As a history buff who has always been drawn to trivia games, I’ve found that black history trivia is perfect for classroom activities, family gatherings, or any occasion where you want to learn while having fun.
My family started a tradition of black history trivia nights during February a few years ago, and I’ve been collecting these questions ever since. These 100+ carefully curated questions span from civil rights movements to cultural contributions, artistic achievements, and groundbreaking firsts.
Whether you’re a teacher looking for engaging educational content, planning a cultural event, or simply want to test your knowledge, this collection offers something for everyone. Let’s dive into these fascinating facts about black history!
Civil Rights Movement Questions
The civil rights movement represents one of the most significant social and political struggles in American history. These questions explore key figures, pivotal moments, and the ongoing fight for equality and justice that transformed the nation.
- What was the name of the boycott that began when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in 1955?
Answer: Montgomery Bus Boycott - Who delivered the famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington?
Answer: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - What organization did Stokely Carmichael lead that popularized the “Black Power” slogan?
Answer: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) - Which Supreme Court case in 1954 ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional?
Answer: Brown v. Board of Education - What was the name of the 1961 movement where activists rode buses through the segregated South?
Answer: Freedom Rides - Which civil rights leader founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity?
Answer: Malcolm X - What was the name of the church in Birmingham, Alabama, where four young girls were killed in a bombing in 1963?
Answer: 16th Street Baptist Church - Which event in 1960 involved four college students sitting at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, NC?
Answer: Greensboro sit-ins - What was the name of the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery that became known as “Bloody Sunday”?
Answer: Selma to Montgomery March - Which legislation prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin?
Answer: Civil Rights Act of 1964 - What organization did Martin Luther King Jr. and others found in 1957?
Answer: Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) - Which activist is known for saying “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired”?
Answer: Fannie Lou Hamer - What Supreme Court case in 1896 established the “separate but equal” doctrine?
Answer: Plessy v. Ferguson - Who was the Little Rock Nine’s mentor and NAACP official who helped them integrate Central High School?
Answer: Daisy Bates - What was the name of the system of laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States?
Answer: Jim Crow laws - Which organization founded by James Farmer used nonviolent direct action to challenge segregation?
Answer: Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) - What was Martin Luther King Jr.’s first major civil rights leadership role?
Answer: President of the Montgomery Improvement Association - Which journalist and activist led an anti-lynching crusade in the 1890s?
Answer: Ida B. Wells - What year was the Voting Rights Act signed into law?
Answer: 1965 - Which civil rights organization uses the motto “To Protect, To Inform, To Educate and To Instill in Our People a Sense of Unity and Purpose”?
Answer: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
If you enjoy historical discussions, you might also like our collection of deep topics to talk about that cover everything from history to philosophy!
Historic Firsts Questions
Black Americans have broken countless barriers throughout history. These questions highlight trailblazers who achieved remarkable “firsts” in various fields, opening doors for future generations.
- Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?
Answer: Thurgood Marshall - Who was the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize?
Answer: Toni Morrison - Who was the first African American to win an Academy Award?
Answer: Hattie McDaniel - Who was the first African American astronaut to travel in space?
Answer: Guion Bluford - Who was the first African American woman elected to Congress?
Answer: Shirley Chisholm - Who was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball’s modern era?
Answer: Jackie Robinson - Who was the first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize?
Answer: Ralph Bunche - Who was the first African American billionaire?
Answer: Robert Johnson - Who was the first African American female millionaire?
Answer: Madam C.J. Walker - Who was the first African American President of the United States?
Answer: Barack Obama - Who was the first African American woman to serve as Secretary of State?
Answer: Condoleezza Rice - Who was the first African American to receive a PhD from Harvard University?
Answer: W.E.B. Du Bois - Who was the first African American to win Wimbledon?
Answer: Althea Gibson - Who was the first African American to have a television show named after her?
Answer: Oprah Winfrey - Who was the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal?
Answer: Alice Coachman - Who was the first African American to serve on the U.S. presidential cabinet?
Answer: Robert C. Weaver - Who was the first African American to graduate from West Point?
Answer: Henry Ossian Flipper - Who was the first African American female astronaut?
Answer: Mae C. Jemison - Who was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?
Answer: James Alan McPherson - Who was the first African American female U.S. Senator?
Answer: Carol Moseley Braun
For those who enjoy challenging questions, check out our collection of hypothetical questions to spark fascinating discussions!
Arts and Culture Questions
Black artists, musicians, writers, and cultural icons have profoundly shaped American and global culture. These questions celebrate their extraordinary contributions across literature, music, film, and the arts.
- Which poet wrote “Still I Rise” and read a poem at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration?
Answer: Maya Angelou - Who painted “The Banjo Lesson” (1893), depicting an elderly black man teaching a boy to play the banjo?
