Black Firsts

A celebration of achievement, accomplishments, and pride!

The first African American president, U.S. senator, and the first black lawyer in the Department of Education. The first black chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American commissioned officer in the Marine Corps. The first black professors in a variety of fields. The first African American advertising agency. The first African American Olympian. The first black pilot for a scheduled commercial airline. The first recorded slave revolt in North America. The first African American cookbook writer.

Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields—arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more. Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events, Fourth Edition

bears witness to the long and complex history of African Americans!

Expanded, updated, and revised for the first time in over eight years, Black Firsts

collects more than 500 all-new achievements and previously unearthed firsts. This massive tome proves that African American accomplishments are wide-ranging and ongoing, documenting thousands of personal victories and triumphs. Who was the first black American depicted on a postage stamp? (1940 Booker Taliaferro WashingtonWho was the first African American bookseller? (1834 David Ruggles, New York CityWhere was the first black car dealership? (1941 Edward Davis, Detroit, StudebakerWhen was the first black-owned company listed on a major stock exchange? (1971 Johnson ProductsWho was the first black U.S. senator? (1870 Hiram Rhoades [Rhodes] Revels, MississippiWho was the African American columnist who won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary? (1989 Clarence PageWho was the U.S. Supreme Court’s first black justice? (1967 Thurgood MarshallWho first broke the color barrier to become a flight attendant? (1958 Ruth Carol TaylorWho became the first black to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point? (1877 Henry Ossian FlipperWhich model was the first black to grace Sports Illustrated cover? (1997 Tyra BanksWho became the American Medical Association’s first black president? (1995 Lonnie BristowWhat is the oldest surviving black church in America? (The African Meeting House, built in 1806 and known as the Joy Street Baptist Church, in BostonWho became the first black pitcher to win a World Series game? (1952 Rookie of the Year, Joe Black, of the Brooklyn DodgersWho was the first regularly recognized black physician in the United States? (1780s James Durham [Derham]Who was the first black actress to receive an Emmy Award? (1969 Gail FisherWho became the first black professional football player? (1904 Charles W. FollisWhat was first short story published by a black woman in the United States? (1859 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s “The Two Offers”Who was the black explorer who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition? (YorkWho was the first black lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court? (1880 Samuel R. LoweryWhich two songs by black Americans were the first to be send out of the solar system? (1977 Chuck Berry’s song “Johnny B. Goode” and Blind Willie Johnson’s “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” on Voyager IWhat famous inventor and agronomist has a national monument named after him in Diamond, Missouri? (1960 George Washington CarverWhat movie featured the first black female lead in a Disney animated feature? (2009 “The Princess and the Frog” starred Anika Noni RoseWho was the first black American to win a gold medal in the women’s all-around final competition.? (2012 Gabrielle “Gabby” Christina Victoria DouglasWho were the Tuskegee Airmen and why are they so famous? (1941 The U.S. Congress established the first combat unit for blacks in the Army Air Corps with a training facility for black airmen, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, located at Tuskegee Institute, AlabamaWho participated in the first armed encounter of the American Revolution and later became the first black to receive an honorary master's degree? (Lemuel HaynesWho was the author of a book of poetry that won the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to a black American? (1950 Gwendolyn Brooks for “Annie Allen”What was the first black record company? (Pace Phonograph Company established 1921 by Henry PaceWho was the black hero who sacrificed himself at the Boston Massacre, an event that would help inspire the American Revolution? (1770 Crispus AttucksWho was the first black entertainer to host his own talk show on national television? (1989 Arsenio HallWho was the first African American to lead the NASA space program? (2009 Charles Frank Bolden Jr.Who was the first black American to win the Nobel Peace Prize? (1944 Ralph Johnson BuncheWho was the first black American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal? (1908 John Baxter “Doc” Taylor Jr. winner of the 4 X 400-meter relay in LondonWhich inventor had the first patent granted an African American? (1872 Elijah McCoyWho was the first African American to win a Grammy Award? (1959 Count [William] BasieWho is thought to be the United States’ first black millionaire? (1890 Thomy Lafon, New Orleans real estate speculator and moneylenderWho was the first black named Association of College and Research Librarian of the Year? (1985 Jessie Carney SmithWhich black first sang a principal role with the Metropolitan Opera? (1955 Marian AndersonWhen was the first black judge appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals? (1966 Spottswood RobinsonWhich black artist was the first to be featured in a solo exhibit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art? (1937 William EdmondsonWhen was the first black mayor of Dallas elected? (1995 Ron KirkWho was the first elected black chairman of Republican National Convention? (1884 John Roy LynchWho was the first known black to graduate from an American college? (1823 Alexander Lucius Twilight received a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont)

With more than 350 photos and illustrations, this information-rich book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. This vital collection will appeal to anyone interested in America’s amazing history and resilient people.