Sign Posts of Progress Mark Black Successes
Despite a history that includes slavery, Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the South, and other monumental hurdles, Black Americans marked accomplishments and achievements that are celebrated as important signposts on the road to equality.
Here are some notable firsts and achievements:
Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president of the United States — the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the post. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
Kamala Harris is the first person of African-American descent, the first person of South Asian-American descent and the first woman to be elected vice president of the United States. The former senator from California previously served as the state’s attorney general.
He's now Wilton Cardinal Gregory, the first African-American cardinal. (David Goldman/AP)
Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, became Wilton Cardinal Gregory, the first African-American cardinal, in November 2020. Last October, Pope Francis announced his plan to make Gregory the highest-ranking African-American Catholic.
Bianca Smith made the big leagues in December when she joined the Boston Red Sox organization, becoming the first African-American woman to serve as a professional baseball coach. Smith — who played softball at Dartmouth University — worked as director of baseball operations for the Case Western Reserve University and served as an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Wisconsin. In March, she will step into her new role as a minor league Boston Red Sox coach.
This image released by the United States Postal Service honors legendary playwright August Wilson. (AP)
Late playwright August Wilson — known for his many award-winning works, including his play “Fences,” which earned a Pulitzer, a Tony and three other major theater awards — is featured on the 44th stamp in the U.S. Postal Service Black Heritage Series. Wilson, who died in 2005, was recognized for bringing “fresh perspectives and previously unheard voices to the American stage,” according to the USPS
Reginald Van Lee is a co-founder of the Black Theatre Coalition, which is working to “to remove the illusion of inclusion in theater and create more job opportunities for Black theater professionals.”
Black Theater Coalition co-founder Reginald Van Lee. (Donald Bowers)
Darren Walker serves as president of the prestigious Ford Foundation. Through America’s Cultural Treasures — an initiative made possible by an initial investment of $85 million — the foundation works to get donors and foundations to support Black, Latinx, Asian and Indigenous arts organizations.
Elizabeth Alexander,president of the Mellon Foundation — the largest funder of arts, culture and humanities in American higher education — is also poet, educator, memoirist, scholar and vibrant cultural advocate. One of her goals is to address the lack of diversity in the arts.
Ford Foundation president Darren Walker and Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. (Evan Agostini and Ron Edmonds/Associated Press)
Congressman John Lewis Congressman John Lewis of Georgia was the first African-American to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The rare honor is bestowed on prominent, exceptional government officials and members of the military. The first African-American to lie in honor at the Capitol, a sign of respect for exceptional private citizens, was civil rights leader Rosa Parks.
In this June 25, 2013 file photo, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., appears on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
General Charles Brown Jr. was confirmed in June as the Air Force chief of staff, making him “responsible for the organization, training and equipping of 689,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas.” He’s the first African-American to lead any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Gen. Charles Brown, Jr. is the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. (Kevin Dietsch/AP)
Danita Johnson has made a name for herself again by being named president for business operations for Major League Soccer’s D.C. United. Johnson — who will be the third woman and the first Black president of an MLS club — has an impressive resume. She comes from the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, where she rose to president and chief operating officer. Previously, she was the director of business operations for the NBA’s L.A. Clippers.
Danita Johnson was named president for business operations for a Major League Soccer team, D.C. United. (Michael Tran/Getty Images)