Satchel Paige, Legendary Pitcher
Satchel Paige was one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time. He was a gifted player who worked tirelessly to maintain his edge. But as a Black man, he […]
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Heroes & Trailblazers
Be inspired by fascinating men and women whose drive and determination transformed our country and our lives.
Justina Ford (1871-1952), Physician
Overcame major obstacles in order to practice medicine Only female doctor in Denver for at least the first three decades of the 20th century Justina Ford was born in Knoxville,
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Susie King Taylor (1848-1912), Educator, Author, Activist
First woman to openly teach former slaves at a school in Georgia. Only African-American woman to publish a memoir of her work during the Civil War: Reminiscences of My Life
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George Washington Carver (ca. 1865-1943), Internationally Known Scientist and Educator
George Washington Carver was born into a slave family in Diamond Grove, Missouri. His father died in an accident shortly before his birth, and when he was still an infant, Carver and his mother were kidnapped by slave raiders who hoped to sell them for money. Â George was rescued by a neighbor and returned to Moses and Susan Carver, the owners of the farm where his family had lived. His mother was never seen again.
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Sarah E. Goode, (ca.1850-1909), Inventor
- First African-American woman to get a patent
Sarah Jacob was born into slavery in about 1850; she gained her freedom at the end of the Civil War and moved to Chicago shortly after. In Chicago she met and married Archibald Goode, a carpenter.
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Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), Great Strides in Education and Civil Rights
- Made great progress for African-Americans in the field of education and civil rights
- Consultant to four presidents; most significantly FDR for establishing the Federal Council on Negro Affairs
- First black leader and first woman to have a monument in a public park in Washington DC (1974)
- In 1989, Ebony Magazine included Mary McLeod Bethune as one of 50 Most Important Figures in Black History
Mary McLeod Bethune was one of 17 children born to former slaves, Samuel and Patsy McLeod. The family lived in Mayesville, South Carolina, and growing up, Mary worked in the cotton fields along with the whole family.
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