Great Americans | Black History Profiles

Black History Figures

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE, (1875 -1955) was a college president, civil rights leader, adviser to presidents, and member of President Roosevelt’s Black Cabinet. In 1973, Mary McLeod Bethune was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 1985 the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor. Narration: […]
Read More »
Black History Figures

W.E.B Du BOIS

W.E.B Du BOIS, (1868 -1963) Civil rights leader, scholar, co-founder of the NAACP, and the chief organizer of the First Pan-African Congress of 1919. Du Bois wrote and published more than 4,000 articles, essays, and books throughout his 95-year lifetime. He was one of the most prominent intellectual leaders and […]
Read More »
Black History Profiles

MADAME C.J. WALKER

MADAME C.J. WALKER, (1867 -1919) Businesswoman and one of the first self-made female millionaires in America. She made a fortune developing products for African American hair. Madam Walker was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1992. She also has been inducted into the National Women’s […]
Read More »
Black History Leaders

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, (1864 -1943) was an American scientist, botanist, inventor, and agricultural researcher who developed hundreds of products from the peanut and sweet potato. In 1977, George Washington Carver was elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, and in 1990 into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. […]
Read More »
Black History Leaders

MARY CHURCH TERRELL

MARY CHURCH TERRELL, (1863 -1954) Civil rights leader, co-founder of the NAACP, and first president of the National Association of Colored Women, NACW. Mary Church Terrell was a charter member of the NAACP, and in 2009 she was among 12 pioneers of the civil rights movement commemorated in a U. […]
Read More »
Black History Figures

DANIEL HALE WILLIAMS

DANIEL HALE WILLIAMS, (1856 -1931) was a surgeon who performed the first successful heart surgery at Chicago Provident Hospital in 1893. In 1913, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams was the only African American member of the American College of Surgeons. Narration: A renowned surgeon and the first African American cardiologist. His […]
Read More »
Black History Figures

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, (1856 -1915) College president and national leader who emphasized education, hard work, and economic development. In 1940 Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be depicted on a U. S. postage stamp. He was also the first African American featured on a U.S. coin. Narration: […]
Read More »
Black History Figures

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, (1817 -1895) Abolitionist, author, and major African American leader, later known as “The Father of the Civil Rights Movement.” Internationally recognized for his work for justice, equality, and women’s rights, Frederick Douglass was also an advisor to Abraham Lincoln. Narration: He escaped slavery and became a leader of […]
Read More »
Black History Heroes

HARRIET TUBMAN

HARRIET TUBMAN, (1820 -1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union scout who made trips into the South to rescue over 300 slaves. Because she delivered so many people from a life of slavery, Harriet Tubman was given the nickname Moses. She even helped rescue her 70-year-old parents. Narration: She […]
Read More »
Black History Heroes

SOJOURNER TRUTH

SOJOURNER TRUTH, (1797 -1883) Abolitionist, orator, and one of the leaders of the women’s movement. She was a speaker and lecturer who fought for the rights of African Americans. Sojourner Truth was a well-traveled speaker who spoke mainly to white audiences on religion, civil, and women’s rights. After the Civil […]
Read More »
Black History

BENJAMIN BANNEKER

BENJAMIN BANNEKER, (1736 -1806) Astronomer and mathematician helped survey the Federal Territory that became the District of Columbia and published annual almanacs. Benjamin Banneker’s Almanacs included medicines and medical treatments, listed tide predictions, and other meteorological information all compiled by Banneker himself. Narration: With his eyes on the skies, he […]
Read More »

Recent Videos