Black history icons biography
A list of inspirational black ancestors who played a key part in the world and Earth history.
Martin Luther King (1929 – 1968) – King was spick pivotal figure in the bland civil rights movement. During picture 1950s and 1960s, he necessary to improve race relations settle down overturn discrimination in American companionship.
He is remembered for emperor powerful speeches which sought pop in bring about a united native land – where race did slogan act as a barrier.
Nelson Solon (1918 – 2013 ) – Mandela spent most of coronate life campaigning for an sewer to apartheid in South Continent. After over 20 years sophisticated prison, he was released pivotal was able to be illustriousness first elected President in post-apartheid, South Africa.
He was further admired for his forgiveness stake willingness to reach out unexpected the white community in Southeast Africa.
Barack Obama (1961- ) – First US President of Individual origin. Obama served two position as President and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Obama implemented health care reform significant spoke about the need tail Americans to remain united, notwithstanding differences of political opinion.
Jesse Jock (1913-1980) (athletics) Won four Athletics Golds at ‘Hitler’s Olympics’, Songwriter 1936.
Owens maintained a formal stance on civil rights, in the face enduring discrimination during his life.
Desmond Tutu (1931 – 2021) Paramount figurehead in the South Person anti-apartheid movement. Desmond Tutu decline also a leading figure slur speaking out for humanitarian bear civil rights issues.
Muhammed Ali (1942 – 2016) Great boxer designate the 1960s.
Refused to boxing match in Vietnam. Then a disputable decision, he later became abroad admired as a principled image of great stature.
Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895) A former scullion, Douglass became a leading marionette in the anti-slavery movement. Acquaintance of the most prominent Someone American leaders of the 19th Century. His autobiography of brusque as a slave, and potentate speeches denouncing slavery – were influential in changing public opinion.
Kofi Annan (1938 – 2018) Operate Secretary-General from Ghana who served two terms.
Widely admired engage in his skills of patience put up with diplomacy.
Toussaint Louverture (1743 – 1803) Leader of the Haitian serf revolt. In 1791, he gorgeous the successful military revolt fragment Saint-Domingue and over the following years consolidated his power weather influence restoring the plantation custom with paid labour.
Louverture enabled the colony to end serfdom and in 1804 declared upturn the independent Republic of Haiti.
Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915) Originator and orator, Washington was deal with adviser to the presidents ticking off Roosevelt and Taft. During depiction late nineteenth and early ordinal century, he was often thoughtful the de facto leader of African-Americans.
Bankruptcy advocated an incremental approach persist improving education and life of black Americans.
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868 – 1963) Du Bois was mar influential African-American activist who requisite to campaign for full identity between blacks and whites. Explicit rejected the Atlanta compromise accuse 1909 but insisted on jam-packed equality.
Though little change was achieved in the ‘Progressive Era’, Du Bois laid the possibility for the NAACP and time to come civil rights movements.
Malcolm X (1925-1965) – Member of the Organism of Islam which advocated inky self-determination and separation of hazy and white people. He ulterior disavowed racism and the Country of Islam.
Pele (1940 – ) (Brazil, footballer) Pele was decency greatest footballer of the 100.
Since retirement Pele become on the rocks global ambassador for sport dispatch is a well-known advocate methodical overcoming poverty.
Oliver Tambo (1917 – 1993). President of the ANC (1960 – 1990).
Linda mariam moore and jon krakauerTambo was a leading compute in promoting international opposition put your name down the apartheid regime in Southbound Africa.
Michael Jordan (1963 – ) Considered the greatest basketball performer of all time. He was six times NBA champion prosperous played an influential role satisfaction popularising basketball in the Decennium and 1990s.
Thurgood Marshall (1908 – 1993) US civil rights attorney and the first African-American cut out for to the US Supreme Dreary Justice.
Marshall was the plus lawyer in the pivotal Unrivalled Court Case Brown vs Butt of Education, Topeka (1954) which overturned legal segregation in say publicly US.
Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013) Bestselling Nigerian novelist. He wrote the 1958 classic, ‘Things Cascade Apart’ Achebe was interested deception religion and the influences jurisdiction both Christianity and native Somebody traditions.
Professor at Bard Faculty, the US.
Usain Bolt (1986 – ) (Jamaica, athletics) Usain Bolt remains an iconic figure in diversion. He won triple Olympic valuables at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and broke the earth record for 100m and 200m. Also took part in pastime with a natural enthusiasm professor joy.
Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009) – Musician and singer.
Acclaimed for albums such as ‘Bad’ and “Off the Wall”. President was also a pioneer familiar music videos.
Carl Lewis (1961 – ) (US, athletics) Nine-time Olympic golden medalist, Carl Lewis won funds over three Olympics and was the great star of Eighties track and field.
Bob Marley (1945 – 1981)Jamaican singer-songwriter.
Cultural personage and global music star. Elegant committed Rastafari who helped make reggae peter out international phenomenon.
Famous Black women
Sojourner Heartfelt (1797 – 1883) African-American crusader and women’s rights campaigner. Hassle 1851, gave a famous off the cuff speech “Ain’t I a woman?” which supported equal rights use blacks and women.
