyond Number, to be released in 2023.

General Brown is the first African American to lead a branch of the American Armed Forces after a lifetime of service in the Air Force.

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Angela Bassett is an actress who plays Ramonda, the mother of the Black Panther in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  She has played numerous famous African Americans from history and won several Emmys.

Megan thee Stallion is a successful rapper and media personality.  In 2022 Megan thee Stallion testified in an assault trial where she bravely recounted being shot by Tony Lanez.  She faced sexist backlash for testifying about her experiences.

Chance the Rapper is a rapper, songwriter, and producer from Chicago.  Chance has won multiple Grammys including the first stream only album to win a Grammy.  He leads a strong social activism campaign in Chicago.

The Embrace Statue was installed in Boston in 2022 and portrays Dr. Martin Luther King’s and Coretta Scott King’s hug after Dr. King won the Nobel Prize in 1964.

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PBS Pinchback was the first African American Governor winning election in the Reconstruction South. He served Louisiana from 1872 to 1873.  After Plessy v. Ferguson, he left Louisiana and moved to Washington DC.

Bishop James Dixon II is a prominent leader in Houston, Texas who leads many charitable and activist organizations. He leads the Houston NAACP. 

Amanda Gorman is a poet laureate and was the presidential poet for President Biden’s inauguration.  Her poetry and wordsmithing touch on subjects like oppression, marginalism, and feminism.

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Brandi Waters, PhD, is the director of the new AP class AP African American Studies, which is being launched this coming school year.

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Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated and confirmed to the US Supreme Court.  She is the first Black woman and the first public defender to serve in this position.

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Brittney Griner is an American Basketball player who was detained by Russian authorities in 2022.  She was released in a prisoner exchange with Russian authorities and has since been returned to the United States.

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Ronald McNair was an Astronaut and physicist who served on multiple space launches.  He was the second African American to fly in space.  He died in the Challenger explosion in 1986.  

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Devon Henry stepped up when no other contractor would remove Confederate monuments in his home state of Virginia.  He has taken down 70 monuments since 2020.

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Zendaya is a prominent actress starring in Euphoria, Spiderman, and Dune most recently.  Her acting is superb and has landed her several awards.

Sheila Jackson-Lee has been a congresswoman since 1995, representing Houston.  She has recently introduced legislation to improve prosecution of white supremacists.

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Leyna Bloom is an American actress, model, dancer, and activist.  She has become a trailblazer in her fields as a transgender woman in the entertainment industry.  She was the first trans model to be featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.

Wilma Rudolph was an American sprinter who became a world record Olympic champion following the 1956 and 1960 Olympic games.  She became the first American woman to win three gold medals in one games.

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Keenan Anderson was tasered six times by the Los Angeles Police Department and died later of Cardiac Arrest.  He is one of the latest in a long history of avoidable police deaths.

Raphael Warnock is the sitting senator from Georgia, who defeated Herschel Walker to help retain the democratic majority in the Senate.  He is also a pastor having led the congregation of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

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Cornel West is a leading American philosopher and activist who focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society.  He is a frequent political commentator.

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Ryan Coogler is a director who helms the Black Panther films for Marvel and Disney.  His films Black Panther and Black Panther Wakanda Forever are international successes, portraying African culture brilliantly.