Katherine Johnson – NASA Mathematician
- HBCU Attended: West Virginia State University
- Major: Mathematics & French
- Profession: NASA Mathematician
- Legacy: Katherine Johnson’s work was instrumental in the success of NASA’s space missions. She was a key figure in calculating flight paths for the first U.S. manned space missions, earning her a place at meetings previously open only to men. Her contributions were later recognized in the film Hidden Figures.
Rev. Jesse Jackson – Civil Rights Leader
- HBCU Attended: North Carolina A&T State University
- Major: Sociology
- Profession: Civil Rights Leader
- Legacy: In 1963, Jackson led protests to desegregate theaters and restaurants in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1965, he marched in Selma, Alabama, alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and became a key worker in King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), advocating for racial justice.
W.E.B. Du Bois – Scholar & Author
- HBCU Attended: Fisk University
- Major: History, Sociology, Philosophy & Law
- Profession: Scholar & Author
- Legacy: W.E.B. Du Bois was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard and co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). His writings and activism were foundational in the fight for Black civil rights in America.
Toni Morrison – Pulitzer & Nobel Prize-Winning Author
- HBCU Attended: Howard University
- Major: English
- Profession: Writer & Educator
- Legacy: Toni Morrison was a Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning author whose novels explored race, gender, and the African American experience. She was the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, with books like Beloved and The Bluest Eye cementing her legacy.
Samuel L. Jackson – Acclaimed Actor & Producer
- HBCU Attended: Morehouse College
- Major: Dramatic Arts
- Profession: Actor & Producer
- Legacy: Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most widely recognized actors of his generation. His roles in Spike Lee films such as Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever, as well as Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained, have made him a cultural icon in Hollywood.
Oprah Winfrey – Media Mogul & Philanthropist
- HBCU Attended: Tennessee State University
- Major: Speech Communications & Performing Arts
- Profession: TV Personality, Actress & Entrepreneur
- Legacy: Oprah Winfrey became a household name as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons. She was the first Black American woman to own her own production company, paving the way for many in the entertainment industry.