What Every Black Child Should Know

By Hamilton Parkway

Within the pages of this book, the reader will find an abundance of short Bios about some of the most interesting and inspiring black men and women, many of them you possibly have never heard of.  Critical events in European, Caribbean, North American and African history are also covered. This is so much more than just a reference book—it is meant to keep you engaged, informed and entertained as much as it will educate you.  Whether you have a passing interest in history, or just want something fascinating to read, this book is guaranteed to edify and enthrall you. All people of colour should be able to stand proud and confident with the knowledge of our triumphs, achievements and resilience to the horrifying obstacles that we have had to overcome as a people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hamilton Parkway
• Release date: Apr 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201314026

Hamilton Parkway

Writer and Researcher Hamilton Parkway has studied black history and culture as well as intersectionality for the past two decades. His work is mainly centred upon uncovering names and events form history that have directly influenced black culture and identity.  He is currently working on a new publication entitled "Interracial" exploring the complexities of interracial relationships from around the globe.

Book preview

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Part of the Ghana Empire was conquered by the Mali Empire, which was an Islamic West African state. Mansa Musa reigned between 1312 and possibly 1337 and is reported to have been the wealthiest person in history. He was the 10th Mansa of the Mali Empire. It is estimated that his wealth in today’s terms would be over $400 billion (1). As a devout Muslim he undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 taking along with him 12,000 slaves and 60,000 men who each are reported to have carried 4 lbs. of gold bars. Mali is well known for its great deposits of gold. He also undertook the construction of various mosques and madrasas during his reign (2).

2. BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA (August 1961)

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The 44th President of the United States, was also the first African American to be elected to this position and served two terms from January 2009 to January 2017. Born and raised in Hawaii, Obama’s father was from Kenya and his mother from Kansas. After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in political science. He studied at Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1991. At the Chicago law firm, Sidley Austin, he met Michelle and soon married her. He was in practice as a civil rights lawyer, but also taught constitutional law part-time at the University of Chicago’s law school where he became a professor. Obama was elected as the senator for Illinois in 2004 and ran for the Presidency as a Democrat, but prior to this had published an autobiography, Dreams of my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance in 1995 which has since been printed in 25 languages and the audio version won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2006. His efforts on various fronts, as President, won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

3. KAMALA HARRIS (October,1964- )

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When Joe Biden asked Kamala Harris to be his running mate in the run-ups to the 2020 elections it set the scene for her to become the 49th vice president of the US. She was the first female to hold this office in January 2021, after Joe Biden won the elections and became President. She is also the first African American and Asian American vice president of the US (1). Harris was Attorney General of California, then was elected to the US Senate in 2016. Harris’s mother came from India to study at the University of Berkeley, and her Jamaican-born father taught at Stanford University. Harris studied political science and economics before completing her law degree (2).

4. GUION STEWART BLUFORD JR. (1942 -)

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When Challenger launched with astronaut Bluford Jr on board he was the first African American to undertake a space mission. After completing a degree in aerospace engineering at Pennsylvania State University, he became a commissioned officer in the US Air Force and trained as a fighter pilot. During the Vietnam War he completed 144 combat missions. After completing his doctorate in aerospace engineering, he was one of only 35 participants selected from over 10 000 applicants to become a NASA space shuttle astronaut. He undertook four space flights as mission specialist. After leaving NASA in 1993 his career path took him into private sector information technology and engineering services.

5. BERNARD A. HARRIS Jr. (June,1956–)

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A Texan, Harris graduated as a medical doctor from Texas Tech University School of Medicine after which he was a resident at the Mayo Clinic. A National Research Council Fellowship at NASA Ames Research Centre followed, as well as training at the Aerospace School of Medicine, Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, as a flight surgeon. Dr. Harris also received a master’s degree in biomedical science. At NASA Johnson Space Centre he took up the position of clinical scientist and flight surgeon, where he worked on clinical investigations into the human body’s adaptation to space flight (1). He left NASA in 1996 after completing two missions as an astronaut and making history as the first African American man to enter space as a research team member (2).

6. MAE C. JEMISON (October,1956-.)

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She was an African American astronaut and physician, born in Decatur, Alabama. During her High School years, she decided that she wanted to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. In 1977, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University on a National Achievement Scholarship. On June 4th,1987, Jemison became the first African American woman to be admitted into the NASA Astronaut Training Program, eventually earning the title of Science Mission Specialist. When Jemison finally flew into space on September 12, 1992, aboard the Endeavour on mission STS47, she became the first African American female astronaut. During her eight days in space, Jemison conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the crew and herself. She returned to Earth on September 20th, 1992. Jemison has received a number of accolades, including several honorary doctorates, the 1988 Essence Science and Technology Award, the 1992 Ebony Black Achievement Award, the 1993 Montgomery Fellowship from Dartmouth College. In 1992, an alternative public school in Detroit, Michigan, was named after her. After leaving the astronaut corps in March 1993, Jemison accepted a teaching fellowship at Dartmouth. She established the Jemison Group, a company that seeks to research, develop and market advanced technologies.

