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All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know

All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know

University of Michigan named its first Black Woman police chief. Here are other Black firsts.

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Start Slideshow
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 24: Victor J. Glover speaks during the 2023 TIME100 Next event at Second Floor on October 24, 2023 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 24: Victor J. Glover speaks during the 2023 TIME100 Next event at Second Floor on October 24, 2023 in New York City.
Photo: Craig Barritt (Getty Images)

Black folks have been shattering glass ceilings and raising the bar for the rest of us over the last few years. Here’s a nod to some recent Black “firsts” worth remembering.

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Crystal James

Crystal James

Crystal James
Crystal James
Photo: University of Michigan

Crystal James was named as the first Black woman police chief at the University of Michigan.

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Dalila Scruggs

Dalila Scruggs

Dalila Scruggs joined the Smithsonian American Art Museum as the first African American Art Curator. Her role named after famed-artist and curator Augusta Savage, marks a brand new frontier for the museum.

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Jessica Nabongo

Jessica Nabongo

OS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Jessica Nabongo attends the premiere of Apple TV +’s “Sidney” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on September 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
OS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Jessica Nabongo attends the premiere of Apple TV +’s “Sidney” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on September 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo: Jon Kopaloff (Getty Images)

Jessica Nabongo is a woman on a mission! At 39 years-old she became the first Black woman to visit every UN-recognized country in the world!

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Victor Glover

Victor Glover

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 09: Victor J. Glover attends “The Space Race” Special Screening, presented by National Geographic Documentary Films in partnership with The Space Center Houston on January 9, 2024 in Houston, TX. The Space Race will debut on National Geographic on February 12 before streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the following day.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 09: Victor J. Glover attends “The Space Race” Special Screening, presented by National Geographic Documentary Films in partnership with The Space Center Houston on January 9, 2024 in Houston, TX. The Space Race will debut on National Geographic on February 12 before streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the following day.
Photo: Bob Levey (Getty Images)

Victor Glover is set be the first Black man to ravel around the moon!

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Shariah Harris

Shariah Harris

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Polo player Shariah Harris is seen leaving a party at Steak 48 on September 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Polo player Shariah Harris is seen leaving a party at Steak 48 on September 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images (Getty Images)

Shariah Harris, a Philadelphia nurse, is the first Black woman to compete in the U.S. Women’s Polo Championship.

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Tassie York

Tassie York

Mayor Tassie York
Mayor Tassie York
Photo: Facebook: Tassie York for Neptune Township Committee

Tassie York, 63, made history as the first Black woman mayor of Neptune Township in New Jersey.

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Amanda Ward

Amanda Ward

Amanda Ward
Amanda Ward
Photo: Sullivan County

Amanda Ward ward sworn-in as the first African-American to serve in the Sullivan County, New York, legislature.

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Giselle Byrd

Giselle Byrd

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: Carl Gaines, Blane Charles, Matthew Cohen, Vickie A. Tillman, Lanita A. Ward-Jones, Giselle Byrd, and Patrick McGovern attend the 23rd annual Callen-Lorde Community Health Awards at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on November 02, 2023 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: Carl Gaines, Blane Charles, Matthew Cohen, Vickie A. Tillman, Lanita A. Ward-Jones, Giselle Byrd, and Patrick McGovern attend the 23rd annual Callen-Lorde Community Health Awards at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on November 02, 2023 in New York City.
Photo: Photo by Hatnim Lee (Getty Images)

Giselle Byrd, 31, was named the executive director of the Theater Offensive, a highly-respected theater company in Boston dedicated to queer art. Byrd is the first Black trans woman to lead a major theater company in the United States.

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Kwamé Ryan

Kwamé Ryan

Conductor Kwame Ryan, who will lead the Houston Symphony April 3, 5, 6, rehearses with the orchestra at Jones Hall, Tuesday, April 1, 2008, in Houston.
Conductor Kwame Ryan, who will lead the Houston Symphony April 3, 5, 6, rehearses with the orchestra at Jones Hall, Tuesday, April 1, 2008, in Houston.
Photo: Karen Warren (Getty Images)

Kwamé Ryan was just named as the first Black music director of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.

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Yasmine-Imani McMorrin

Yasmine-Imani McMorrin

Yasmine-Imani McMorrin made history as the first Black woman mayor of Culver City, Calif. on Dec. 11.

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Hakeem Jeffries

Hakeem Jeffries

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) gives remarks ahead of a Capitol Menorah lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Hanukkah reception was the first of its kind at the U.S. Capitol Building that featured bipartisan congressional leadership.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) gives remarks ahead of a Capitol Menorah lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Hanukkah reception was the first of its kind at the U.S. Capitol Building that featured bipartisan congressional leadership.
Photo: Anna Moneymaker (Getty Images)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) made history as the first Black person to lead a political party in Congress.

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Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Bloomberg / Contributor (Getty Images)

Kamala Harris became the first female and first Black and Asian American Vice President of the United States in January 2021. Prior to the position, Harris was a U.S. Senator and Attorney General for California.

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Beyoncé

Beyoncé

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Frazer Harrison / Staff (Getty Images)

Beyoncé’s 2023 Grammy win for “Renaissance” made her the first Black woman to win the Best Dance/Electronic Album. The same night, she beat the record for the most Grammy awards won in history.

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Lebron James

Lebron James

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Robert Gauthier / Contributor (Getty Images)

Lebron James beat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most scoring points in NBA history, with 38,390 — three points over Abdul-Jabbar.

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Fisk Gymnastics

Fisk Gymnastics

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Stew Milne / Contributor (Getty Images)

Fisk University announced that it would create the first HBCU gymnastics team in February 2022. In January 2023, the team competed in its first meet, placing fourth. According to Deadline, a docuseries is being made about the team.

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Claudine Gay

Claudine Gay

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Boston Globe / Contributor (Getty Images)

Claudine Gay, who was previously a dean of arts and sciences at Harvard University, became the 30th president of the Ivy League institution in 2023. She is the first Black woman to be president of the school.

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Autumn Lockwood

Autumn Lockwood

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Gregory Shamus / Staff (Getty Images)

The NFL announced before the 2023 Super Bowl that Autumn Lockwood, a coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, would be the fourth woman and first Black woman to coach in a playoff game.

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Quinta Brunson

Quinta Brunson

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Michael Buckner / Contributor (Getty Images)

“Abbott Elementary’s” Quinta Brunson made history by nabbing the most Emmy comedy nominations for a Black woman in one year. She is also the youngest Black woman to be nominated in the comedy acting category.

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Karine Jean-Pierre

Karine Jean-Pierre

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Staff (Getty Images)

Karine Jean-Pierre made history in 2022 when she became the first Black and LGBTQ White House press secretary.

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Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Mary DeCicco / Stringer (Getty Images)

Outfielder for the New York Yankees Aaron Judge broke a Major League Baseball record in 2022 by having 62 home runs in a season.

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Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Kevin Mazur / Contributor (Getty Images)

Angela Bassett became the first actor to win a Golden Globe for a Marvel movie when she accepted the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in 2022, nearly 30 years after winning her first Globe in 1994.

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Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Paras Griffin / Contributor (Getty Images)

In 2023, Missy Elliot received the huge honor of being the first female Hip-Hop artist nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / Contributor (Getty Images)

We witnessed the resilient Ketanji Brown Jackson being sworn in as the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice in early 2022. Prior to the position, Jackson was a U.S. circuit judge in the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals.

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Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts

Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Carmen Mandato / Staff (Getty Images), Gregory Shamus / Staff (Getty Images)

Super Bowl LVII marked the first time in NFL history we saw two Black starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl: MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.

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Summer Lee

Summer Lee

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images (AP)

In November 2022, Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee became the first Black woman elected to Congress to represent Pennsylvania.

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Karen Bass

Karen Bass

Image for article titled All of the Groundbreaking and Important Black ‘Firsts’ You Should Know
Photo: Jerod Harris / Stringer (Getty Images)

Karen Bass was elected as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles in 2022, becoming the first Black woman to lead the city.

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