Black history is full of hidden secrets and figures. For example, did you know George Washington Carver’s inventions were actually so much more remarkable than peanut butter?
Here are a few of our favorite facts and historical you probably didn’t learn about in history class.
Did you know that there was a precursor to the NAACP, called the Niagara Movement. In 1905, civil rights activists W.E.B Dubois and William Monroe Trotter founded the Niagara Movement to oppose segregation and demand voting rights. It was named after the Niagara falls, which was nearby where they held their first conference.
While we all know the story of how Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white bus driver — there’s so much more to her! Did you know that even before her iconic refusal to move from her seat, Parks was a dedicated civil rights activist and secretary of the local NAACP chapter? Parks, who said she didn’t move because she “was tired of giving in,” continued to fight for civil rights and was even arrested a second time for organizing the bus boycotts.
Representative Shirley Chisholm is best known for being the first Black woman in Congress. But did you know she was also the first Black woman to run for in the Democratic presidential primary and the founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Women’s Political Caucus?
Did you know that Lewis Howard Latimer invented a carbon filament that allowed lightbulbs to last significantly longer than the paper in Thomas Edison’s design — leading to the modern lightbulb we use today.
George Washington Carver was a brilliant Black scientist who unlike the story goes did not invent Peanut Butter. He did however invent hundreds of uses for peanuts and revolutionized agricultural practices across the United States!
Sarah Boone, a Black woman, invented the ironing board.
![A first edition of the book “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral”, by Phillis Wheatley, while she was enslaved to Mr. John Wheatley of Boston. Frontispiece features an oval portrait of Wheatley by Scipio Morehead, seated at a desk holding a quill pen. Along the top of the portrait are the words [PHILLIS WHEATLEY, NEGRO SERVANT TO MR. JOHN WHEATLEY OF BOSTON]. Poet Phillis Wheatley (c.1753-1784) was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery as a child and transported to North America. The Wheatley family who bought her encouraged her poetry, and she was emancipated by them shortly after the publication of her book. Artist Unknown.](https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_60,w_965/ae8987127983a34f1d178905c7e1b592.jpg)
Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to write and publish a poetry book.
Carter G. Woodson sparked the impetus for Black History Month with Black history week — which coincided with Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
If you don’t know this broadcaster, you should. In 1981, Bryant Gumbel made history as the first Black person to host a network morning show as host of the Today Show. He was the host for years until moving on to become a brilliant sports journalist.
Fun Black history fact, Juneteenth doesn’t celebrate emancipation day. Black Texans created Juneteenth to celebrate the freeing of slaves in Texas.
In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar for performance in “Gone With The Wind.”
Did you know traffic lights were invented by a Black woman, named Marie Van Brittan Brown!
Henrietta Lacks was a young Black mother who received treatment for cervical cancer. Without her consent researchers studied her cells — which ended-up playing a crucial role in the study and development of countless treatments and vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
We’ve all heard of Serena Williams, but Althea Gibson should be a household name too. She as the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam.
Madame C.J Walker was the first African American woman to become a self made millionaire after creating her own line of hair products.
In 1908, John Taylor became the first African American to win a gold medal at the Olympics. He won the 4x400 meter relay.
In 1948, Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win a gold medal for doing the High Jump.
In 1920, Bobby Marshall and Fritz Pollard became the first Black men to play in the NFL. Pollard went on to become the first Black coach in the NFL.