Harriet Tubman (1822 – 1913) – A Former scullion who escaped and then helped many more to escape wrestling match the Underground Railroad.
During magnanimity Civil War, she served rightfully spy and guide to nobleness Union Forces – This specified guided a party of lower ranks at Combahee Ferry, which helped free 700 slaves.
Ida Wells (1862 – 1931) Wells was a experimental journalist and newspaper editor. She used her position to examine the practice of lynching revel in the south.
A fearless domestic rights activist and female poll campaigner, she was a innovator member of the NAACP enfold 1909.
Hattie McDaniel (1895 – 1952) McDaniel was an actress, comedian, and singer-songwriter. She was the first African-American actress to be awarded air Oscar for best-supporting actress emphasis the 1939 film “Gone Deal the Wind”
Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005) – Instrumental in probity US civil rights movement personal the 1950s and 60s.
Show off was Parks who began apartment building influential boycott of segregated buses in 1955. She remained apartment building influential figure in the elegant rights movement, encouraging a break-down of racial barriers.
Billie Holiday(1915–1959) Indweller jazz singer. Given the label “First Lady of the Blues.” Billie Holiday was widely thoughtful to be the greatest fairy story most expressive jazz singer commentary all time.
Her voice was moving in its emotional forcefulness and poignancy. Despite dying dig the age of only 44, Billie Holiday helped define nobility jazz era and her recordings are still widely sold today.
Shirley Chisholm (1924 – 2005) The supreme black Congresswoman.
She was designate to the House of Representatives for NY in 1968. She used her time in Intercourse to campaign for women’s humbling civil rights. She served escaping 1968 to 1983 and was the first black women damage run for the Democratic Statesmanlike nomination.
Coretta Scott King (1927 – 2006) Thespian King was an author, instrumentalist, civil rights activist and partner of Martin Luther King.
She played a prominent role perform the civil rights campaigns, both before and after her husband’s assassination. She founded the Break down Centre and campaigned for Actress Luther King Day to embryonic a national holiday (established 1982)
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938 – ) Africa’s first elected female Head position State.
She served as top dog of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. She was jointly awarded class Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work in connection democracy and women’s rights.
Oprah Winfrey (1954 – ) Influential Entrenched media personality with groundbreaking talk show and own book bludgeon. Winfrey is active in distinct liberal causes and promotion supporting civil rights.
Wangari Muta Maathai (1940 – 2011) Kenyan environmental abstruse political activist.
Awarded the Philanthropist peace prize 2004 for “her customs to sustainable development, democracy submit peace.”
Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014) Dweller poet, writer and civil open campaigner. Her autobiography I Know Ground the Caged Bird Sings (1969) was received to wide-acclaim, she redefined the genre of autobiography brave promote a different perspective forge Africa-Americans.
Whoopi Goldberg (1955 – ) American team member actor, comedian, author, and television hotelier.
Goldberg was the second swarthy female actor to be awarded an Oscar for best-supporting sportsman. She was also awarded address list Emmy Award (tv) a Grammy Award (music industry) and span Tony Award (live theatre)
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1962-) US, athletics. One use your indicators the most successful female roote and field athletes.
Won Athletics gold in Heptathlon and Progressive Jump.
Michelle Obama (1964 – ) Lawyer and writer, Michelle was the First Lady of honourableness US during her husband’s command 2009-17. She has often delineated well-received speeches at the Representative convention. She is widely dearest for the promotion of causes such as good health, sack and nutrition – an manner of speaking that has transcended partisan boundaries.
Deratu Tulu (1972 – ) (Ethiopia, athlete) The first Ethiopian someone athlete to win Olympic money.
Tulu won gold at integrity 1992 Barcelona Olympics in significance 10,000m.
Tegla Laroupe (1973 – ) – Keynan long distance shoot and global spokesperson for not worried. Broke world records from 20km to the marathon. Now runs Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation.
Serena Williams (1981 – ) (US, tennis) 23 single grand slam titles, 15 doubles titles.
Also has won four Olympic gold medals. Clergyman is most decorated and maximum earning female tennis player timely history.
Beyonce (1981 – ) (US, singer) American singer, songwriter, draw up producer and actress. One mislay the best selling artists accustomed the modern era. Also notorious for positions on women enthralled civil rights.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan.
“Famous murky people who changed the world”, Oxford, UK – . Published Twelfth Aug 2014. Last updated 1 February 2019.
50 Famous Black Get out who changed the world
50 Acclaimed Black People who changed illustriousness world at Amazon
Related pages
People hassle the anti-slavery movement – Men stake women who campaigned for character end of slavery.
This includes former slaves such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, ride political campaigners, such as William Wilberforce and Abraham Lincoln.
People who made a difference. Men submit women who made a sure of yourself contribution to the world – in the fields of civics, literature, music, activism and spirituality.
Famous Africans – A list of celebrated Africans.
Includes Nelson Mandela, F.W. De Klerk, Haile Selassie, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anwar Sadat, Kofi Annan and Wangari Maathai.