• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living

  • HBCUs
    • What is an HBCU?
    • History
    • List of HBCUs
    • Notable Graduates
  • Jobs
  • Parents
    • HBCU Rankings
    • Black College Tours
    • College Admissions
    • Financing
    • College Scholarships
    • College Planning
  • Current Students
    • College Life
      • Greek Life
      • Sports
      • Dorm Living
      • College Survival
    • Careers
      • HBCU Career Hub
      • Internships
      • Career Profiles
      • Entrepreneur
    • Research Paper Resources
      • Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
      • How To Write An Annotated Bibliography
      • Journalism Research Paper Resources
  • Alumni
    • HBCU Shirts
    • Podcast
    • Alumni Spotlight
    • HBCU Merch
    • Jobs
  • Shop

You are here: Home / HBCUs / History / HBCU History: 10 Black College Legends You Should Know

History

HBCU History: 10 Black College Legends You Should Know

Langston University alumna Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman became the first African-American woman in America to stage a public flight; and hold an international pilot license.
Langston University alumna Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman became the first African-American woman in America to stage a public flight; and hold an international pilot license.

HBCU history is grounded in the proud past created by many African American men and women who have made significant contributions to American society. Whether it be activists, freedom fighters, artists, educators, authors, athletes, or anyone else, their legendary contributions are something the entire community can be proud of today. Thus, during black history month, we bring you a list of 10 black college legends worth remembering.

Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod BethuneBorn in 1875, in Mayesville, South Carolina, Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator and life rights leader who studied at Barber-Scotia College. She founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935 and Bethune-Cookman College in 1904.

George Washington Carver

George Washington CarverBorn into slavery in Diamond, Missouri either in 1861 or 1864, George Washington Carver was the second black man to appear on the United States currency. The exact date and birth year are unknown. He went onto become one of the most well-known botanist and inventor of his time, as well as a teacher at the Tuskegee Institute. Carver developed over 100 products using peanut including plastics, dyes, and gasoline.

Bessie Coleman

Elizabeth "Bessie" ColemanElizabeth “Bessie” Coleman became the first black American woman to stage a public flight in America. She specialized in parachuting and stunt flying and remains a pioneer of women in the field of aviation. Coleman is graduate of Langston College.

W.E.B. Dubois

William Edward Burghardt Du BoisThis Fisk University alumnus was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, U.S, W.E. B. Du Bois, (William Edward Burghardt Du Bois) was a sociologist, historian, Pan-Africanist, author, editor, and civil right activist. He was one of the most important black protest leaders in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. Du Bois wrote extensively and became the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. In 1909, he co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Althea Gibson

Althea GibsonBorn in South Carolina, Althea Gibson was a tennis player and a professional golfer. She was the first African American player to win the French (1956), singles and doubles Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships. She also became the first black player to compete on the women’s professional golf tour. Gibson is a graduate of Florida A&M University.

James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson Not just an influential and notable novelist, songwriter, and poet James Weldon Johnson was one of the leading figures during Harlem Renaissance. Johnson is best remembered for his important role in combating racism through his position in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP. After graduating from Atlanta University, he worked as a principal in a grammar school, founded a newspaper-The Daily American, and became the first African American to pass the Florida Bar.

Rosa Parks

Rosa ParksCivil rights activist, Rosa Parks was born in 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her refusal to give up her bus seat in the colored section to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama led to a city-wide boycott. As a consequence, law of racial segregation on public buses was lifted by the city of Montgomery. She also received national recognition, including the NAACP’s highest award. Parks is a graduate of Alabama State University.

Asa Philip RandolphA. Phillip Randolph

Asa Philip Randolph is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University, Philip Randolph was one of the most influential African American leaders of the 20th century. From 1917 until his last breadth on May 16, 1979, Randolph worked as a labor organizer, a civil rights leader and a journalist. In 1963, Randolph led the March on Washington Movement.

Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph

Born in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, Wilma Rudolph was an African American athlete, an Olympic champion and a graduate of Tennessee State University. She competed in two Olympic Games in 1956 and in 1960 and later worked as a teacher and track coach. In 1960, Rudolph became the first black woman to win three gold medals at Summer Olympics in Rome.

Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington Born as a slave on a small farm in the Virginia backcountry, Booker T. Washington is a graduate of Hampton University and was one of the most famous black men in America. Apart from being considered as one of the most influential black educator, he was an orator, author, and advisor to the president of the United States. In 1881, he founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama now known as the Tuskegee University, which grew immensely and focused on preparing African Americans in agricultural pursuits.

February 11, 2016 by Anchal Bhatia

About Anchal Bhatia

An animal lover! Anchal is a blogger, writer and a creative entrepreneur. She loves to write about lifestyle and dreams to open a dog house one day.

Apart from scribbling on her personal wedding blog, she has contributed to several online blogs and magazines such as Stagetecture, Instamedia Networks, Bollywood Shaadis, Times of India and more.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Quick Links

  • Newsletter
  • Jobs and Internships
  • Shop
  • HBCU Colleges List: All of the Historical Black Colleges and Universities
  • HBCU Rankings 2022
  • HBCU College Tours
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Popular Posts

  • Happy female college student working on research paper topics. Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
  • HBCU Sororities and Fraternities to Consider The Divine Nine: Sororities and Fraternities on HBCU Campuses
  • New Programs at Morgan Address the Work of the Future and the Future of Work Morgan State Offers 4 New High-Demand Academic Degree Programs
  • Bowie State's nursing program students check a patient in class simulation. Top 10 HBCU Nursing Schools Rankings for 2022 by RN to BSN
  • Members of Alpha Phi Alpha's South Dallas graduate chapter. Joining a Black Greek Graduate Chapter

Before Footer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly HBCU news, jobs, and advice in your inbox.

Sign Me Up

Footer

About HBCU Lifestyle

The spirit and camaraderie of black college living is a lifestyle - the HBCU lifestyle! We're committed to keeping you connected to the black college living experience, bringing you the latest on everything, from scholarships and dorm living to Greek life and alumni giving.


Contact Us

Latest from the Blog

  • PVAMU’s College of Nursing Helping to Cultivate Inclusive Classrooms
  • HBCU Go Partners With Award-Winning Movie ‘Freedom’s Path’
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation Offers New HBCU Internships
  • Morgan State Offers 4 New High-Demand Academic Degree Programs
  • Newsletter
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Shop
  • List of HBCUs
  • HBCU Rankings
  • HBCU Scholarships
Copyright © 2010-2022 HBCU Lifestyle, LLC. All rights reserved.
Contact Us | Sitemap | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Get the best of the Black college experience delivered to your inbox.
Your email address:*
Name:*
Subscribe to (select all that apply):*





Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz