Trailblazing Firsts
Who was the first Black Supreme Court Justice — and the first Black president of the United States?
Why this month matters
Every "first" was a locked door that somebody finally opened — and held open for everyone behind them. This month celebrates the barrier-breakers.
The story
Carter G. Woodson, the "Father of Black History," earned a doctorate from Harvard and created what became Black History Month — so this very story would be taught. Hiram Revels became the first Black U.S. Senator in 1870. Maggie Lena Walker became the first American woman of any race to charter and lead a bank. Thurgood Marshall argued and won Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court — then became its first Black Justice. Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress, and the first to run for a major party's presidential nomination. In 2008, Barack Obama was elected the first Black President of the United States; in 2021, Kamala Harris became the first Black and South-Asian Vice President.
Fall down the rabbit hole
The throughline
A "first" is never just about one person — it's a door swung open for every child who comes after. Your child is one of them.