Free African American Firsts Cheat Sheets

Published:
February 9, 2022

Carrie Fernandez

Contributor:
Carrie

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Help your kids discover more than 125 moments in history with these Free African American Firsts Cheat Sheets. They can find out who the first African American missionary was, who the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state was, and much more. 

African American Firsts Free Instant Download

[series_meta]

The events in these Free African American Firsts Cheat Sheets range from the 1700s to today. Students can find who was the: 

  • first known African American published author (1760)
  • first African American missionary (1782)
  • first African American to formally practice medicine in the U.S. (1783)
  • first African American captain to sail a whaleship with an all-black crew (1822)
  • first African American field officer in the U.S. Army (1865)
  • first African American baseball player in organized professional baseball (1878)
  • first African American to sing at Carnegie Hall (1892)
  • first African American professional basketball player (1902)
  • first African American serviceman to become a colonel in the U.S. Army (1916)
  • first African American police officer killed in the line of duty (NYPD) (1917)
  • first African American woman to become an aviation pilot and first to hold an international pilot’s license (1921)
  • first African American to be portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp (1940)
  • first African American soloist to sing with the Metropolitan Opera of New York City (1955)
  • first African American U.S. Secret Service agent (1956)
  • first African American Cabinet member (1966)
  • first African American appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States (1967)
  • first African American woman to be appointed National Security Advisor (2001)
  • first African American woman to be nominated as a brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps (2018)
  • and more than 100 other firsts! 

There are two sets of cheat sheets in this set. The first organizes the events chronologically. The second organizes the famous Americans in alphabetical order. Scroll down to get your copy today! 

Instant Download: African American Firsts Cheat Sheets

Related resources

  • big bend national park rived and bluffs

    How Many National Parks are There in Texas? (Complete List)

  • Sunset over Paurotis Pond, Everglades National Park

    Four Unique National Parks in South Florida to Visit

  • Close up of a move clapperboard and popcorn on a table

    40 Top Films on our Presidential Movies List to Watch

  • books on shelves

    All 43 Dear America Books in Order (Free Printable List)

  • Us Map showing Louisana

    All 50 US State Abbreviations Printable List for Kids

  • gallery wall graphic of black history figures with image of printable

    Free Printable Black History Month Word Search for Kids