7. ARNALDO TAMAYO MÉNDEZ (January,1942- )

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He was the first Latin American of African descent, and the first Cuban to fly in space. After the Cuban revolution of 1959, Tamayo Méndez joined the Cuban Air Force as a pilot. In 1961 he went to the Soviet Union for training on the MiG-15, and during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, he flew 20 reconnaissance missions. Selected as a cosmonaut candidate in March 1978 as part of the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos program, he participated in Soviet space missions. Tamayo Méndez travelled into space aboard Soyuz 38 with Soviet cosmonaut Yury Romanenko on Sept. 18, 1980, where they conducted several scientific experiments and research studies. He was awarded the first title of Hero of the Republic of Cuba by Fidel Castro and was also bestowed with the Order of Lenin and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest decoration in the Soviet Union. After his spaceflight Tamayo Méndez returned to the Cuban Air Force. In 1980 he became a member of the Cuban legislature, the National Assembly of People’s Power. In 1982 he was appointed chairman of the Military-Patriotic Educational Society (SEPMI), a military instruction program for Cuban youth. He remained SEPMI’s chairman until 1992. Tamayo Méndez served as the director of the Department of International Affairs for the Cuban armed forces and as the director of Cuba’s civil defence organization.

8. SIAN HAYLEY PROCTOR (March 1970 - )

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Although being a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Selection Process, she was not selected to be part of the final crew, however, this Geology Professor realised her dreams when she spent three days in September 2021 orbiting the earth in a SpaceX Falcon rocket and making history as the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft, and the fourth Black woman to travel in space. She is also a Major in the Civil Air Patrol and has participated in several moon and Mars simulations. She has appeared in a few educational television programs, including Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space which chronicles the mission from its inception. She was selected when she won an online business competition organised by billionaire businessman Jared Isaacman who chartered the flight. She wants to inspire the next generation of girls and women of colour to reach for the stars.

9. TEDDY SEYMOUR

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Teddy Seymour is the first black man to sail around the world solo. Seymour won an athletic scholarship to attend college and was an All-American cross-country road runner star at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. In 1965, Seymour served in Vietnam as a captain in the United States Marine Corps. After relocating to the Virgin Islands working as a primary school teacher, Seymour began planning his journey. It took seven years of paying off bank loans for the purchase and preparation of his 35-foot sailboat before Seymour left Saint Croix, headed for the Panama Canal. Restricted by a small travel budget, Seymour limited his stops to 12 ports including several South Pacific Islands, Australia, South Yemen, Israel, and Greece. Seymour routed his journey through the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal after he was advised by a U.S. Counsel to stay out of Durban, South Africa, where he would have had to stop before passing under the Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean was in the middle of its worst winter in 42 years. Gale force winds and a damaged navigation system delayed Seymour. He made his longest layover in Pilos, Greece, where he waited over 30 days for the repairs and better weather. After a two-month 2,000-mile (3,200 km) journey, Seymour passed through the Strait of Gibraltar with very little food and headed for home. Although he was certified by sailing authorities as being the 161st person to make the circumnavigation solo, he received little mention in the press outside of a few sailing magazines. The Legislature of the Virgin Islands has declared a resolution to preserve his contribution to the history of Virgin Islands maritime culture and world sailing. He was given the prestigious Golden Circle Award recognition, by the Joshua Slocum Society. For over 20 years, the Virgin Islands Pace Road Runners Club has hosted an 8.4 mile Toast-To-The-Captain road race in honour of Teddy Seymour.

