The list of the most notable African-Americans of all times is vast, varied and virtually endless. African Americans are noted for their contributions throughout history in every field imaginable. Bessie Coleman was the first licensed African American pilot and the first African American female pilot, Thurgood Marshall was the first African American Supreme Court Justice and Dr. Charles Richard Drew was the inventor of the first blood bank. The list goes on and on. Whether it’s excellence in Aviation, Law or Medicine, Sports, Journalism or Activism, the list of the most notable African Americans of all times continues to grow today. We can’t list them all here, but below are three notable figures, all with a permanent place in history.
At the age of 35, ReverendDr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize money, totaling $54,123, helped support and advance the civil rights movement. Born Michael Luther King Jr. January 15, 1929, Dr. King became a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) during the 1950’s. From 1955-1956, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a successful bus boycott that ended segregation on Montgomery Alabama buses.
During his decades of dedication to civil rights, religion, peace and harmony, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. peacefully protested and boycotted with thousands of followers and prominent figures to end segregation, discrimination and discriminatory laws. Dr. King endured numerous arrests, abuse, hatred, death threats and even his home was bombed. Through it all, Dr. King gave more than 2,500 speeches, authored five books, traveled over 6 million miles and led some of the largest and most successful protests in world history. Dr. King was not only a leader of the civil rights movement, but he was also a world figure. He campaigned for Lyndon B. Johnson and consulted with JFK and in 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was named Time Magazines Man of the Year.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of his Memphis, Tennessee hotel room. He was scheduled to lead a protest march in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis.
Today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday is a national holiday and Boulevards all around the country bear his name. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is not only one of the most notable African Americans of all times, he is also one of the most notable human beings of all times.
Quite possibly the most famous woman in the world and by far the one of the most notable African Americans of all times is Oprah Winfrey. Visit any corner of the world and say “Oprah” and you’re sure to get everyone’s attention in an instant. Oprah Winfrey isn’t just famous for being one of the one of the wealthiest self-made women in the world (Forbes estimates her worth at around $1.1 billion), Oprah is also an advocate for education and the well-being of all women and children, she runs her own charity organization and foundation (Angel Network and The Oprah Winfrey Foundation) and she is the chairman of a successful production company, Harpo Studios. The Oprah Winfrey Show airs in 112 countries; Ms. Winfrey has her own magazine O, The Oprah Magazine and her own cable channel Oxygen Media.
Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi January 29, 1954, Oprah Gail Winfrey is the First African American Woman Billionaire, she is the first African-American to own her own TV studio and she is number nine on Forbes Top 10 Most Powerful Women list. In addition, Oprah Winfrey is an actress and has appeared in “The Color Purple,” “Beloved” and the television movie “The Women of Brewster Place” which she also produced. Besides being one of the most notable African Americans of all times, with all of her awards and honors, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most decorated African Americans in history and she is also one of the hardest working women in the world. To learn more about Oprah Winfrey visit: www.Oprah.com.
Tiger Woods
We all know that Congress’ census categories are grossly inadequate. Most Americans are a hodgepodge of different races, ethnicities, nationalities and religions. For bi-racial children, to choose one race over another is a denial of half of who they are. Tiger Woods is neither African American nor Asian-he’s both. His mother is Asian (Chinese/Thai) and his father is African American, so he is viewed by many as a role model and notable figure for both the African American and Asian American communities.
Born Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, December 30, 1975, Tiger Woods made his first appearance at the age of two on The Mike Douglas Show, putting alongside Bob Hope. Since then he has created an endless list of successes and firsts in golf history. Before turning pro in 1996 and at the same time signing a $40 million contract with Nike, Tiger Woods won three consecutive U.S. amateur titles (1994-1996). During his first 10 seasons as a Pro Golfer, Mr. Woods won 46 PGA tournaments. In 1997, he won the Masters on his first try, becoming the youngest player in history to win the title. Over the next several years, Tiger Woods won the British Open (1999), the 2000 British Open (2000), U.S. Open (2000) and he won the Masters again in 2001. This sealed his status as the first golfer in history to hold all four major tournament titles simultaneously. From 1999-2000 Tiger Woods won six consecutive tournaments and he went on to win the British Open (2002), the Masters (2002) and more recently, the 2005 Masters. Besides earning the title “the world’s greatest golfer,” Tiger Woods has also earned a permanent place in history as one of the most notable African Americans of all times and one of the most notable Asian Americans of all times.
