Excluded from history books, overlooked in classrooms and neglected by the media, African Americans have long been denied an accurate picture of their contributions to America, from colonial days to the present. But times have changed and the record can now be set straight. From the inventors of the traffic light and the gas mask to winners of an Oscar and the Olympic gold, this authoritative resource reveals over 450 'firsts' by African Americans - wonderful accomplishments achieved despite poverty, discrimination and racism.

Since 1619, when Africans first came ashore in the swampy Chesapeake region of Virginia, there have been many individuals whose achievements or strength of character in the face of monumental hardships have called attention to the genius of the African American people. This book attempts to distill from many wonderful possibilities the 100 most outstanding examples of greatness. Pioneering scholar of African American Studies Molefi Kete Asante has used four criteria in his selection: the individual''s significance in the general progress of African Americans toward full equality in the American social and political system; self-sacrifice and the demonstration of risk for the collective good; unusual will and determination in the face of the greatest danger or against the most stubborn odds; and personal achievement that reveals the best qualities of the African American people. In adopting these criteria Professor Asante has sought to steer away from the usual standards of popular culture, which often elevates the most popular, the wealthiest, or the most photogenic to the cult of celebrity. The individuals in this book - examples of lasting greatness as opposed to the ephemeral glare of celebrity fame - come from four centuries of African American history. Each entry includes brief biographical information, relevant dates, an assessment of the individual''s place in African American history with particular reference to a historical timeline, and a discussion of his or her unique impact on American society. Numerous pictures and illustrations will accompany the articles. This superb reference work will complement any library and be of special interest to students and scholars of American and African American history.

Updated With The Latest Facts And Photos "A Black history buff's dream." --Ebony From ground-breaking achievements to awe-inspiring feats of excellence, this definitive resource reveals over 450 "firsts" by African Americans in fields as diverse as government, entertainment, education, science, medicine, law, the military, and the business world. Discover the first doctor to perform open heart surgery and the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Learn about the first African Americans to walk in space, to serve two terms as President of the United States, and many other wonderful and important contributions often accomplished despite poverty, discrimination, and racism. Did you know that. . . At her first Olympics, Gabrielle Douglas became the first African American woman to win gold in both the team and individual all-around Olympic competitions. Sophia Danenberg scaled new heights as the first African American to reach the top of Mount Everest. Dr. Patricia E. Bath revolutionized laser eye surgery as the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent. Shonda Rhimes was the first African American woman to create and produce a top television series. Ursula Burns was the first African American woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Spanning colonial days to the present, African American Firsts is a clear reflection of a prideful legacy, a celebration of our changing times, and a signpost to an even greater future. Over 100 Pages of Photographs Fully Revised and Updated "Fascinating. . .an excellent source for browsing and for locating facts that are hard to find elsewhere." --School Library Journal "I recommend this book, a tool with innumerable possibilities which will help individuals understand. . .the contributions and inventions of African Americans." --The late Dr. Betty Shabazz "For browsing or serious queries on great achievements by blacks in America." --Booklist

An intersectional history of the shared struggle for African American and Latinx civil rights Spanning more than two hundred years, An African American and Latinx History of the United States is a revolutionary, politically charged narrative history, arguing that the “Global South” was crucial to the development of America as we know it. Scholar and activist Paul Ortiz challenges the notion of westward progress as exalted by widely taught formulations like “manifest destiny” and “Jacksonian democracy,” and shows how placing African American, Latinx, and Indigenous voices unapologetically front and center transforms US history into one of the working class organizing against imperialism. Drawing on rich narratives and primary source documents, Ortiz links racial segregation in the Southwest and the rise and violent fall of a powerful tradition of Mexican labor organizing in the twentieth century, to May 1, 2006, known as International Workers’ Day, when migrant laborers—Chicana/os, Afrocubanos, and immigrants from every continent on earth—united in resistance on the first “Day Without Immigrants.” As African American civil rights activists fought Jim Crow laws and Mexican labor organizers warred against the suffocating grip of capitalism, Black and Spanish-language newspapers, abolitionists, and Latin American revolutionaries coalesced around movements built between people from the United States and people from Central America and the Caribbean. In stark contrast to the resurgence of “America First” rhetoric, Black and Latinx intellectuals and organizers today have historically urged the United States to build bridges of solidarity with the nations of the Americas. Incisive and timely, this bottom-up history, told from the interconnected vantage points of Latinx and African Americans, reveals the radically different ways that people of the diaspora have addressed issues still plaguing the United States today, and it offers a way forward in the continued struggle for universal civil rights. 2018 Winner of the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award

Achievement engenders pride, and the most significant accomplishments involving people, places, and events in black history are gathered in Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Events.

Did you know that Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable founded what was to become Chicago? That Charles Richard Drew invented a method of preserving plasma for blood transfusions? Or that Phyllis Wheatley wrote a poem about George Washington, and as a result was invited to meet him? These are only three of the twenty black men and women you will learn about in Famous Firsts of Black Americans . This historical overview, geared to elementary and junior high school students, focuses on notable black people who made unusual and important contributions, and helped shape the destiny of America. Arranged chronologically, the brief biographies include those who made significant contributions in the fields of science, politics, sports, and the arts-from Estevanico Dorentez, an early Spanish explorer, to Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play major league baseball. Also included are: Crispus Attucks, Benjamin Banneker, Richard Allen, York, Jan Matzelinger, Bill Pickett, George Washington Carver, Matthew Henson, Charles Henry Turner, W. C. Handy, Jack Johnson, Hugh Mulzac, Frederick McKinley Jones, Ralph Bunche, and Marian Anderson. Sibyl Hancock is the author of fourteen previous books, including Old Blue, which was an ALA Notable Book in 1980 and was on the master list of the Texas Bluebonnet Award and the Washington State Children's Choice Picture Book Award.

The Negro Motorist Green Book was a groundbreaking guide that provided African American travelers with crucial information on safe places to stay, eat, and visit during the era of segregation in the United States. This essential resource, originally published from 1936 to 1966, offered a lifeline to black motorists navigating a deeply divided nation, helping them avoid the dangers and indignities of racism on the road. More than just a travel guide, The Negro Motorist Green Book stands as a powerful symbol of resilience and resistance in the face of oppression, offering a poignant glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of the African American experience in the 20th century.