Celebrating Black History Month
Jesse Owens
Track & Field Athlete
Set a world record in the long jump at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Won 4 gold medals in the ‘36 Olympics under the Nazi regime with the presence of Adolf Hitler.
Was appointed as director of a national fitness program for African Americans in 1942.
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976.
Charles R. Drew
Researcher & Surgeon
As a researcher and surgeon, Dr. Charles Drew revolutionized the understanding of plasma, the liquid portion of blood without cells.
After becoming the first African American to get his medical doctorate from Columbia University in 1940, Drew was a leading authority on blood transfusions and storage.
His work has saved countless lives and helped to lay the foundation for the modern blood banking industry.
Jackie Robinson
Baseball Player
In 1947, he became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball, breaking the color barrier in the MLB.
Was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
Muhammed Ali
Boxer
Considered the greatest professional boxer of all time.
Started his career at just 12 years old and became an Olympic champion in 1960.
Ali is the only athlete to become a three-time lineal heavyweight champion.
Fought for peace and civil rights, criticizing the Vietnam war.
Florence Joyner
Track & Field Athlete
Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner still holds the world records in the 100- and 200-meter events that she set in 1988, making her the fastest woman of all time.
Aretha Franklin
Singer, Songwriter, Pianist
American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights and women’s rights activist, also known as “Queen of Soul”.
She used her talents to assist the civil rights movement and toured with MLK, holding free concerts as fundraisers
Won 18 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994
Simone Biles
Gymnast
American artistic gymnast considered one of the greatest gymnasts and Olympians of all time.
Biles has won more Olympic and world championship medals than any other gymnast in history – with 19 medals.
She has helped open conversations about mental health and the pressure put on athletes. She withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health.
Stevie Wonder
Musician, Singer & Songwriter
The musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer is the most ever awarded male solo artist, having won 25 Grammy Awards along with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
Along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Wonder also has a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014
Katherine Johnson
Physicist & Mathematician
A physicist and mathematician who helped launch the first use of digital electronic computers at NASA.
She co-authored over 20 scientific papers and was instrumental in sending astronauts to the moon and returning safely home.
In 2015, she received the presidential Medal of Freedom.
Alice Augusta Ball
Chemist
A chemist who developed the “Ball Method” which was used as the first successful treatment for leprosy.
Her work directly impacted over eight thousand people that were diagnosed with leprosy until antibiotics were developed in the 1940s.
Gabby Douglas
Gymnast
Dubbed "The Flying Squirrel" for her high leaps in competition, Gabby Douglas is a multiple gold medal-winning world champion and Olympian.
In 2012, she made history at the London Olympics when she became the first person of color to become the Individual All-Around Champion.
Serena Williams
Tennis Player
Holds the title for 23 (the most) Grand Slam singles won by any player in the Open Era.
The only player to accomplish a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.
Won a surface slam in 2015, the only time a player has won major titles on hard, clay, and grass courts in the same year.
Holds the most (73) career WTA singles titles, including Grand Slams.
