1990

L. Douglas Wilder was inaugurated as Governor of Virginia, becoming the first African American elected governor in United States history. His victory in a former Confederate state was considered one of the most remarkable political achievements of the 20th century.

Wilson became one of the rare playwrights to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, cementing his status as the foremost chronicler of Black American life in the theater. His ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle, one for each decade of the twentieth century, is considered an unparalleled achievement in American dramatic literature.

Carrie Mae Weems created the Kitchen Table Series in 1990, a landmark body of photographic work depicting a Black woman's domestic life, relationships, and interiority through staged scenes shot at a single kitchen table. The series is considered one of the most important works in American photography and feminist art, establishing Weems as a preeminent voice in using photography to explore Black identity, womanhood, and power.

Chuck D and Flavor Flav's third album reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, widely considered one of the most politically potent albums in hip-hop history.

August Wilson's 'The Piano Lesson,' which had its world premiere in 1987, opens on Broadway in 1990 and wins Wilson his second Pulitzer Prize for Drama, cementing him as the most important American playwright of his generation.

Ice Cube's debut solo album, produced by the Bomb Squad, debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and became a landmark of West Coast gangsta rap and political hip-hop.

Four months after his release from 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela addressed a crowd of 750,000 in Harlem on June 21, 1990, in one of the largest and most emotionally charged events in the neighborhood's history. The visit symbolized the deep bond between Black Americans and the African liberation struggle and acknowledged the role of the American anti-apartheid movement in ending South African apartheid.

Mosley's debut novel introduced Easy Rawlins, a Black private detective in 1940s Watts, inaugurating a series that redefined African American crime fiction and won wide critical acclaim.

Oakland quartet En Vogue's debut single reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, launching a run that made them one of the best-selling girl groups of the 1990s.

Johnson's philosophical adventure novel set aboard a slave ship won the National Book Award for Fiction, making him the first Black male novelist to win the award since Ralph Ellison in 1953. The novel's blend of philosophy, action, and historical consciousness brought new formal ambition to the neo-slave narrative.

Evander Holyfield defeated Buster Douglas to win the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world, beginning a reign as one of the most accomplished heavyweights in boxing history. Holyfield would go on to hold the heavyweight title four times, including his stunning 1996 upset victory over Mike Tyson.

The 'Big Hurt' became one of the most feared hitters in baseball, winning back-to-back AL MVP awards in 1993–1994 and becoming the first player to post six consecutive seasons with a .300 average, 100 RBI, 100 runs, and 100 walks.

After serving 14 years in the California State Assembly, Maxine Waters wins election to the US House of Representatives from California's 29th congressional district, beginning a congressional career that continues for decades.

The rise of poetry slams in cities including Chicago, New York, and Atlanta created a new Black oral literary tradition, producing poets such as Saul Williams, Patricia Smith, and Marc Bamuthi Joseph.