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The First Black Woman in Space
In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to go into space. Prior to her career in space, she founded served as a doctor in the Peace Corps and after her time in space, she founded an organization that provided space camps for students. She has been a trailblazer across the STEM world. -
Los Angeles Riots
After officers shot an African American man on probation for robbery with a taser and severely beat him were found not guilty in the year after, the verdict sparked four days of riots. The riots began in a southern neighborhood, and by the end of them 55 were dead and over 2,000 were injured. -
The Million Man March
In October of 1995, millions of black men gathered in Washington D.C. for a march. The march was intended to be a sort of spiritual renewal to instill a sense of solidarity and and personal responsibility to improve their own condition. -
The First Black Chess Grandmaster
In March, 1999, Maurice Ashley attained the title of a Chess Grandmaster, the game's highest rank. Currently. there are only 1742 chess grandmasters, and the title has to be given by the International Chess Federation, and is the highest title one can achieve, aside from the World Champion. -
First African American Woman to Win the Best Actress Oscar
Halle Berry was the first African American Woman to win the Oscar for the Best Actress for her role in "Monster's Ball." Denzel Washington also won the oscar for best actor, which makes it the first year that African Americans win both the best actor and best actress awards. -
First Black Female Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice became the first black female Secretary of State. She had to grow up during racial segregation, but has made the most out of it and is currently the 8th director of the Hoover Institution and Stanford University. -
Barack Obama, the First African American President
On the day of January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated to the White House. He became the 44th president of the United States and was the first black president. -
The Start of the Black Lives Matter Movement
In 2013, three female Black organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created a Black-centered political will and movement building project called Black Lives Matter. Black Livers Matter is a modern movement centered on eliminating the deep rooted beliefs against blacks in the community. Some of their main objectives are to end white supremacy and to eliminated acts of violence enacted on black communities. -
First African American Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
Michael Bruce Curry became the 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church on November 1st, 2015. He was elected to a nine year term which was confirmed at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City. -
The Opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
The date marks the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. The museum showcases many things related to events in black history or culture, for example tributes to trailblazers in black history. -
George Floyd Protests
Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic Floyd died after he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a deli earlier in the day, though the officer was filmed kneeling on his neck for more than 8 minutes, which can be thought to have led to Floyd's cause of death. The Day after Floyd's death, protesters in Minneapolis took to the streets to protests Floyd's killing, burning police cars, while the protests spread over weeks. -
The First Vice President of African Descent
In 2021, the year of President Biden's election, he brought with him his vice president, Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris was the first for many groups to become a vice president, including the first Vice President of African and Asian descent.