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 Washington)

Who was the first African American bookseller? (1834 David Ruggles, New York City)

Who was the first black U.S. senator? (1870 Hiram Rhoades [Rhodes] Revels, Mississippi)

Who was the African American columnist who won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary? (1989 Clarence Page)

Who was the U.S. Supreme Court's first black justice? (1967 Thurgood Marshall)

Who first broke the color barrier to become a flight attendant? (1958 Ruth Carol Taylor)

Who became the first black to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point? (1877 Henry Ossian Flipper)

Which model was the first black to grace Sports Illustrated cover? (1997 Tyra Banks)

Who became the first black pitcher to win a World Series game? (1952 Rookie of the Year, Joe Black, of the Brooklyn Dodgers)

Who was the first regularly recognized black physician in the United States? (1780s James Durham [Derham])

Who was the black explorer who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition? (York)

Who 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, Alabama)

Who was the first black American to win the Nobel Peace Prize? (1944 Ralph Johnson Bunche)

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.