Black History Month Trivia - African-American Firsts

Who was the first African-American Rhodes Scholar?

• Alain Locke

• W.E.B. DuBois

• Henry Louis Gates

• Randall Kennedy

Answer explanation

Alain Locke was the first Black to win a Rhodes scholarship in 1907, igniting a legacy of excellence that African American students would carry over the next century. In fact, over the past four decades, Blacks have won a Rhodes scholarship almost every year.

Who was the first African-American senator AFTER reconstruction?

• Kamala Harris

• Edward Brooke

• Barack Obama

• Adam Clayton Powell

Answer explanation

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was an American Baptist pastor and politician who represented the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the United States House of Representatives from 1945 until 1971.

Who was the first African-American Nobel Peace Prize winner?

• Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Ralph Bunche

• John Hope Franklin

• Barack Obama

Answer explanation

Ralph Johnson Bunche was an American political scientist, diplomat, and leading actor in the mid-20th-century decolonization process and US civil rights movement, who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s mediation in Israel.

Who was the first African-American to explore the North Pole?

• Bessie Coleman

• Gordan Parks

• James Beckworth

• Matthew A. Henson

Answer explanation

Matthew Alexander Henson was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on seven voyages to the Arctic over a period of nearly 23 years. They spent a total of 18 years on expeditions together.

Who was the first African-American Miss America?

• Halle Berry

• Tyra Banks

• Vanessa Williams

• Beyonce Knowles-Carter

Answer explanation

Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984.

Who was the first African-American heavy weight boxing champion?

• Muhammad Ali

• Joe Fraizer

• Jack Johnson

• Mike Tyson

Answer explanation

Joseph William Frazier, nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fighting style and was the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali.

Who was the first African-American millionaire?

• Robert Johnson

• Oprah Winfrey

• Jay-Z

• Madame C.J. Walker

Answer explanation

Madam C.J. Walker was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She created specialized hair products for African Americans and was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire.

Who was the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. City?

• Tom Bradley

• David Dinkins

• Carl Stokes

• Maynard Jackson

Answer explanation

Carl Burton Stokes was an American politician and diplomat of the Democratic Party who served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, and taking office on January 1, 1968, he was the first black elected mayor of a major U.S. city.

Who was the first African-American tennis champion?

• Arthur Ashe

• Serena Williams

• Althea Gibson

• Bob Ryland

Answer explanation

Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He started to play tennis at six years old.

Who was the first African-American to win an Oscar?

• Sydney Poitier

• Hattie McDaniel

• James Earl Jones

• Louis Gossett, Jr.

Answer explanation

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role in Gone with the Wind, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar.