5 Black Heroes Who Changed History

Read more about how history changed course due to the following five influential figures.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is known as one of the most influential people in history. Before he died, he had spoken all over the country fighting for racial justice. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech brought thousands of people to Washington D.C. Today, you can still stand on that very spot where he gave his speech in 1963. 

Phillip Emeagwali

Phillip Emeagwali worked using a supercomputer to solve the oil discovery problem. He found that using thousands of microprocessors was much more efficient than using eight expensive supercomputers. This helped lead to the creation of the internet. 

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was a black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated bus. This led to the Montgomery bus boycott (which was led by Martin Luther King Jr.) along with many protests. Parks was led to jail and was fined before finally being let go. She became known as the “mother of the civil rights movement.”

Oscar Micheaux

Oscar Micheaux became known as the first black film director. At the time, many believed that white people made better films than black people but Micheaux proved them wrong. His first movie was in 1919, he went on to create 44 full-length films in his lifetime.

Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman, best known for his role as Black Panther in the marvel cinematic universe, has been a hero to many. He donated millions of dollars to cancer hospitals while battling his own cancer. He once said that “You can never go wrong when you invest in kid’s futures.”

Looking for other articles about Black History? Check out our recent post about influential Black computer scientists and engineers.