Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman (1892–1926), a pilot, was the first to earn an international pilot license in 1921 and advocated for women in aviation

Georgiana Simpson

Georgiana Simpson (1866 – 1944), an educator, was the first to receive a Ph.D. in German from the University of Chicago in 1921.

Etta Moten Barnett

Etta Moten Barnett (1901–2004), actress and activist, was the first to perform at the White House for President Franklin in 1934.

Janet Harmon Bragg

Janet Harmon Bragg ( b. March 22, 1907), an aviator, was the first to earn a commercial pilot’s license in 1934.

Margaret Burroughs

Margaret Burroughs ( November 1, 1915 - 2010), an educator, artist, author and legend was known as the First Lady of African American Art Movement.

Gwendolyn Brooks

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 - 2000), a poet, was the first to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Annie Allen) in 1949.

Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry (1930 - 1965), a writer, was the first to receive the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for A Raisin in the Sun in 1959.

Jewel S. Lafontant Mankarious

Jewel S. Lafontant Mankarious (1922 – 1997), a lawyer, was the first to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963.

Katherine Dunham

Katherine Dunham (1909 - 2006), a choreographer and dancer, was the first to choreograph for the Metropolitan Opera, in its new production of Aida during the 1963-64 seasons.

Margaret Rosezarian

Margaret Rosezarian (1943 - 2000), a musician and educator, was the first to conduct the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and thirteen other cities in the 1970’s.

Ethel L. Payne

Ethel L. Payne (1911–1991), journalist and civil rights activist, known as the “First Lady of the Black Press,” became the first national radio and TV commentator in 1971.

Cardiss Collins

Cardiss Collins (1931 – 2013), was the first to represent Illinois and the Midwest in Congress in 1973. She was also the first to chair the Congressional Black Caucus in 1979.

Carole Simpson

Carole Simpson (b. December 7, 1940) is an American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author. She began her career in radio, eventually moved to television, and became the first African-American woman to anchor a major network newscast at NBC, later joining ABC News.

Barbara Sizemore

Barbara Sizemore (1927–2004), a teacher, researcher, and educational leader, was the first to head a public school system as Superintendent of the District of Columbia Schools in 1973. She authored transformative curricula and improved reading outcomes in struggling Chicago schools.

Jewel Plummer Cobb

Jewel Plummer Cobb (b. 1924), an educator, was the first to become president of a major west coast university, California State University at Fullerton in 1981. Her pioneering cancer research significantly advanced our understanding of cell biology.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey (b. January 29, 1954), an American media proprietor and philanthropist, was the first to create her own television and film production company, Harpo Productions (1986), the first African American billionaire, and the first producer nominated for an Academy Award (Selma, 2014).

Carol Mosley Braun

Carol Mosley Braun was the first to be elected to the United States Senate in 1992. She was also known for her effective, bipartisan work on education and tax relief for families during her single term in office.

Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison (b. 1956), a physician, engineer, and NASA astronaut, became the first Black woman in space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992 and later championed science education while appearing as an astronaut on Star Trek.

Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson (1911 - 1972), a civil rights activist and gospel singer, is referred to as the Queen of Gospel and was the First to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, for her 1948 recording of Move On Up A Little Higher.

Linda Johnson Rice

Linda Johnson Rice (b. May 22, 1958), was the first to be named Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Publishing Company in 2002, a company listed among the top five of the Black Enterprise 100’s (the nation’s largest black-owned companies)

Lula M. Ford

Lula M. Ford (b. 1945), an educator and commissioner, was the first in its 95-year history, to be appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2003, by Governor Rod Blagojevich. She was reappointed to a second term in January 2008.

Robin Lynne Kelly

Robin Lynne Kelly (b. April 30, 1956), a politician, was the first to serve as the U.S. Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois, elected in 2013. She is a prominent advocate for gun violence prevention, serving as a leading voice on this critical issue in Congress.

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes (b. January 13, 1970), a writer and producer, was the first to create and produce a top-rated TV series, Grey’s Anatomy in 2004. She has since created and/or produced other highly popular shows such as Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder.

Bobbie Steele

Bobbie Steele (b. October 18, 1937), an educator and community activist, was the first to head the Cook County Board of Commissioners, assuming the position on August 1, 2006. She was widely respected for her unwavering integrity and commitment to fiscal responsibility.

Valerie Jarrett

Valerie Jarrett (b. November 14, 1956), an attorney, became the first Senior Advisor to the President and Assistant for Public Engagement, appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama (b. January 17, 1964), a lawyer and author is the 44th First Lady of the United States of America. She assumed the role of First Lady in January 2009.

Desiree Rogers

Desiree Rogers (b. June 16, 1959), was the first to hold the position of White House Social Secretary, an appointment made by President Barack Obama in 2009.

Ayanna Pressley

Ayanna Pressley (b. February 3, 1974), graduated from Francis W. Parker School in 1992. In 2018, she was the first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts.

Patricia Roberts Harris

Patricia Roberts Harris (1924–1985), born in Mattoon, Illinois, was the first woman to hold a Cabinet position, serve as a U.S. ambassador, and lead a law school, championing social justice and equal opportunity throughout her career.

Niva Lubin-Johnson

Niva Lubin-Johnson, a Chicago-born physician, became the first woman to serve as President, Speaker, and Chair of the National Medical Association’s Board of Trustees and has practiced there in Chicago for twenty-eight years.

Toni Preckwinkle

Toni Preckwinkle (b. March 17, 1947) is an American politician. In November 2010, she became the first Black woman elected President of the Cook County Board, a major leadership role in Illinois, which she has held for over a decade.

Lucia “Lucy” Kay McBath

Lucia “Lucy” Kay McBath (b. June 1, 1960), in Illinois, is an American gun control advocate and the first Black woman elected to represent Georgia’s 6th congressional district. Her son Jordan Davis was shot and killed in 2012.

Juliana Stratton

Juliana Stratton (b. September 8, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician, the 48th and current lieutenant governor of Illinois since 2019. She is the first African American woman in this role and served in the Illinois House, advocating for public service and criminal justice reform.

Lauren Ashley Underwood

Lauren Ashley Underwood (b. October 4, 1986) is a nurse and politician who will be the First black women to serve as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district. Upon her swearing in, Underwood became the youngest black woman to serve in Congress.

Willa Beatrice Brown

Willa Beatrice Brown (1906–1992) became the first African-American woman in the U.S. to earn a commercial pilot’s license in 1937. In 1941, she became the first Black officer in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol and co-founded the National Airmen’s Association of America.

Zelda “Jackie” Ormes

Zelda “Jackie” Ormes (1911–1985) is widely recognized as the first African American cartoonist in the United States. She created four comic strips, including Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem, Patty Jo ‘n’ Ginger and Candy (1945), which ran for four months in The Chicago Defender.

Sarah Goode

Sarah Goode (1850-1905), an inventor and entrepreneur, was the first African American woman to be granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, for invention of a folding cabinet bed in 1885.

Ida Gray Nelson Rollins

Ida Gray Nelson Rollins (1867–1953), a dentist, was the first to earn a dental surgeon degree from the University of Michigan in 1890. She ran a successful, integrated practice in Chicago and mentored Black women.

Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931), a civil rights activist, journalist, and crusader for justice, was the first to document lynching of African Americans in the South in the 1890s. She co-founded the NAACP and was a vocal advocate for women's suffrage.

Annie Turnbo Malone

Annie Turnbo Malone (1869–1957), an entrepreneur, and philanthropist, was recorded as the first U.S millionaire in 1920. The income was received from her beauty and cosmetic enterprise located in St. Louis and Chicago.