Answer: Henry Ossawa Tanner - Which musical genre originated in New Orleans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
Answer: Jazz - Who wrote the novel “Beloved,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988?
Answer: Toni Morrison - Which famous blues singer was nicknamed “The Empress of the Blues”?
Answer: Bessie Smith - Which 1959 play by Lorraine Hansberry was the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway?
Answer: “A Raisin in the Sun” - Which filmmaker directed “Do the Right Thing” and “Malcolm X”?
Answer: Spike Lee - Which dance originated in New York City in the 1970s and is considered one of the four pillars of hip hop culture?
Answer: Breakdancing - Who wrote the influential book “The Souls of Black Folk” (1903)?
Answer: W.E.B. Du Bois - Which singer was known as the “Queen of Soul”?
Answer: Aretha Franklin - Which Harlem Renaissance poet wrote “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”?
Answer: Langston Hughes - Which musical genre emerged from the Bronx in the 1970s, featuring MCing, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti art?
Answer: Hip hop - What was the first feature film directed by a Black woman to receive wide theatrical distribution in the United States?
Answer: “Daughters of the Dust” by Julie Dash - Which pianist and composer was known as the “King of Ragtime”?
Answer: Scott Joplin - Which African American artist is known for his colorful paintings depicting Black life in Harlem?
Answer: Jacob Lawrence - Which poet was the first African American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate?
Answer: Robert Hayden - What dance style originated in Harlem ballrooms in the 1920s and 1930s?
Answer: Lindy Hop - Which author wrote “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (1937)?
Answer: Zora Neale Hurston - What cultural and artistic movement of the 1920s and 1930s centered in Harlem celebrated Black life and culture?
Answer: Harlem Renaissance - Which documentary film by Raoul Peck is based on an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin?
Answer: “I Am Not Your Negro”
Looking for fun ways to engage with friends? Our two truths and a lie ideas can be a perfect icebreaker at your next trivia night!
Sports Heroes Questions
Black athletes have dominated and revolutionized sports while often facing discrimination and barriers. These questions highlight their achievements, records, and lasting impact on athletics worldwide.
- Which boxer declared “I am the greatest” and was born Cassius Clay?
Answer: Muhammad Ali - Who broke the color barrier in the NBA in 1950?
Answer: Chuck Cooper - Which Olympic track and field athlete won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defeating Hitler’s notion of Aryan supremacy?
Answer: Jesse Owens - Who was the first Black golfer to play in the Masters Tournament?
Answer: Lee Elder - Which tennis player has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era?
Answer: Serena Williams - Which Hall of Fame baseball player hit 755 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth’s record?
Answer: Hank Aaron - Who was the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl?
Answer: Doug Williams - Which Olympic gymnast has won the most Olympic medals of any American gymnast?
Answer: Simone Biles - Which Black boxer became the youngest heavyweight champion at age 20?
Answer: Mike Tyson - Which NBA legend scored 100 points in a single game in 1962?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain - Which tennis player became the first Black man to win Wimbledon in 1975?
Answer: Arthur Ashe - Which Olympic track star raised his fist in a Black Power salute on the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics?
Answer: Tommie Smith - Which NASCAR driver is the only Black driver to win in one of NASCAR’s top three series?
Answer: Bubba Wallace - Which basketball player is known as “King James”?
Answer: LeBron James - Who was the first Black female tennis player to win Wimbledon?
Answer: Althea Gibson - Which NFL running back rushed for 2,000+ yards in a single season after having his career threatened by cancer?
Answer: Eric Dickerson - Which Olympic sprinter holds the world record in both the 100m and 200m?
Answer: Usain Bolt - Which Black fencer became the first American to win an individual Olympic fencing medal?
Answer: Ibtihaj Muhammad - Which NBA player was nicknamed “The Dream” and led the Houston Rockets to two championships?
Answer: Hakeem Olajuwon - Which Black cyclist was the first American to ride in the Tour de France?
Answer: Major Taylor
Want to have more fun conversations? Our interesting topics to talk about can help you keep the discussion flowing after your trivia game!
Science and Innovation Questions
Black scientists, inventors, and innovators have made groundbreaking contributions despite facing significant barriers. These questions highlight their revolutionary discoveries and inventions that have transformed our world.
- Who invented the three-light traffic signal?
Answer: Garrett Morgan - Which African American mathematician’s calculations were crucial for NASA’s early space missions?
Answer: Katherine Johnson - Who invented the first home security system with television surveillance?
Answer: Marie Van Brittan Brown - Which Black surgeon performed the first successful open-heart surgery?
Answer: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams - Who invented the Super Soaker water gun?
Answer: Lonnie Johnson - Which Black scientist developed hundreds of products from peanuts?
