is for  Absalom Jones 

Absalom was the first African American to establish an Episcopal Church in 1794. This church was called  African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born November 7, 1746 in the Sussex County, Delaware County, British Empire. He died February 13, 1818 at age 71 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born into slavery and when he was 16 he was sold with his mother and siblings. Then they were sold again and lived in Pennsylvania.

is for Blanche Bruce

Blanche Bruce was the first elected African American senator to serve a full term. Hiram R. Revels was the first African American senator but he didn't serve a full term. Bruce was born March 1, 1841 in Virginia and passed away on March 7, 1898 at age 57 in Washington, D.C. He was born into slavery as a child and as an adult he was a teacher for two years. He represented Mississippi as a senator and was in office from 1875-1881.

is for Cathay Williams

Cathay Williams was the first African American women to enlisted in the army, and the only documented to serve in the United States Army posing as a man. She was born September of 1844 and died in 1893. She served in the US Army for two years, 1866-1868, and served in the American Civil War. She was born in Independence, Missouri to a free man and a women in slavery. Cathay Williams suffered from neuralgia and diabetes but no one knows the exact date of her death.

is for David J. Peck

David was the first African American to graduate from a U.S medical school. He set up a medical practice in Philadelphia in 1848. Unfortunately, it was not successful and Peck closed it in 1851. He was born around 1826 but no one knows the exact date. He went to Rush Medical College in Chicago and studied medicine to become a physician. There are not much facts about his early life but his legacy lives on.

is for Edward Bouchet

Edward Bouchet was the first African American to earn a doctorate degree from an American University. Edward was born on September 15, 1852 and passed away on October 28, 1918 at age 66. He was an African American physicists and educator. In 1874, he became the first African American to graduate from Yale college.

is for Fritz Pollard

Fritz Pollard was the first African American Football Player to play in a Rose Bowl Game. He was born on January 27, 1894 and passed away on May 11, 1986 at age 92. He later became the first African American coach and quarterback in the formative days of the NFL. He was also put into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

is for George Edwin Taylor

George was the first African American to run for presidency. He was born on August 4, 1857 and passed away on December 23, 1925. George's newspaper work brought him into politics. He ran against Theodore Roosevelt and lost but he was still the first to run.

is for Harry Lew

Harry was the first African American professional basketball player. He was born on January 4, 1884 and passed away in October of 1963. Harry was a talented musician and played a violin solo at his graduation. In 1898 he joined the YMCA basketball team. Later he joined the P.A.C of the New England Professional Basketball League and his teammates considered him one of the best double dribblers in the league.

Wild Card: Mae Jemison

Mae was the first African American woman to go into space. She was born on October 17, 1956 and has not passed away yet. She went on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. She has appeared on TV many times including as an actress in an episode of Star Treck: The Next Generation. She is also a dancer and an engineer.

is for Jeanine Menze

Jeanine was the first African American woman to become a U.S Coast Guard aviator. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica and has been serving in the Coast Guard for over 10 years. As of 2017, she holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

is for Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole was the first African American to host an American television series. He hosted the Nat King Cole Show, NBC. He was born on March 17, 1919 and passed away on February 15, 1965 at age 45. He was also an American jazz pianist and vocalist.

is for Alexander Lucius Twilight

Lucius was the first African American to graduate from a college in the United States. He was born on September 23, 1795 and passed away on June 19, 1857 at age 61. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1823.

is for Martin Delany

Martin was the first African American field officer in the U.S Army. He was born on May 6, 1812 and passed away on January 24, 1885 at age 72. Martin was also a journalist, physician, soldier, and a writer. He served from 1863-1865 and served in the American Civil War.

is for Ida Gray Nelson Rollins

Ida was the first African American woman to become a dental surgeon. She was born on March 4, 1867 and she passed away on May 3, 1953 at age 86. When she moved to Tennessee at age 35, she was unable to read and write.

is for Oscar Dunn

Oscar was the first African American elected to be a Lieutenant Governor. He was born the year of 1826 and passed away on November 22, 1871. He was in office from 1868-1871. After Oscar died in office another African American Republican became Lieutenant Governor.

is for Phillis Wheatley

Phillis was the first African American woman to publish a book. She was born in the year of 1753 in West Africa and passed away on December 5, 1784 at age 31. She had three kids and two died as infants. In 1784, she fell into poverty and died of illness, quickly followed by the death of her other infant.