Dr. Ralph J. Bunche (1904-1971) 67 years old when he died In 1950, Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche achieved what no other diplomat had ever been able to accomplish;
successfully end the first Arab-Israeli War. For this he was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, thus becoming the first Black to receive this prestigious honor.
While Ralph came from humble roots, he rose to become a political, scientist, an educator, a government official, and a great statesman.
Shirley A. Chisholm (1924-____) 78 years old in 2002 Shirley Anita Chisholm earned her place in history as the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, and also as
the first woman, White or Black, to make a serious bid for the presidency.
General Benjamin O Davis, Sr. (1877-1970) 93 years old when he died. The first Black American to become a general in the
United States Army was Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. In a military career that
spanned 50 years, Davis saw action in the Spanish-American War,
World War I, and World War II.
Dr. James Derham (1762-1805) 43 when he died In the days when many physicians had practical rather than formal training,
James Derham rose from the depths of slavery to become the first prominent Black medical
practitioner in the United States. At the height of his career, he was
one of the nations foremost specialists in throat disorders.
Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) 53 years old when he died The date was October 23, 1945.
26 years old when contract was singed
Crowds of reporters were gathered. The two central
characters, Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers , and Jackie Robinson sat
down at a table and signed the contract that made history. Robinson was on his way
to becoming the first Black to play on a major league baseball
team.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) 39 years old when he was killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a southern Baptist minister, author, and undoubtedly
one of the most effective civil rights leaders in this nation's
history, preached universal love and brotherhood, and led non-violent demonstrations
and sit-in all over the country for racial equality. Standing before the Lincoln
Memorial, King gave his most eloquent "I Have a Dream" address,
which touched the souls of every American.
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) 80 years old when she died. Mary Jane McLeod Bethune has left her mark indelibley printed upon the walls of time
as an outstanding educator, a giant of race relations, advisor to U.S presidents,
and the first Black woman in the United States to establish a
school that became a four-year accredited college.
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) 75 years old when he died.
22 years old when he produced the first wooden clock
In 1753, using the watch as a model, Banneker produced
the first wooden clock ever built in the United States. It was made entirely
of wood, and each gear was carved by hand. His clock kept perfect time, striking
every hour, for more than forty years. He was a self-taught mathematician, outstanding
astronomer, author of almanacs, renowned surveyor, humanitarian, and celebrated inventor.
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) 34 years old when he died Poetry, novels, short stories, magazine articles and song lyrics; all these
literary forms were mastered by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Because he was the
first Black person recognized nationally as a creative writer,
he was known as the "poet laureate of his people."
Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) 84 years old when he died.
he was 21 years old when he graduated
At the 1877 graduation exercises at West Point,
only one graduate received cheers, Henry Ossian Flipper, former slave and the
first Black to graduate from the United States Military Academy. He would
go on to further distinguish him as an engineer and a valued advisor to the U.S.
government.
Patricia Roberts Harris (1924-1985) 61 years old when she died Patricia Roberts Harris represents two firsts: she was the
first Black woman to serve in a president's cabinet and the
first Black to serve as Secretary in two cabinet posts. In 1977, President
Jimmy Carter appointed her to his cabinet as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
In 1979, she was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Bishop James Augustine Healy (1830-1900) 70 years old when he died A plantation slave with an Irish name, James Augustine Healy became the
first Black Catholic Priest and Bishop in the United States.
Jack Johnson (1878-1946) 68 years old when he died Jack Johnson was the first Black heavyweight boxing
champion of the world. While criticized by Whites for his lifestyle
outside the ring, he is still regarded by some experts as the best heavyweight
of all time.
James "Jesse" Owens (1913-1980) 67 years old when he died
Jesse Owens was 23 years old when he won the medals
There are few athletes whose phenomenal skill have earned them super-star
status in the Olympic record books. Jesse Owens, who amazed the world by
winning four gold medals in track and field in the 1936
Olympics in Berlin, is one of those. Amid a backdrop of controversy sparked
by Adolf Hitler and his theories of White, Aryan supremacy , Owens' performance
demonstrated the absurdity of such theories.
Garret A. Morgan (1875-1963) 88 years old when he died Garret A. Morgan is best remembered for his invention
of the automatic traffic signal, which brought order from chaos in the nation's
streets and improved traffic safety. He also invented the
gas mask, widely used by firemen in American cities in the early 1900s,
and by soldiers on the battlefields of Europe during World War I.
Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) 46 years old when he died Dr. Charles Richard Drew was a world renowned surgeon, medical scientist,
educator and authority on the preservation of blood. He was the
pioneer of blood plasma preservation; leaving mankind an important legacy,
the blood bank. Dr. Drew also became the first director of
the American Red Cross Blood Bank. Dr. Drew was killed in an automobile
accident while on a trip to a medical meeting at Tuskegee Institute in 1950.
Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) 93 years old when she died "Strong as a man, brave as a lion, cunning as a fox," Harriet Tubman was
undoubtedly one of the greatest Underground Railroad conductors
of her time. The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad, but a network
of concerned people across the country who devised an escape route state to state,
promoting freedom for slaves. Her undaunted courage and fearless acts earned her
the title, "Moses of her people."
Joshua Johnston (1765-1830) 65 years old when he died The first Black American to achieve status and
recognition as a renowned portrait painter was Joshua
Johnston.
Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) 85 years old when he died When Thurgood Marshall was appointed and confirmed as a
Supreme Court Justice, another page in history was recorded. He was the
first Black to be elevated to this position. Reaching
a position on the highest court in the nation culminated an illustrious legal
career that had seen him successfully argue landmark cases that altered the racial
fabric of America.
Rosa Louise Parks (1913-____) 89 years old in 2002
42 years old when Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus
In a celebrated incident in 1955 she was arrested for
violating segregation laws when she refused to give up her seat to a White passenger.
This resulted in a boycott of the bus system by Blacks, with Martin Luther
King, Jr. leading the movement. In 1956, segregated seating was challenged in a
federal lawsuit. Within a few months bus segregation was ruled unconstitutional,
and the buses were officially desegregated in December 1951.