10. MATTHEW ALEXANDER HENSON (August 1866 – March 1955)

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An African American explorer, he was the first black man to stand at the North Pole. When Commander Robert Edwin Peary eventually reached the North Pole all that was left of his expedition were himself, four Inuit hunters and Matthew Henson. Freed from slavery after the end of the Civil War, Henson roamed the world in search of adventure. An orphan, he signed onto a sailing ship at the age of twelve, and under the tutorship of the Captain received an education and the technical skills to become a good sailor. When the captain passed, Henson took a job at a furrier’s shop in Washington, D.C. which is where he met Peary, who had come in to sell some fur pelts. He became Peary’s personal assistant and when Peary was assigned to map rainforests in Nicaragua, Henson accompanied him where they spent two years and established a lasting friendship. They spent 18 years in total mapping the Greenland ice-cap where they discovered the Cape York meteorite, and sold it to the American Museum of Natural History in New York – it weighed 31 tons. From the funds they received they were able to travel. Henson spoke the Inuit language, had skills as a carpenter, repairing the dog sledges, and was adept as a dog handler. The Inuit referred to him as Matthew, the kind one. Peary and Henson became estranged over who reached the North Pole first – it appears it was Henson who had reached the spot first. Peary took the glory and Henson became a clerk and dropped into obscurity until 1954 when President Eisenhower gave him a special commendation for his work as an explorer. In 2000, 45 years after his death the National Geographic Society awarded him the Hubbard Medal, their highest accolade (1).

11. SIBUSISO VILANE (December,1970- )

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He is a South African adventurer, motivational speaker, author, marathon runner, mountaineer, and expedition leader. Vilane began his working career as a game ranger at Malolotja Nature Reserve in Swaziland in 1993. Vilane started climbing in 1996. In 1999 he reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and went on to the Himalayas in 2002, as part of his training for the Mount Everest expedition. In March 2003, Vilane set off for the Himalayas again in his quest to be the first black African to summit earth's highest mountain, Everest. He reached the top successfully on May 26, 2003 from the South Side. In 2005 Vilane reached the summit of Everest after accessing the peak from the North Ridge. In 2006, Vilane was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga (Bronze) by President Mbeki of South Africa. He is the first black African to climb the world's highest peak twice using two different routes. In late 2007 Vilane and fellow mountaineer, Alex Harris, embarked on a trek to reach the South Pole. They completed the expedition on January 17th, 2008 and became the first South Africans to walk to the South Pole. Vilane was the first black person to do so. Vilane arrived at the geographic North Pole on 12 April 2012 to become the first black person to complete the Three Poles Challenge. By completing the Three Poles Challenge and the Seven Summits, Vilane also became the first African to have accomplished Explorers Grand Slam, an elite title earned only by a handful of people around the World.

12. SOPHIA DANENBERG (1972-)

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Born to a Japanese mother and a black father, Sophia Danenberg studied Environmental Sciences and Public Policy at Harvard University, graduating in 1994. She went on to Keio University in Tokyo as a Fulbright Fellow. Danenberg became involved in mountaineering in 1999, doing technical climbs through her local Appalachian Mountain Club Chapter. Her first major climb was Mount Rainier in Washington State in 2002. She and her husband scaled Kilimanjaro (Kenya) 2002, Mount Baker, Washington, 2003, and Mount Kenya, 2003. In 2005 she scaled five peaks: Grand Teton (Wyoming), Mount Katahdin (Maine), Mount Denali, previously named McKinley (Alaska), Mount Tasman (New Zealand), and Ama Dablam (Nepal). In the spring of 2006, with one week of planning, Danenberg began to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. She, along with eight people, signed up for an unguided climb which gave her the help of two Sherpas, weather reports, food, and oxygen. She carried her own gear and pitched her own tent. She had no guide on the climb to make decisions for her. On May 19, 2006, after two months of climbing, she become the first African American and black woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

13. LEWIS HAMILTON (January 1985- )

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Of Grenadian descent on his father’s side Hamilton became the first black British race car driver in 2007 when he drove for McLaren. His name has gone down in history as one of the most successful race car drivers of all time. He started off racing remote controlled cars when he was six and was soon beating adults at club level. At 8, Hamilton started karting, and won the British karting Championship (cadet class) at 10. He went on to rack up one karting championship after another and at the age of 13 was signed to the McLaren Driver Development Support Programme, the youngest driver to be contracted to a Formula One team. He went on to win places in junior level karting Championships, then winning a number of international championships, prompting the British Racing Driver’s Club to grant him Rising Star membership. He then switched to racing cars, and after a shaky start was soon comfortable and again racking up wins, despite some controversial moments. During forced inactivity due to the Coronavirus pandemic he spent his time getting involved in activism – specifically the Black Lives Matter campaign. He returned to racing with enthusiasm and had by the end of 2020 increased his wins to have the most Grand Prix titles of any driver, and had equalled Michael Schumacher’s victories with seven world drivers’ championships.

14. USAIN BOLT

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Bolt was born on August 21, 1986, in Jamaica. From an early age he stood out as a cricketer and a sprinter. At the age of 15, Bolt took his first shot at success on the world stage at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 200-meter dash, making him the youngest world-junior gold medallist ever. Bolt was chosen for the Jamaican Olympic squad for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Bolt reached the world Top 5 rankings in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, Bolt broke the national 200-meter record and earned two silver medals at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Usain Bolt was dubbed the fastest man alive after winning three gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He won both the 100- and 200-meter races in record times. Bolt also won three Olympic gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, making him the first man in history to set three world records in Olympic competition. He made history again at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio with gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter races and 4x100-meter relay. Bolt is an 11-time world champion. Over the course of his career, Bolt has received numerous awards, including the IAAF World Athlete of the Year (twice), Track & Field Athlete of the Year and Laureus Sportsman of the Year. In August 2017, following the World Athletics Championships, Bolt announced his retirement from track and field.

15. ELAINE THOMPSON-HERAH (1992 - )

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This Jamaican sprinter has made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which were held in 2021 –due to Covid delays, when she successfully defended both her previous Olympic titles for the 100m and 200m sprints. She also scored the second fastest time in history for the 100m sprint. She collected three gold medals – two for her sprints and one for her performance in the women’s 4 x 100m relay team. This was achieved despite having battled with an Achilles injury for three years (1). In 2019 she became the Pan American Games champion. She was born at Banana Ground, Manchester, in Jamaica (2).

16. LAMONT MARCELL JACOBS JR. (1994 -)

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Born to an Italian Mother and an American father in Texas, Jacobs is Italian and participated in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, which were held in 2021. He took home three gold medals for Italy and set a new 100 metres European record in a time of 9.80 seconds. Earlier in 2021 at the European Indoor Championships in Poland, he ran the men’s 60m in 6.47 seconds to establish a new Italian record, following with another Italian record for the 100m, in 9.95 seconds. He also won the Italian Championships in 2016 for long jump when he was 21 years old (1). He is in a relationship with Nicole Daza and has two children. He also has a son from a previous relationship (2).

17. TIGER WOODS (December,1975-)

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Golfing professional, Woods, scored two firsts in 1997 as the youngest man to win the US Masters, and also the first African American to do so. He was just 21 years old. At an early age his father mentored his golf playing and at the age of 8 showed his skills on TV shows such as Good Morning America. He studied at Stanford University, and winning various amateur US gold titles before turning professional in 1996. He went on to win 13 major titles over his career between 1997 and 2009 and was also named PGA Player of the Year for ten of those 12 years. He had some personal problems in 2009 resulting in a divorce from his Swedish wife and his career slumped. But in 2019 he gained victory at the US Masters once again and went ahead to record a total of 82 PGA Tour wins, tying with the career record of Sam Snead.

18. BESSIE COLEMAN (January,1892-April,1926)

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Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas of Native American and African American descent. Due to financial difficulties Coleman only completed one term at Langston University. In 1915, at the age of 23, Coleman moved to Chicago. She began listening to and reading stories of World War I pilots, which sparked her interest in aviation. In 1921, Coleman broke barriers and became the world's first Black woman to earn a pilot's license at a time of both gender and racial discrimination. Flying schools in the United States refused her entry, she then learned French and moved to France to pursue her goal, which only after seven months she earned her license from Caudron Brother's School of Aviation. While waiting to realize her dream to start a flying school for African Americans, she specialized in stunt flying and parachuting and earned a living performing aerial tricks. In 1922, she became the first African American woman in America to make a public flight. On April 30, 1926, Coleman was tragically killed in an accident during a rehearsal for an aerial stunt. Coleman remains a female pioneer in the field of aviation.

19. AHMET ALI ÇELIKTEN (1883-1969)

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He is believed to be the first military aircraft pilot of African descent. Celikten was born in the coastal city of Izmir, Turkey. His mixed racial ancestry was proof of the Ottoman Empire’s participation in the slave trade that for centuries brought in non-Muslims from mainly East and Central Africa. In 1904 Çelikten entered the naval military school Haddehane Mektebi -School of the Rolling Mill. In 1908 he was commissioned a first lieutenant. As World War I approached, the Ottoman Military recognized the need to put together an Air Force and began training pilots. Çelikten commenced his Air Cadet training in 1914 at Deniz Tayyare Mektebi-Naval Flight School near Istanbul and graduated on November 11th, 1916. Few details are known about Çelikten’s combat record in the Ottoman Air Force during World War I. Before the war started, he briefly participated in flight training in France with a group of seven other Turks and in December 1917, Çelikten was sent to Berlin, Germany, for additional training. He was promoted to Captain. Though he remained in the military until he retired in 1949, Çelikten’s career has never received much attention from researchers. In the early 1920s during the War of Turkish Independence, he was sent to outpost air bases on the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to observe activities from the sky and report on the movements of enemy vessels. In 1928 he was appointed an undersecretary at Air Force Headquarters in Konya. Among his military decorations was the Bahri Aircraft Medal. He inspired members of both his immediate and extended family to become pilots, to the extent that aviation was said to be the family’s business.

