Discover ALL the facts about the inspirational lives and achievements of Kamala Harris, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and other famous and noteworthy black history people.

Are you searching for facts and information about the lives of famous
and important black people in American history? Do you worry whether or not the information you do find is up-to-date and reliable?

Maybe you're a teacher looking for ideas for Black History Month activities... a student researching a project... or a concerned parent who wants to make sure that their kids are fully aware of the many famous African Americans who can inspire them to follow their dreams.

Or maybe, like me, you just want to know as much as possible about all of the black people in American history who have made an impact in civil rights, politics, entertainment, sport... in fact, in ALL areas of life.

People like Reverend Ralph David Abernathy... Daisy Bates... Lewis H. Latimer... Nathaniel Clifton... Charles H. Houston... Frederick Douglass... Jesse Owens... Bill Cosby... Louis Armstrong... Thurgood Marshall... the list goes on and grows longer every year.

These are just a few of the people whose achievements helped change the society we live in today and -- in many cases -- reached beyond our own borders to touch the rest of the world, too.

Black History Month:

2024: 10 Black History Magazines to Salute Video

2023: 25 Memorable Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes Video

2022: Black Heritage Stamps Video

2021: Lady Wrestler African American Women in the Ring 2020: Ida B. Wells' Battle to Uncover the Truth

2019: Growing Up Black In America Without Experiencing Racism

2018: Black History Quiz for iPhone and Android

2017: Black History Museums

2016: National Museum of African American History & Culture 

2015: Black History People 14 video

2014: Imhotep Gary Byrd interview

2013: James Brown Family Children Foundation interview

2012: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

2011: Black History People The Power of Words

2010: Black History People App Spotlight

2009: A Graphic History of African Americans interview

2008: Martin L King Jr. Remembered - Selma the Musical

2007: A special Joe Louis boxing feature with a knock-out punch

2006: Black History People Quiz Website


Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Sojourner Truth: instantly recognizable personalities when you think about contributions from important black Americans.

Robert S. Abbott, Jill Brown, and Ernie Davis were on the front lines too - but they may not immediately come to mind. How do you mix the famous, the familiar, and the forgotten when talking about brilliant pioneers during Black History Month, so the event stays fresh?

Black history month activities always seem to revolve around the same circle of noteworthy people. Nothing is the matter with this, except the danger of potential boredom or apathy from non-history fans.

The February tribute comes around each year, so creative ways have to be used to keep it relevant in contemporary times of social advancement across the races. When Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in 1926, he chose the second week of February between the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, Black History Month was born.

More History

A laundry list of first achievers gets stale as a pure informational exercise, yet there's always new discovery going on for the uninformed. Lectures, articles, and books can bridge the gap. But what are the other options? One of the best ways to introduce Black History Month material is in the form of a quiz or trivia.

Mixing topics with a broad range of interest from beginner to advanced will keep the trivia fun and interesting benefiting a wide range of readers. Subject material from the centuries of Richard Allen, Marion Anderson, Oprah Winfrey, and other African Americans will grab the attention of different age groups.

The Internet lends itself to interactive participation when it comes to quizzes. Players can provide feedback to rate the various questions. Quiz participants can get the answers to questions right away. Contenders can listen to audio hints with background information about the questions.

Reading a static article is one thing, but interacting with the same material in several dimensions is dynamic. Quiz and trivia challenges offer this magic element.

We love traditions, so I'd expect that Black History Month will be around for another 100 years, whether the need for it remains relevant or not. As an institution, this February event will have to keep reinventing itself in new and creative ways to conquer our society's short attention span for inspiring historical information.

Kingsley H. Smith

Creator of BlackHistoryPeople.com, BlackHistoryPeopleQuiz.com, and Empower Encyclopedia.