Kehinde Wiley is a highly regarded portrait painter known for his naturalistic paintings of black American men in heroic poses. Barack Obama chose Wiley to paint his presidential portrait.

A former national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, Ta-Nehisi Coates is also an award-winning author and faculty member of Howard University.

Misty Copeland is the first black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre and a strong advocate for diversity in the art form.

Wes Moore is first black governor of Maryland, the former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a bestselling author of two books, and a social entrepreneur. He is also a combat veteran, having served in Afghanistan.

In 2016, professional librarian Carla Hayden made history by becoming the first female and the first black American to serve as the Librarian of Congress.

Jon Gosier is a leading investor, software developer, and philanthropist whose organizations aim to evenly distribute wealth derived from tech.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock succeeded in defeating her opponent during the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final at the Tokyo Olympics, making her the first black female in the U.S. to win gold.

Jamaica-born Olympic champion Usain Bolt is considered the fastest man alive. He broke world records and won a series of gold medals at three Summer Games in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

Miriam Esther Jiménez Román was many things: a professor, archivist, curator, editor, author, and social theorist. She was also a pioneer of Afro-Latinidad studies.

Massiel “Massy” Indhira Arias is an Afro-Dominican personal trainer and health coach who overcame severe depression through fitness training and now advocates for health and wellness.

Horacio Adolfo Salgán was an Afro-Argentine tango composer, conductor, and pianist who was instrumental in expanding the boundaries of his music form. At 100 years of age, he died in Buenos Aires, where he was born.

Neymar Santos, Jr., known professionally as Neymar, is a Brazilian soccer player with several awards and championship titles to his name. He is considered one of the greatest players in the sport.

Composer and singer Eva Ayllón, who brought Afro-Peruvian Creole music into the mainstream, is considered one of the foremost musicians in Peru.

Afro-Puerto Rican Arthur A. Schomburg dedicated his life to researching and preserving black history by collecting literature, artwork, slave narratives, and materials related to the African Diaspora.

José Celso Barbosa became the first Puerto Rican to earn a medical degree in the U.S. After practicing medicine for decades in his country, Barbosa emerged as a leading politician.

Julia López, an award-winning self-taught painter, usually paints in the Naïve genre, which calls for childlike simplicity. Her work often depicts rural and coastal life in Mexico.

Esteban Hotesse served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the 619th Squadron of the 477th Bombardment Group. That made him the only Afro-Latino member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

Maritza Correia McClendon won a silver medal during the 2004 Olympics, and she is the first black woman—being Afro-Puerto Rican—to earn a spot on a U.S. Olympic swim team.

Despite the lack of opportunities available to Afro-Latino women in Panama, Graciela Dixon made history by becoming the country’s first black woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Musician Benny Moré transitioned from working in the cane fields of central Cuba to composing and performing some of the most beloved Afro-Cuban music of any artist.

Nora Douglas Holt was a scholar of music who composed more than 200 original pieces. She became the first black person to earn a Master of Music degree in the U.S.

Orphaned at a young age and discriminated against for the color of his skin, Paul Revere Williams became one of the most renowned architects in history.

When Adolph Hitler rose to power in 1933 and set Jewish Scholars in his sights, many American colleges and universities refused to employ them, but not historically black ones.

Maggie Lena Walker was among the foremost black business leaders of the early twentieth century. She also founded one of the longest-lived black-owned banks in U.S. history.

Daniel Hale Williams was a pioneer in the medical field. He opened the first black-owned hospital in the United States and, in 1893, performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in the world.

While baseball had the Negro Leagues, amateur and professional basketball had the Black Fives, consisting of all-black teams that played the sport well before the NBA was formed and integrated.

Rosa L. Dixon spent nearly a lifetime as an educator. She rose to become an influential civic leader and educational reformer in Virginia.

Thomas Wiggins was a black composer and pianist who promoters billed as “Blind Tom.” While he could only speak a few words, he was likely an autistic savant given his extraordinary abilities and musical skills.

Beginning in 1867, George Pullman hired black Pullman porters to service white passengers traveling on U.S. railroads. While they endured racism and early economic oppression, Pullman porters managed to create a black middle class.

Mary Ann Shadd was a writer, educator, newspaper publisher, lawyer, abolitionist, and suffragist. Throughout her life, she advocated for equal rights and the abolition of slavery.