Potpourri of Historic African American Firsts Quiz

Answer: beauty and hair products for black women

Madame C.J. Walker created, manufactured, and distributed a line of hair care and beauty products, specifically designed for African American women, which took her from very humble beginnings to being acknowledged as the first self-made female American in America.

As a young woman, Sarah Breedlove suffered from a condition that resulted in her loosing much of her hair. When she discovered that the traditional remedies of the time were ineffective in addressing her problem, she started experimenting with different solutions and concoctions until discovering one that solved her problem.

This lead to the mass production of her formula which she marketed. Along with her husband Charles Joseph Walker, they traveled the country, selling her products door to door and at social functions and gatherings. She marketed her product using her married name, forming the Madame C.J. Walker Company.

She trained other African American women in her process, opened a beauty school, and hired hundreds of women throughout the country as her sales agents, providing them with the opportunity to earn a decent income at a time when there were few jobs available for Black women other than domestic service jobs.

Madame C.J. Walker was recognized as a successful entrepreneur, a generous philanthropist, and a political activist for the rights of women throughout the nation. She believed strongly in "giving back" to her community, donating large sums of her money to worthy charities and causes, and community projects.

Answer: received a degree from an American college

In 1823, Alexander Lucius Twilight (1794-1859) became the first African American to earn a degree from any college or university in the United States.

Twilight received his Bachelor's Degree after graduation from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont.

Ironically, this fact did not become widely known until 1826, when Amherst College in Massachusetts claimed to have conferred the first Bachelor's degree to Edward Jones, an African American student.

Post graduation, Alexander Twilight enjoyed careers as an educator, a minister, and subsequently became the first African American elected to Vermont General Assembly.

Answer: Frederick Douglass

In 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Frederick Douglass United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, making him the first African American to hold the position.

Douglass served as U.S. Marshal from 1877 until 1881.

Prior to his appointment, Douglass, a freed slave, had gained national prominence as a noted abolitionist, orator, social reformer, and author.

Answer: Ralph J. Bunche

Ralph J. Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1950, becoming the first African American to be so honored.

The award was the result of Bunche's participation in the 1948 mediation in Palestine.

By definition set forth by the prize creator, Alfred Nobel, the recipient of the prize "Shall have done the most or best work for fraternity between nations for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace-congresses".

The Nobel Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901. Bunche was the 49th recipient of the prize, proceeded by a stellar list of individuals and organizations, including two former Presidents of the United States (Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson).

Answer: Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes became an member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the 2002 induction ceremonies, under the category of "Performer", 16 years after the initial induction ceremonies in 1986.

The first Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1986 honored 16 musical talents, including seven of African American decent. Inducted at that time were Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cook, Fats Domino, Robert Johnson, and Little Richard.

Answer: Robert Henry Lawrence Jr.

A major in the United States Air Force, test pilot Robert Henry Lawrence was selected in June of 1967 for the Astronaut program, following his successful completion of Air Force Flight Test Pilot Training School at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
While riding in the rear seat as an instructor pilot, Lawrence was killed on December 8, 1967 when his F-105 Srarfighter crashed in the desert area of Edwards Air Force Base. The flight test trainee who was actually piloting the aircraft at the time was able to eject and survived the crash, suffering major injuries.

Guion "Guy" Bluford was the first African American Astronaut to fly a space mission during the STS-8 Space Shuttle flight on August 30, 1983. Bluford went on to fly three additional space shuttle missions.

Ronald McNair lost his life in the Challenger disaster when the space craft on which he was a passenger on exploded 73 seconds after what appeared to be a picture-perfect launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 28, 1986.
McNair was one of seven crew members to perish in the explosion.

Bernard Harris was the first African American Astronaut to perform an "Extra Vehicular Activity "walk in space" on February 9, 1995, during his second space shuttle mission.

Answer: Don Newcombe

Right handed pitcher Don Newcombe received the assignment of pitching the opening game of the 1949 World Series, featuring the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

In the game played in Yankee Stadium, Newcombe threw eight scoreless innings against the Yankees.
The game was decided in the bottom of the ninth inning when Newcombe was greeted with a game winning walk off home run by Tommy Henrick, giving the Yankees a 1-0 victory.
In his losing performance, Newcombe struck out a record 11 Yankee hitters, giving up five hits.

During Newcombe's ten year career in baseball, Newcombe played his first eight seasons for the Dodgers (1949-1951 and 1954-1958).
Newcombe's accomplishments included being named "Rookie of the Year" during his first season (1949), being the first African American pitcher to win the "Cy Young" award (1956), designating his as the best pitcher in the combined Major Leagues for that season, being the first Black pitcher to win 20 games in a season (1955), and being the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to win both the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player award in the same season (1956).

At the height of his career (1952-1954), Newcombe took a two years hiatus from baseball, serving in the U.S. Military during the Korean War.

Answer: Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965) earned the nomination in 1954 for her performance as title character in the motion picture "Carmen Jones" (1954).

The film, directed and produced by Otto Preminger, featured an all African American cast which included Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Olga James, Joe Adams, and Brock Peters.

At the 27th Academy Awards ceremony held on March 30, 1955, at the Pantages theater in Hollywood, Dandridge found herself competing in the category with fellow nominees Grace Kelly, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, and Jane Wyman. The Oscar went to Grace Kelly for her performance in "The Country Girl" (1954).

Dorothy Dandridge passed away on September 8, 1965. Nineteen years later (January, 1984) she was acknowledge and honored for her overall body of work by the motion picture community and Hollywood with a "star" on the famed "Hollywood Walk of Fame".

Dandridge appeared in over 35 motion pictures during her career.

Answer: Carl B. Stokes - Cleveland, Ohio

In 1966, Robert C. Henry became the first African American mayor of a U.S. city when he was elected for the position by the citizens of Springfield, Ohio.

One year later, Carl Burton Stokes was elected to serve as the 51st mayor for the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, Stokes served one four year term from 1968-1971, making him the first elected African American mayor of a major U.S. City.

Tom Bradley served five terms (20 years total) as the first African American mayor of Los Angeles, California (1973-1993).

Maynard Jackson served two terms (1974-1982) as the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.

Answer: James McCune Smith

James McCune Smith received his medical training at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, graduating near the top of his class, earning a degree in medicine. Following his graduation, Smith returned to New York where he opened a practice specializing in Internal Medicine, which lasted for 25 years. Throughout his career, Smith remained active as an author, speaker, educator, and supporter of the abolition and anti-slavery movement.

Smith also became the first African American to run a pharmacy. Despite his numerous accomplishments in the field of medicine, Smith was never admitted to either the American Medical Association or local medical organizations due to his race.