Phillis
Wheatley'sPoems on Various Subjects was the first
published book by an African-American.
1851
Sojourner
Truth became
the first black woman orator to lecture against slavery.
She is particularly remembered for
the famous "Ain't I A Woman?" speech .
1922
Bessie
Coleman became
the first African American female pilot.
1940
Hattie McDaniel
became the first African American performer to
win an Academy Award. She won for her supporting role
in Gone With the Wind.
1950
Althea
Gibson is the first African
American to play in the U.S. Open. She won the
tournament in 1957 and 1958.
1955
Marian Anderson became the first black
singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera.
1968
Shirley
Chisholm becomes
the first African American woman elected to Congress.
Late she became the first female Presidential candidate.
1986
Oprah
Winfrey is the first African-American
woman to own her own television production company,
Harpo, Inc.
1990
Sylvia
Rhone was named as the first African-American
female to head a major record label, Elektra.
1992
Carol
Mosely-Braun
was elected the first and only black woman to serve
in the US Senate.
1993
Toni
Morrison became the first African American
to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993.
2002
Vonetta
Flowers
became the first black Winter Olympic gold medallist
in first women's Olympic bobsled race.
