Black important figures

6. Vaughan – NASA “human computer”; first Black supervisor at NACA (later NASA).
7. Carmichael (Kwame Ture) – Civil rights activist who popularized the term “Black Power.”
8. Miller – Navy cook during WWII who manned anti-aircraft guns during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was awarded for heroism.
13. Lou Hamer – Voting rights activist who helped organize the Freedom Summer and spoke at the 1964 DNC.
16. Till-Mobley – Mother of Emmett Till; her decision to hold an open-casket funeral helped spark the Civil Rights Movement.
17. Lacks – Her cells (HeLa cells) were taken without consent and became vital for medical research.
20. Rustin – Civil rights strategist and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; organized the 1963 March on Washington.

1. Brooks – First African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
2. Colvin – Refused to give up her bus seat at age 15, before Rosa Parks; helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
3. G. Woodson – Historian who created Black History Week, the precursor to Black History Month.
4. Smalls – Former enslaved
5. Henson – Arctic explorer; likely the first person to reach the North Pole.
9. Butler – Award-winning science fiction author, known for exploring race and power.
10. Morgan – Inventor of the gas mask and traffic signal.
11. Turnbo Malone – One of the first Black women millionaires; built a hair care empire and funded education for Black students.
12. Baker – Behind-the-scenes civil rights organizer who mentored many young leaders.
14. Banneker – Self-taught mathematician and astronomer; helped plan Washington, D.C.
15. Wheatley – First published African American poet, published a book of poems in 1773.
16. P. Johnson – Black transgender activist and key figure in the Stonewall Uprising.
18. Hampton – Young charismatic leader in the Black Panther Party; was assassinated at age 21.
19. who hijacked a Confederate ship and later served in the U.S. Congress.