20. EMORY CONRAD MALICK (December 1881 – January 1959)

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Emory was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. In 1911, Emory became the first aviator to fly over central Pennsylvania, flying his homemade aeroplane. The first record of Emory Malick's interest in aviation is July 22, 1911. In January 1912, Emory was enrolled in the Curtiss Aviation School in San Diego, California. He passed his flying test in March 1912 and was awarded his international FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) license at the school, issued by the Aero Club of America. Emory was the first known licensed black pilot in the world. Emory continued to appear regularly in the newspapers from 1914 through 1928. In 1927, he became the first African American pilot to earn a Federal Transport License, as well as a Federal Mechanics License. These licenses were issued through the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce (later the FAA), and were required for his ongoing work as a pilot for the Aero Service Corporation as well as Dallin Aerial Surveys. He was not acknowledged as an air luminary although he was probably the one deserving of highest honour. In March 2011, The Air & Space/Smithsonian published an article entitled The Unrecognized First suggesting Emory was the First Licensed black aviator. Photos and hidden family history proved him to be a black member of a mixed African- and European-American family. Most of his family passed as white, but Emory did not.

21. PIERRE RÉJON (1895-1920)

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Pierre Réjon was the first black French military pilot to fly during World War I and one of the first people of African ancestry to become a military pilot anywhere in the world. He was the first French pilot whose victories were recognized by the French Armed Forces. Pierre Réjon was born on the Caribbean island of Martinique. He excelled in school and in 1914, he went to mainland France to further his education in engineering at the Ecole des Arts et Métiers in Paris. A few months after his arrival, World War I began. On August 22, 1914, Réjon volunteered for the 33rd Infantry Battalion in the French army. He was immediately sent to the south of France, for training, and was promoted to second lieutenant in 1915. In July 1917, he became a student at the French Military Air Academy. He obtained his degree on September 26, 1917 and became a military pilot in December 1917. Réjon named his aircraft Zaza in memory of his younger sister, because he believed it would bring him luck against his enemies. Proving himself to be both reckless and talented, Réjon was shot down three times, but in each instance he survived. He damaged eleven German aircraft in combat, shooting down four of them. Pierre Réjon’s aerial success was recognized by La France Colonial, a World War I-era newspaper, which wrote about his remarkable courage. The General Order, a military newspaper, wrote that Réjon was an extremely courageous pilot. He flew 12km behind enemy lines, engaged in a very difficult fight against opponents who outnumbered him, and shot down a German aircraft. At the end of the conflict, Réjon was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Bronze Palm and the Belgian Croix de Guerre. At the end of World War I, Pierre Réjon left the army. However, he did not return to study engineering. He died in a plane crash on August 15, 1920, while flying over French Guiana.

22. EUGENE BULLARD aka The Black Swallow of Death (October,1895-October,1961)

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Eugene James Bullard was the first African American military Fighter Pilot. He was an extraordinary combat pilot. He flew for France during World War One. When he was a teenager, Eugene stowed away on a German freighter. He was trying to escape from racial discrimination in the US. Eugene eventually made it to London and barely made a living by boxing. He went to Paris where he got an opportunity to box and decided to stay. When the First World War started, Eugene Bullard enlisted and was assigned to the 3rd Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE). In France, non-nationals were only allowed to serve in the Foreign Legion. By 1915 Eugene was a machine-gunner in the Regiment. He was cited for acts of valour and was awarded the Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) on July 3rd 1917. Eugene then joined the French Air Service as an air-gunner. After his training was completed, Eugene joined the Lafayette Flying Corps. He participated in many combat missions and is credited with shooting down two German aircrafts. When the Americans officially entered the war, the United States Army Air Service recruited Americans flying in the Lafayette Flying Corps, but only white pilots were chosen. After the war, Eugene returned to Paris and found work as a drummer and a nightclub manager eventually becoming the owner of his own nightclub – L’Escadrille. During the Second World War, Eugene was a spy for the French government. He could speak German and was able to understand what was being said by the Germans who visited his nightclub. In May 1940, Eugene volunteered and served with the 51st Infantry Regiment. He was wounded and escaped to neutral Spain. In July,1940 he returned to the US, but he never fully recovered from his wounds. In the US, he worked as a perfume salesman, a security guard, an interpreter for the legendary jazz trumpet maestro Louis Armstrong and an elevator-operator at the Rockefeller Centre. In 1954, the French government invited Eugene to Paris to be one of the three men chosen to rekindle the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe. In 1959, he was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion d’honneur by General Charles de Gaulle, who called Eugene a ‘True French hero’. He was also awarded the Medaille Militaire 77 years to the day when the Americans refused him the chance to fly for his own country. He was buried with military honours in the French War Veterans section of Flushing Cemetery in the borough of Queens. He received 15 decorations from the government of France. Eugene was posthumously commissioned a Second lieutenant in the US Air Force.

23. THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

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These were airmen who trained at the Tuskagee Army Air Field, Alabama, during World War II. What made them special? They were the first African American flying unit of the US military. There had been calls from the black press and the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured Peoples (NAACP)to ask the US Military to include African Americans in the air force units. The 99th Pursuit Squadron, an all- black unit was formed in 1941 and trained on single engine planes at the segregated Tuskagee Air Field. This was not ideal as the call from NAACP and the black press was for an integrated unit, however, after graduating the Tuskagee airmen were trained further in French Morocco. In 1943 they completed their first mission and were renamed the 332nd Fighter Group in 1944 after being joined by an additional three squadrons. They were the most decorated of the Army Air Forces’ escort units with 850 medals. In total 992 men graduated from the Tuskagee Air Field courses.

24. EDWARD JOSEPH DWIGHT JR. (1933 - )

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The hopes of black Americans were on US Air Force pilot Dwight to be the first black person in space in the 1960’s, but he was not selected, although the Kennedy Administration was keen on putting the first African-American into space. He did fly supersonic aircrafts including the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter which is capable of soaring so high that the curvature of the earth can be seen. He has commented on the beauty of the blue layer encasing earth He studied at Arizona State University, completing a degree in aeronautics, after showing an interest in aeroplanes as a toddler. When he saw a photograph of a black airman in the Korean War, he realised his dream was possible, studied hard and became Captain in the Air Force and into the NASA Space Program, making him the first African American astronaut candidate. His mother had written to the Vatican to get him enrolled in Bishop Ward, the local Catholic school, which did not accept black students. On the Vatican’s instructions he was accepted and became the first black male to graduate from Bishop Ward school in 1951. After resigning from the US Air Force in 1966, he rekindled his childhood love of art and completed a master’s degree in art, specialising in sculpture in 1977. He became well known and in demand for sculpture commissions worldwide

25. MADELINE SWEGLE

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Born in Burke, Virginia, Madeline Swegle is a United States Naval Aviator and the U.S. Navy's first black female tactical jet pilot. In 2014, she graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary School. In 2017 she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. She reported to VT-21 in Kingsville, Texas where she completed the Tactical Air Strike Pilot Training Syllabus on July 7, 2020. She is currently a Lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy.

26. VERNICE ARMOUR (1973 - )

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The first African American female combat pilot, dreamed as a child of being a mounted police officer, riding her horse downtown. After training as a cop, instead of a horse, she drove a motorcycle. She later decided to join the Marines. Then, when she saw an African American woman wearing a flight suit on base, she changed to training as a combat pilot, and was awarded her wings in 2001. She flew missions in the AH-1 SuperCobra helicopters in Iraq, often returning with bullet holes in the craft. She had since left the Marines to start her own business, VAI Consulting and Training LLC which specializes in establishing good leadership practices (1). She has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and CNN, among others, and is in demand as a keynote speaker who inspires and motivates audiences to overcome obstacles and turn them into opportunities. Known as Flygirl, Armour is also the author of Zero to Breakthrough, The 7-Step, Battle-Tested method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter (2).

27. JENNIFER HOSTEN (October, 1947- )

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Born in St. George's, Grenada, Jennifer Hosten was the first black woman to win Miss World in 1970. She studied in London and worked for the BBC's Caribbean Radio Service.The 1970 contest was held in London, United Kingdom. After the result was announced, there was great controversy, the BBC and newspapers received numerous protests about the result and accusations of racism were made by all sides. The then Prime Minister of Grenada, Sir Eric Gairy, was on the judging panel. As a result, there were many accusations that the contest had been rigged. Eric Morley, the chairman of the company that owned the Miss World franchise, put the judging panel's ballot cards on view and described the complex majority vote system. She earned a Masters of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Carleton University, Ottawa. Jennifer Hosten Craig was High Commissioner to Canada from Grenada from 1978 to 1981. In 1998 she served as Technical Adviser on Trade to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Her autobiography, Beyond Miss World, was published in 2008.

28. JANELLE COMMISSIONG (June 1953- )

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Commissiong’s early fame as a model and winner of Miss Trinidad and Tobago was followed by the Miss Universe competition which she won outright in 1977 after having won the Miss Photogenic section of the competition four days prior. She was the first black woman to win this competition. Her advocacy for Black Rights and World Peace led to her being awarded the Trinity Cross, Trinidad’s highest award for its citizens (1). The country honored her achievements with the issue of three postage stamps. Married to Brian Bowen, founder of Bowen Marine Ltd, she was widowed in 1989 and subsequently married businessman Alwin Chow (2). In 2017 the newly formed Tourism Trinidad Destination Management Company Ltd appointed her as chair. She had previously served as deputy Chair of its predecessor, the Tourism Development Company (3).

29. LEOPOLDINE EMMA DOUALLA BELL SMITH (1939- )

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She was the first black flight attendant. She was a princess of the royal Douala family of Cameroon. In 1956 at the age of seventeen, Smith went to Paris for ground hostess training by Air France and to UAT (Union de Transports Aeriens) for flight training. In 1957 Smith made history as the first black person to work as a flight attendant for any airline. In 1960 Smith she joined Air Afrique, the airline created to serve eleven newly independent French-speaking nations. Smith was the only qualified African in French aviation. She was eventually promoted to an Air Afrique first cabin chief. During her time as a flight attendant, Smith flew throughout Africa and as far away as Australia. Because of the colour of her skin, some white passengers treated her like an outcast, but dark-skinned passengers often welcomed her presence. Smith experienced frequent sexual harassment. In 1969 after twelve years as a flight attendant, Smith became manager of Reunited Transport Leaders Travel Agency in Libreville, Gabon. Six years later, she relocated to Washington D.C. to study English at Georgetown University. Smith returned to Gabon in 1976 where she was hired by Air Zaire as station and officer manager at the Libreville airport. Smith also supported Skal International. Smith and her husband moved to Lima, Peru, in 1983 for a Peace Corps assignment. While there, she remained in the travel industry and worked as a travel consultant. Smith retired in 2003 and moved to Denver with her husband where they established the Business and Intercultural Services for Educational Travel and Associated Learning (BISETAL) which encourages on-site education about Africa and other non-western cultures. Smith also volunteers at Denver International Airport through their ambassador program. In 2015 Smith was honoured at the fortieth anniversary of the Black Flight Attendants of America organization at Los Angeles International Airport’s Flight Path Museum.

30. HATTIE MCDANIEL (June 1895 -October 1952)

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African American actress and singer, McDaniel left school in1910 and performed in several traveling minstrel groups. She later became one of the first black women to be featured on American radio. During the Great Depression, McDaniel got a job as a bathroom attendant at Sam Pick's Club in Wisconsin. Very soon her talent as a vocalist was discovered by some of the patrons, and, although the Club hired only white performers, she performed there for more than a year, until she left for Los Angeles. During the 1930s she played the role of maid or cook in nearly 40 films and is famous for her supporting role of Mammy in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, a role for which she became the first African American to win an Academy Award. During World War II, McDaniel organized entertainment for black troops. This encouraged the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) and other liberal black groups to lobby Hollywood to put an end to the stereotyped roles for blacks. As a result, McDaniel's Hollywood opportunities declined. In 1947, she became the first African American to star in a weekly radio program aimed at a general audience.

31. SIDNEY POITIER (February 1927-January 2022)

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He was a Bahamian American actor, director, and producer who broke the colour barrier in the U.S. motion-picture industry when he became the first African American actor to win an Academy Award in 1963 for best actor in Lilies of the Field and the first black movie star. He grew up on Cat Island, Bahamas, and returned as a teenager to the United States. He enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II serving in a medical unit. Upon his discharge, he applied to the American Negro Theatre (ANT) in New York City but was refused because of his accent. He started to practice American enunciation and reapplied to ANT six months later. He was accepted and began studying acting while appearing in a series of ANT productions. His first credited film role was Dr. Luther Brooks, a black doctor who treats a bigoted white criminal, in No Way Out in 1950. Poitier continued to perform in live theatre and won critical acclaim on Broadway in 1959 with his starring role in A Raisin in the Sun. He also starred in the films that examined racial tensions, such as in ‘The Defiant Ones’ (1958), where Poitier was cast as a prisoner who escapes with a white inmate. They must overcome their racial prejudices in order to elude the police. The film, with its call for racial harmony, earned Poitier an Oscar nomination for best actor. He also earned acclaim for his work in Porgy and Bess (1959). Poitier made history with Lilies of the Field (1963). His Academy Award win marked the first time a competitive Oscar had been awarded to an African American male. He was also just the second black actor to win an Academy Award. After the western Duel at Diablo (1966), Poitier starred in a series of acclaimed films- To Sir with Love (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner". The success of the movies made Poitier the top box-office draw of the year. In 1972 Poitier made his directorial debut. In 2001 Poitier, the recipient of many prestigious acting awards, was presented with an honorary Academy Award for his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being. A dual citizen of the United States and The Bahamas, he served as ambassador to Japan for The Bahamas from 1997 to 2007. In 2009 he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Poitier chronicled his experiences in This Life (1980) and The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (2000). Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter (2008) was a volume of advice and insights. He also released a suspense novel, Montaro Caine, in 2013.

