Black History Month has been recognized annually since 1976. While it’s important to take this opportunity to look back and reflect on the past and celebrate incredible milestones and victories, there’s no need to wait until February. Here are some Black History Month facts you can share with your kids all year long.
Plus, click the button below to get a free copy of our Black History Month Google Slideshow to share with your class.
Black History Month trivia for kids
1. Carter G. Woodson is the “Father of Black History.”
The historian was the second black student to graduate from Harvard with a Ph.D. His remarkable research led to the creation of Black History Month in 1926. Then, in 1976, it became a nationally recognized annual event.
2. February is Black History Month, commemorating the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
This month was chosen to commemorate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. During the Civil War, Lincoln worked tirelessly to expand the rights of black Americans. Douglass, a former slave, became a leader in the abolitionist movement in the fight to end slavery.
3. William Tucker was the first black person born in the 13 colonies.
William Tucker was born in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1624 into a family of indentured servants. They were one of the first African groups brought to the colonies by Britain.
4. The first novel by a black author was published in 1853.
William Wells Brown wrote “Clotel, or the President’s Daughter.” He was a lecturer and abolitionist.
5. Claudette Colvin was the first black woman known to refuse to give up her seat on a bus.
If you’re looking for Black History Month facts to wow your students, try this one. Rosa Parks is often credited with being the first black woman to refuse to give up her seat on a bus, but Claudette Colvin was actually arrested nine months earlier for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. was.
6. Lucy Stanton was the first black woman to earn a four-year college degree.
Stanton received a degree in literature from Oberlin College in 1850.
7. Lucy Terry wrote the first poem known by a black American.
Lucy Terry lived as a slave in Rhode Island from an early age. At age 26, she married a free black man and was released. She wrote “Bars Fight” in 1746.
8. Phillis Wheatley published the first collection of poetry by a black author in 1773.
Born in Gambia, Wheatley was purchased by a Boston family when she was only 7 years old. She was released shortly after publishing poems on various religious and moral subjects.
9. Nat King Cole was the first black American to host a television show.
The popular jazz pianist and singer hosted the Nat King Cole Show on NBC in 1956.
10. Hattie McDaniel was the first black person to win an Oscar.
In 1940, Hattie McDaniel won an Academy Award for her supporting role in Gone with the Wind. It took another 24 years for Sidney Poitier to become the first black man to win Best Actor (Lilies of the Field), and another 62 years for Halle Berry to win Best Actress (Monster’s Ball). Ta.
11. In the early 1770s, Quakers established the first public schools for black children.
Anthony Benezet founded the school. He was a white Quaker, educator, and abolitionist.
12. Thurgood Marshall was the first black justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
A longtime lawyer, he was formally nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. Marshall served until 1991.
13. Barack Obama was the first black president of the United States.
The lawyer and former senator was first elected in 2008.
14. Kamala Harris is the first black Vice President of the United States.
Harris, who took office in 2021, is the first woman and first person of African or Asian descent to hold the vice presidential position. Her father immigrated from Jamaica and her mother immigrated from India.
15. The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” became the first commercially successful rap record.
This groundbreaking song was produced by “hip-hop’s original godmother” Sylvia Robinson. Robinson co-owned Sugar Hill Records with her husband. It was the first hip-hop music label.
16. Stevie Wonder was the first black artist to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Not only did he win for his 1973 masterpiece Innervisions, he became the first and only musician to win the award three years in a row.
17. Bryant Gumbel was the first black morning show host.
The broadcast journalist joined NBC’s Today Show in 1981.
18. John Taylor was the first black athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Taylor won the 4×400 meter relay in 1908. It took 40 years, but Alice Coachman won the high jump, becoming the first black woman to win a gold medal.
19. Madam CJ Walker was the first black woman to become a self-made millionaire.
Walker developed a line of hair care products for black women. Her amazing story is told in the Netflix series Self Made.
20. Robert Johnson was the first black billionaire.
He founded Black Entertainment Television (BET), which he sold in 2001 and made a fortune.
21. Althea Gibson was the first black tennis player to win a Grand Slam.
Gibson won his first championship in 1956 and went on to win 11 Grand Slam tournaments throughout his career.
22. George Washington Carver’s research led to more than 500 products made from peanuts and sweet potatoes.
This agricultural scientist promoted alternative crops to cotton, and his research greatly contributed to economic growth in the rural South. He also invented techniques to avoid soil depletion.
23. Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first black athletes to play in the NFL.
Football players joined in 1920. Pollard then became the NFL’s first black coach.
24. Sheryl Swoopes was the first player to sign with the WNBA.
The star player joined in 1996 and made his league debut the following year.
25. Gabby Douglas made history at the 2012 London Olympics.
The gymnast became the first black woman to win an individual all-around title.
26. Septima Poinsett Clark helped establish approximately 1,000 citizenship schools.
Efforts by civil rights activists and activists encouraged black voter registration.
27. The first black-owned newspaper was published in 1827.
Freedom’s Journal, published in New York City, was the first black-owned and operated newspaper in the United States. It provided a platform to counter racist discourse and advocate for desegregation and civil rights.
28. Mae Jemison was the first black woman to travel to space.
In 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison made history aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. She is a physician, engineer, and STEM education advocate.
29. Bass Reeves, the first black deputy U.S. marshal, may have been the inspiration for The Lone Ranger.
Although it cannot be conclusively proven, many believe that Reeves was the inspiration for this famous character. Born into slavery, he captured more than 3,000 fugitives during his lifetime and became a legendary lawman in the Wild West.
30. The first black-owned hospital opened in 1891.
Chicago’s Provident Hospital was founded by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries.
31. Oscar Micheaux was the first black director to make a feature film.
Micheaux released The Homesteader in 1919, paving the way for black voices in film.
32. Henrietta Lacks’ cells revolutionized medicine.
In 1951, cells taken without permission from Henrietta Lacks became the first immortal human cells. These cells, known as HeLa cells, have contributed to medical research, including the development of vaccines and cancer treatments.
33. Marian Anderson was the first black singer to perform in a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1955, Anderson broke through classical music barriers when he appeared on stage at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, becoming a symbol of the progress of the civil rights movement.
34. Early black inventors held more than 50,000 patents in the United States.
From 1870 to 1940, “Black people invented more during this period than immigrants from all countries except Great Britain and Germany.” The traffic light (Garrett Morgan), the modern refrigerator (Frederick McKinley Jones); Innovations such as the automatic elevator door (Alexander Miles) were created by black inventors.
35. Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to run for president.
In 1972, Ms. Chisholm campaigned for the Democratic nomination and made history as a trailblazer for women and people of color in politics.
36. The Black Lives Matter movement was founded by three women.
Patrice Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi started a global movement in 2013 to combat systemic racism and violence against Black communities.
Get your free Black History Month fact slides!
Click the button below to get a free Google slideshow of all the facts above and share it with your classroom.
