African Americans who Were First

The history of America is not complete without including the contributions and achievements of African Americans. What does it take to be the best, to be the very first? Many African Americans dared to succeed, often in the face of overwhelming odds. Their contributions and achievements are part of America's history and deserve to be known more widely. Read these stories of African Americans who were first in a variety of fields from medicine to politics, to sports and the entertainment world. Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first African American to play major league baseball. Bessie Coleman was the first African-American woman to earn a pilot's license. Hattie McDaniel was first to win an Oscar. Some of the names will be unfamiliar. Discover the black heritage of courage and achievement passed on by both famous and little-known men and women.