Famous African- Americans Nicholas Baker Taylor Robertson I created this PowerPoint presentation of famous African- Americans for my internship at Stonewall Jackson Middle School for Black History Month in February with a student teacher from Virginia Tech, Nicholas Baker. We would cover one person per day (two on Mondays and Fridays) throughout the month. These were not necessarily a part of the content, but a large population of Stonewall Jackson was African-American. Therefore it was crucial for me to relay the importance of knowing the history of African-Americans in this country to my students in an effort to increase their cultural perspective and its effect on their appreciation for history.

Jacob Lawrence One of the most famous African American painters of the 20th century due to his famous works depicting important African American historical moments and individuals.

Muhammad Ali Considered the greatest heavyweight professional boxer in history.

Langston Hughes A famous literary figure from the Harlem Renaissance period during the 1920’s.

Jesse Owens Famous Olympian sprint and long jump American track and field athlete.

Thurgood Marshall First African American Supreme Court Justice.

Martin Luther King Jr. Was a leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement who was a central figure to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Rosa Parks Often called the “first lady of the Civil Rights Movement” Rosa Parks was a symbol for Civil Rights that helped sparked the movement.

Althea Gibson First African American athlete to enter into international tennis and the first to win the Grand Slam title.

Charles Drew A pioneer in medical research he made groundbreaking discoveries regarding blood transfusion, storage, and processing. He essentially created blood banks in both the U.S. and Great Britain during WWII.

Wilma Rudolph African American Olympian athlete who was considered to be the fastest woman in the world in the 1960’s.

Dr. Maya Angelou Famous literary figure, civil rights activist, actress, and educator.

Henry Louis Gates Was the first African American famous literary figure, educator, scholar, editor to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship.

Barack Obama First African American President of the United States of America currently serving as the 44th President.

Phyllis Wheatley First published African- American woman Wrote poems in favor of the American Revolution and its leaders

Jackie Robinson Responsible for breaking the Major League Baseball Color Barrier in 1947 by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers

Benjamin Banneker Surveyor, almanac author, and farmer who served on the team that surveyed the boundaries of the District of Columbia

Jo Anderson Slave of Cyrus McCormick, credited inventor of the reaper Believed to be the actual inventor of the reaper

Harriet Tubman Abolitionist guide on the Underground Railroad who helped over 300 slaves escape from slavery to the North over the course of nineteen trips to the South

Frederick Douglas Abolitionist leader in the North Famous for his writings and speeches against slavery

Sojourner Truth Abolitionist and women’s rights activist Spoke about slavery, women’s rights, prison reform, and capital punishment

Robert Smalls Stole the Confederate ship, CSS Planter, and sailed it beyond the Federal Blockade convincing Lincoln to allow African- Americans in the Union Army

Joe Frazier “Smokin Joe” Professional boxer, Olympic Gold Medalist, and World Heavyweight Champion

Booker T. Washington Educator, author, and speaker Founder and leader of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute

W.E.B. Du Bois First African- American doctoral graduate of Harvard University Emphasized vocational education for African-Americans

Duke Ellington Composer, pianist, and bandleader of jazz music in the 1920s and beyond

Bessie Smith Female blues singer during the 1920s and 1930s Still has major influence on jazz and blues vocalists today

Louis Armstrong “Pops” Jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans Pioneered the use of improvisation in music