Reinvented African Americans

These are the first black Americans to realize pioneering achievements in their fields. With talent and determination, each one has reinvented not only what it means to be an African American, but also what it means to be an American. Our list celebrates the first African Americans to overcome the obstacles of discrimination and achieve top honors in 

their fields of endeavor.

1.  Marian Anderson

•  First black member of the Metropolitan Opera Company, in 1955.

 2.  Arthur Ashe

• First black man to win a Wimbledon singles title, defeating Jimmy Connors in 1975.

3.  Halle Berry

• First African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, in 2001 for Monster's Ball.

4. Beyoncé

• In October 2003, black artists held all "Billboard" Top Ten chart positions for the first time in pop history. Beyoncé was No. 1.

5. James Hubert (Eubie) Blake

• Composed first Broadway musical written and directed by African-Americans.

6. Guion Bluford

• First African-American astronaut to launch into space, in 1983.

7. Gwendolyn Brooks

• First black to receive a Pulitzer Prize, in 1950.

 8. Ralph Bunche

• First African-American to win a Nobel Peace Prize, in 1950.

 9. Shirley Chisholm

• First black woman elected to Congress, in 1968 (from Brooklyn to 91st Congress).

 10. Nat King Cole

• First back entertainer to host his own show on national television, in 1956.

 11. Elbert Frank Cox

• First African-American to earn a PhD in Mathematics, in 1925 (Cornell University).

 12. Benjamin Oliver Davis

• First black appointed to the rank of general, in 1940. His son, Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr., was the first black general in the Air Force.

 13. Frederick Douglass

• First black to receive a major US government appointment, in 1877.

 14. Rita Dove  

• First black female US Poet Laureate, 1993-1995.

 15. Keith Ellison

• First Black Muslim elected to U.S Congress, in 2006 from Minnesota.

 16. Althea Gibson

• First African-American to play in the US Open, winning the tournament twice, in 1957 and 1958.

 17. Whitney Houston

• First artist ever to have seven consecutive singles hit number one.

 18. Dr. Mae Jemison

• First black woman astronaut to launch into space, in 1992.

19.  Jack Johnson

•  First African-American world heavyweight boxing champion, in 1908.

 20. Robert Johnson

• The owner of Black Entertainment Television, Johnson became the first black billionaire in 2001.

 21. Simmie Knox

• First black artist to paint an official presidential portrait (Bill Clinton).

 22. John Mercer Langston 

• First African-American elected to public office, in 1855 in Ohio.

 23.  Oliver Lewis 

• First jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, in 1875. Thirteen of the 14 jockeys in the first Derby were black.

 24.  Reginald Lewis 

• First black person to own a billion-dollar company, TLC Beatrice Lewis opened TLC Group, a venture capital firm.

25.  Thurgood Marshall

• First African-American appointed to the Supreme Court, in 1963.

 26. Hattie McDaniel

•  First African-American to win an Oscar, in 1940 for Supporting Actress for Gone with the Wind.

 27.  James Meredith 

• First black graduate of the University of Mississippi, in 1963.

28. Carol Moseley-Braun 

• First black woman to serve on the U.S. Senate, in 1992 from Illinois.

29. Toni Morrison

• First black to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1993.

 30. Barack Obama

• First African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, 1991.

31. Sidney Poitier

• First African-American to win Oscar for best actor ("Lillies of the Field," 1963). First black nominated for Best Actor Academy Award ("The Defiant Ones," 1958). First black to star as romantic lead ("Paris Blues," 1961). First black to become number-one box office draw (1968). First black to insist on a film crew at least 50% African-American ("The Lost Man," 1969). First black to kiss a white woman on screen ("Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," 1967).

 32. Colin L. Powell

• First black chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, in 1989, and first black Secretary of State, in 2001.

33. Charley Pride

• First African-American inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, in 2000.

34.  Joseph Rainey 

• First black Congressman, in 1870 from South Carolina.

 35. Phylicia Rashad 

• First black woman to win Tony Award for dramatic lead on Broadway, in 2004, role of Lena Younger in "A Raisin in the Sun."

36. Hiram R. Revels 

• First black member of the U.S. Senate (R-Miss), in 1870, sworn in to fill unexpired term of Jefferson Davis.

37. Condoleezza Rice

• First black woman Secretary of State, in 2005.

38. Jackie Robinson

• First black major league baseball player, in 1947, and first black player elected to Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1962.

 39. Carl Stokes 

• First black mayor of a major American city, in 1967 (Cleveland).

40. Willie Thrower 

• First black NFL quarterback, in 1953.

41. Alexander Lucius Twilight 

• First black college graduate, in 1823 from Middlebury College.

42. Emlen Tunnell 

• First black elected to the Football Hall of Fame, in 1967 (defensive back, New York Giants).

43. Madam C. J. Walker

 

• First self-made African American woman millionaire.

44. L. Douglas Wilder 

• The first black governor elected by popular vote, 1990 (Virginia).

45. Daniel Hale Williams 

• Founded the first black-owned hospital in America, and credited with the world's first successful heart surgery, in 1893 (Chicago).

46. Tiger Woods

• First African-American to win the Masters golf tournament, in 1997.

47. Andrew Young 

• First black U.S. Representative to the UN, in 1977.

48. Eric Holder 

• In 2008, he became the first African-American attorney general designate in the United States.

49. George Poage 

• First African-American to win a medal in the Olympic Games

50. Alain Locke 

• First African-American Rhodes scholar

Thanks for visiting "13 Diamonds." Visit again soon.

 Peace and Love TLW, Editor