March 04, 2023
SoulTic Magazine’s Comprehensive List of African American / Black First That Helped Break the Color Barrier – pt .7 Internet Vol – 7
* 1960’s
Rev . Clennon King , First African – American U . S . presidential canndidate : ( note see Independent Afro – American party ) ( 1960 )
Ernie Davis First African American to win the Heisman Trophy : George Shirley First African American tenor to sing leading roles for the Metropolitan Opera : Edith S . Sampson First African American delegate to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization : ( note see 1950 ) Willian FitzGerald First African American to go over Niagara Falls ; a . k . a Nathan Boya : ( 1961 )
Jackie Robinson First African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame ( note se Satchel Paige , 1971 ) John Jordan ” Buck ” O ‘ Neil First African American coach in Major League Baseball ; ( Chicago Cubs ) Duke Ellington First African American composer nominated for an Academy Award : ( Best Music , Scoring of a Motion , Picture , Paris Blues ) Eward Brooke First African American attorney general of a state : ( Massachusetts ) ( note see 1966 ) ( 1962 )
Wendell Scott at Speedway Park , First African American to win a NASCAR Grand National event , Jacksonville , Florida . ( note ATTN To date , he is the only one . ) Charles V . Bush First African American to graduate form the U . S . Air Force Academy : New York Renaissance, inducted as a team First African Americans inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame ( note see Clarence Gaines , 1982 Bob Douglas , 1972 Bill Russell , 1975 ) Roland Burris First African American bank examiner for the United States Department of the Treasury :
Martin Luther King , Jr First African American named as Time magazin’s Man of the year : Lioyd Sealy , commander of the NYPD’s 28th Precinct in Harlem First African American police officer of the NYPD to be named a precinct commander : Elston Howard First African American to be named American League MVP : ( New York Yankees ) ( note see Jackie Robinson , 1949 ) Walter Harris First African American chess master :
Cicely Tyson First African American to appear as a series regular on a prime time dramatic television series ( ” East Side / West Side ” ) ( CBS ) Diahann Carroll , First African American to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award : Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role , for episode ” A Horse Has A Big Head , Let Him Worry ” Naked City : ( 1963 )
David Harris , First African American pilot for a major commercial airline ( American Airlines ) ( note see Marlon Green & 1955 ) Bernie Hamilton and Barbara Barrie , First movie with African American interracial marriage : One Potato , Two Potato , ( written by Orville H . Hampton , Raphael Hayes , & directed by Larry Peerce :
Sidney Poitier First African American man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor ( Lilies of the Field , 1963 ) ( note see James Baskett , 1948 ) Bob Gibson First African American Baseball Player to be named the world Series MVP ( ST . Louis Cardinals ) ( 1964 )
Morrie Turner First African American nationally syndicated cartoonist : ( Wee Pals )The Falcon , 1969 , and Luke Cage , 1972 First African American title character of a comic book series : Lobo ( Dell Comics ) .
Bill Cosby , First African American star of a network television drama : I Spy ( co – star with Robert Culp ) Micki Grant First African American cast member of a daytime soap opera : Played Peggy Nolan Harris on Another World untill 1972 : Jennifer Jackson First African American playboy Playmate centerfold : ( March issue )
Benjamin Oliver Davis , Jr . First African – American U . S . Air Force general ( three – star lieutenant general ) Patricia Roberts Harris First African American female Ambassador of the United States ; Ambassador to Luxembourg :
Burl Toler , First African – American NFL official – Field judge / Head Linesman : Frank Street , Jr . First African American to win a national chess championship . ( U . S . Amateur Championship ) Thurgoog Marshall First African American United States Solicitor General : ( note see 1967 ) ( 1965 )
Bill Cosby First African American male to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award & first African American to win a Primetime Emmy Award ( I Spy ) Bill Russell First African American coach in the National Basketball Association , ( Boston Celtics ) Robert C . Henry , First African American mayor of a U . S . city ; ( Springfield , Ohio , appointed by city commission )
Donyale Luna First African American model on the cover of a Vogue ( British Vogue ) magazine : Edward Brooke First post – Reconstruction African American elected to the U . S . Senate ( Also first African American elected to the senate by popular vote ) : ( Republican ; Massachusetts ) ( note see 1962 ) Robert C . Weaver First African American Cabinet secretary ( Department of Housing and Urban Development ) Emmett Ashford First African American Major League Baseball umpire :
Lowell W . Perry First African American NFL broadcaster ; ( CBS , on Pittsburgh Steelers games ) ( note see 1957 ) Robert O . Lowery First African American fire commissioner of a major U . S . City , New York City Fire Department ( 1966 )
Carl B . Stokes First African American elected mayor of a large U . S . city ; ( Cleveland Ohio ) Thurgood Marshall First African American appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States : ( note see 1965 ) Robert Henry Lawrence , Jr First African American selected for astronaut training : Part 7 1st page . cont -page 2 pt 7