Culture & Change: Black History in America
Read and Explore
  American history is not complete without the stories of African-American men and women, from slavery to political leaders. Explore the path of black history with our interactive timeline, and share your opinions on whom you think made a real difference.
 


Click to launch Timeline
See how President Obama got his start in politics and learn what other historic events happened in his lifetime. (You will need the Flash plug-in to see the timeline. Click here to get the free plug-in.)
 
  Nominate a Trailblazer

You can nominate someone to be in the Trailblazer Honor Roll. Your Honor Roll nominee should be the first African American to break the color barrier in a field previously open only to whites. You can choose a Trailblazer or someone from your own community, such as your town's first African-American mayor, fire chief, or school principal.

Click to Nominate a Trailblazer

 


Below is a list of African-American men and women who changed history.


1772: James Derham
1821: Thomas L. Jennings
1823: Alexander Twilight
1845: Macon B. Allen
1848: William A.
Leidesdorff
1853: Mary Ann Shadd Cary
1864: Rebecca Lee Crumple
1909: Matthew Henson
1935: William Grant Still
1939: Hattie McDaniel
1940: Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.
1947: Jackie Robinson
1950: Ralph Bunche
1950: Gwendolyn Brooks
1955: Marian Anderson
1956: Nat "King" Cole
1957: Althea Gibson
1957: The Little Rock Nine
1960: Ruby Bridges
1962: Mal Goode
1966: Edward Brooke
1967: Thurgood Marshall
1968: Shirley Chisholm
1968: Arthur Ashe
1968: Moneta Sleet, Jr.
1970: Cheryl Adrienne Browne
1971: Bill Pickett
1983: Guion S. Bluford
1989 and 2000: Colin Powell
1992: Reginald Lewis
1993: Toni Morrison
1997: Tiger Woods
2001: Condoleezza Rice
2009: President Barack Obama