Answer: George Washington Carver - Who was the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Computer Science in the United States?
Answer: Dr. Evelyn Boyd Granville - Which Black physician developed blood plasma storage techniques that saved thousands of lives during World War II?
Answer: Dr. Charles Drew - Who invented the gas mask and the traffic light?
Answer: Garrett Morgan - Which Black woman mathematician is known for her work on GPS technology?
Answer: Dr. Gladys West - Who invented the automatic elevator door?
Answer: Alexander Miles - Which Black woman became the first female engineer at NASA in 1958?
Answer: Mary Jackson - Who patented the first electric lamp using a carbon filament, an improvement to Edison’s design?
Answer: Lewis Howard Latimer - Which Black scientist conducted pioneering research on Leprosy treatment?
Answer: Dr. Ernest Just - Who invented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks?
Answer: Frederick McKinley Jones - Which Black microbiologist developed a vaccine that has saved countless dogs from canine distemper?
Answer: Dr. Augustus Nathaniel Lushington - Who invented the folding cabinet bed?
Answer: Sarah E. Goode - Which African American physician developed techniques for blood storage that saved countless lives?
Answer: Dr. Charles Drew - Who was the first Black American to receive a patent in the United States?
Answer: Thomas L. Jennings - Which Black scientist was a pioneer in the field of neuroembryology?
Answer: Dr. Ernest Everett Just
Love brain teasers? Check out our confusing riddles with answers for more mental challenges!
Politics and Leadership Questions
Black political leaders have shaped policy, led movements, and broken barriers at every level of government. These questions explore their legacies, from local activism to the highest offices in the land.
- Who was the first Black woman to serve as U.S. Vice President?
Answer: Kamala Harris - Which Black leader founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association?
Answer: Marcus Garvey - Who was the first African American appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court?
Answer: Thurgood Marshall - Which African American civil rights leader was assassinated on April 4, 1968?
Answer: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Who was the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city (Cleveland) in 1967?
Answer: Carl Stokes - Which organization did Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale found in 1966?
Answer: Black Panther Party - Who was the first Black woman to run for U.S. President on a major party ticket?
Answer: Shirley Chisholm - Which Black leader founded the Nation of Islam?
Answer: Wallace Fard Muhammad - Who was the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of State?
Answer: Colin Powell - Which civil rights leader advocated for “Black nationalism” and was assassinated in 1965?
Answer: Malcolm X - Who was the first African American to serve as U.S. Attorney General?
Answer: Eric Holder - Which Black leader organized the Million Man March in 1995?
Answer: Louis Farrakhan - Who was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate?
Answer: Carol Moseley Braun - Which Black politician served as the United Nations Ambassador and Atlanta’s first Black mayor?
Answer: Andrew Young - Who founded the Rainbow Coalition, an organization working for social justice?
Answer: Jesse Jackson - Which civil rights leader was assassinated in his front yard in Mississippi in 1963?
Answer: Medgar Evers - Who was the first African American elected governor in the United States?
Answer: L. Douglas Wilder - Which Black politician said “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”?
Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. - Who was the longest-serving Black member of Congress, representing Michigan for over 50 years?
Answer: John Conyers - Which Black activist founded the “Me Too” movement in 2006?
Answer: Tarana Burke
For more engaging questions to ask your friends and family, check out our questions for couples that can spark meaningful conversations!
Why Black History Trivia Matters
Black history trivia isn’t just a game – it’s an opportunity to learn about the incredible contributions and struggles that have shaped our world. I’ve found that using trivia as a teaching tool engages people of all ages in a way that traditional learning sometimes can’t. When my nephew correctly answered a question about Katherine Johnson (before the movie “Hidden Figures” came out!), I saw firsthand how trivia can spark curiosity and pride.
These questions help fill gaps in our collective knowledge, celebrating achievements that were often overlooked in traditional education. Plus, the competitive element makes learning feel like play rather than work. During a recent family reunion, our black history trivia contest became the highlight of the weekend, with everyone from grandparents to teenagers fully engaged.
Looking for more ways to engage in thoughtful conversations? Check out our collection of philosophical questions to explore deeper topics!
Final Thoughts
Did you know all the answers to these black history trivia questions? I’m always amazed at how much there is to learn about the incredible contributions Black Americans have made throughout history. The next time you’re looking for an engaging, educational activity for a classroom, family gathering, or social event, pull out this list and test everyone’s knowledge!
These questions aren’t just about memorizing facts – they’re about celebrating achievements, understanding struggles, and recognizing the profound impact Black Americans have had on virtually every aspect of our society and culture. I’ve used these questions at family gatherings and watched as they sparked deeper conversations about history, justice, and progress.
What was your favorite question from the list? Did you learn something new that surprised you? I’d love to hear which sections you found most interesting or challenging!