Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (USA), Inc. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Study Guide

Flashcards covering key concepts related to significant African American figures, events, and milestones.

Kamala Harris

First African American woman to run for president in 2024.

Marcus Garvey

Famous civil rights leader who said, 'Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men.'

January 1st

Date when the seventh and final principle of Kwanza is celebrated.

UMOJA

Swahili word meaning 'Unity'.

Lawyer

Profession of Kamala Harris before she became Vice President.

Travis Hunter

Won the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

Ketanji Brown-Jackson

First African American female to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jessie Owens

African American athlete who won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

Tiger Woods

Known as one of the greatest golfers of all time.

LeBron James

NBA superstar born in Akron, Ohio.

Muhammad Ali

Famous African American athlete known for saying 'I am the greatest!'

The Black Panther Party

Civil Rights-era group portrayed in the film 'Judas and the Black Messiah'.

Thurgood Marshall

First African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jackie Robinson

Famous for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Barack Obama

First African American to serve as President of the United States.

Oprah Winfrey

First African American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show.

Althea Gibson

First African American woman to win a tennis Grand Slam title.

Mae C. Jemison

First African American female astronaut.

David Dinkins

First African American Mayor of New York City.

Michael Jackson

Famous African American singer referred to as the 'King of Pop'.

Wes Moore

Maryland’s first Black Governor.

Juneteenth

Federal holiday marking the end of slavery, celebrated on June 19th.

Ronald McNair

African American astronaut who was killed in the Challenger explosion in 1986.

David A. Patterson

First African American Governor of New York State.

Space Jam

1996 movie featuring NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Malcolm Little

Birth name of civil rights activist Malcolm X.

Scott Joplin

Composer and pianist known as the 'Father of Ragtime Music'.

Colin Powell

First African American Secretary of State, served 2001.

1965

Year Malcolm X was assassinated.

Andrew Young

First African American to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Alex Haley

Famous African American author who wrote the book 'Roots'.

OCR

Acronym for Office of Civil Rights.

Langston Hughes

Famous African American writer known for the line, 'What happens to a dream deferred'.

1964

Year the Civil Rights Act was signed.

1909

Year the NAACP was founded.

1954

Year the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case was decided by the Supreme Court.

UNIA

Acronym for Universal Negro Improvement Association.

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale

Founders of the Black Panther Party.

Robert L. Johnson

Founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television).

Booker T. Washington

Famous African American who founded Tuskegee University.

Jack Johnson

First black heavyweight boxing champion in the world, won in 1908.

Ralph Ellison

Famous African American author who wrote the book 'Invisible Man'.

Detroit, Michigan

City where the famous Motown recording company was founded.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Location of the famous Black Wall Street.

The Lorraine Motel

Name of the hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was staying when he was assassinated.

W.E.B. Du Bois

First African American to earn a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University, graduated in 1895.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Living African American scientist best known for his work in Astrophysics.

John Lewis

Leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights Movement.