32. HARRY BELAFONTE/ HAROLD GEORGE BELAFONTE Jr. (March 1927- December 2019).

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He was an African American born to immigrant parents from Jamaica and Martinique. He left the US as a child and lived in Jamaica with his mother from 1935-1940. He returned and joined the US Army in the mid-1940s. In 1950 Belafonte became a folk singer specializing in American and Caribbean folk songs and performing in nightclubs, theatres and on television variety programs. He made calypso music popular and became known as the King of Calypso. In the 1950s he pursued a career in acting and became a Tony and Emmy Award winner. In the 1960s, he became the first African American television producer. Belafonte continued to record, and in 1960 he received a Grammy Award for best folk performance. He collaborated with South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. In 1970 he returned to the big screen. Throughout his career, Belafonte was a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and a close friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was very active in African humanitarian efforts, appearing on We Are the World (1985). In 1987 he became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He also received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014.

33. CHARLEY FRANK PRIDE (1934 – 2020)

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Charley Pride was multiskilled American guitarist, singer and a professional baseball player. His career peaked in the mid 1970’s when he became the best-selling artist for RCA records since signing Elvis Presley. Born is Mississippi, Pride became the most successful African-American country music singer in the 1960’s. He was influenced in his youth by the music of Roy Acuff, popularly known as the King of Country Music, as well as Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb. Between 1953 and 1958 he pitched for the Memphis Rex Sox as well as the Birmingham Black Barons. He did not earn a contract in the major leagues, instead turning to music and scoring his first position in the Top 10 on the country music charts in 1966. After his initial success he went on to score No 1 position twenty-nine times in all. He was given his place in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

34. BOB MARLEY (Robert Nesta Marley) (February 1945- May 1981).

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Marley sold over 20 million records and brought reggae to the world stage, but it is his messages conveyed through his songs that has remained relevant, decades later. Marley sung first-hand about the suffering in Jamaica, his homeland. Born to a black mother and white father, whom he saw only once in his life, Marley grew up in Trench Town – an area of shanty houses with a sense of community, where ska music was dominant, and people sang of happenings in their areas. Marley joined the Wailers, with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston in 1963. When Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, regarded as the Living God by the Rastafarians, visited Kingston, it was Marley’s wife who first became a believer, and later Marley grew his signature dreadlocks of the faith. He made music about the conditions in Jamaica, and about his vision for the world where people would stand together and not be torn apart by racial injustice and violence - one of the last songs he wrote was Redemption Song. He was given a state funeral in Jamaica after succumbing to cancer.

35. THE MIGHTY SPARROW Francisco, Slinger. (c1935-

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Calypso singer, Slinger Francisco, was born in Grenada, but his family moved to Trinidad before he was two years old. His mastery of calypso led to him being dubbed King of Calypso, and he was known professionally as Mighty Sparrow. His lyrics examined issues of the day over a 48-year career in music, with audiences looking forward to his often-satirical lyrics on subjects as far ranging as industrial disputes, Caribbean politics, sex workers, and slavery. Politicians were often wary of what he would reveal about them in his songs. He worked towards making Calypso singers accepted as professionals with proper pay and was eight times winner of awards at the Trinidad carnival, despite having boycotted the carnival in 1957 in a bid for better pay for calypso singers. He visited and performed in Nigeria, the homeland of his ancestors who were taken as slaves, as well as performing globally. Mighty Sparrow’s lyrics for The Slave inspired Bob Marley with the direction he wanted for his own lyrics.

36. MAX ALFRED MAXI ELLIOTT (June 1961-)

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Also known as Maxi Priest, this singer’s Jamaican family moved to London before Maxi was born. His mother was in the Pentecostal Church and the church choir’s lead singer, so Maxi, the eighth of nine children, grew up surrounded by gospel, soul, R&B, reggae and pop music. He started his singing career at various dancehall sessions and went on to record 10 albums and perform live all over the world. His Mi God,