TNotable firsts for black Americanshe United States is shaped by the diverse population that calls the nation home. Black individuals are among the extraordinary contributors to the national fabric, and many have blazed trails, benefitting countless others as a result. Future generations may owe their opportunities to these pioneering individuals who have elicited change and opportunity. The following are some noteworthy black Americans who made a lasting impact on the United States and even the globe.

• Jackie Robinson: Sports fans can attest that the most universally recognized barrier broken in American sports occurred on April 15, 1947. That was when Jackie Robinson took to the baseball diamond to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was the first black athlete to participate in Major League Baseball in the modern era, during a time when black players typically were restricted to the Negro Leagues. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum says that Robinson was a central figure in the civil rights movement both on the diamond and beyond.

• Shirley Chisholm: Elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968, Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to serve in such a role. She represented New York’s twelfth congressional district, and four years later, threw her hat into the national arena. Chisholm was the first woman to seek the nomination for President of the United States from a major party. Residents of Brooklyn can visit Shirley Chisholm State Park, which abuts the Belt Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue.

• Hattie McDaniel: An accomplished actress, Hattie McDaniel was the first black person to win an Academy Award, earning it for Best Supporting Actress in 1940 for her role as “Mammy” in “Gone With the Wind.” Despite this groundbreaking achievement for a Black artist, she was not allowed to sit with her white castmates during the ceremony. McDaniel paved the way for Sidney Poitier, who won the award for Best Actor in 1964, and later Halle Berry, who won Best Actress in 2002.

• Barack Obama: Forty-three white men preceeded Barack Obama in holding the highest office in the country as President of the United States of America. Obama was inaugurated as the forty-fourth president on January 20, 2009, and remained in office until 2017. He was the first Black man to become president, defeating Senator John McCain, and later, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.