Celebrated Poet Dr. Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou is one of only two poets who have written and recited a poem on the occasion of a presidential inauguaration. In January 1993, Dr. Angelou recited On the Pulse of Morning at the inaugral of President Bill Clinton. The poem, which speaks to a dawning a new era for humankind, quickly became a bestseller and renewed Angelou's celebrity.

The Real McCoy

Inventor Elijah McCoy is the source of the phrase "the real McCoy". In 1872, he invented a lubricating cup for trains that others made inferior copies of. Therefore, those seeking the lubricating cup would ask if it were the real McCoy to make sure that weren't getting a knock-off.

Neo-classical Sculptor Edmonia Lewis

Edmonia Lewis was the first African-American to be widely recognized as a sculptor. She was born circa 1845 to an African-American father and a Native American mother. Although Lewis studied drawing at Oberlin College, sculpture captured her imagination and brought her fame and enough fortune to move to Rome. She became known for neo-classical work, including the Death of Cleopatra which she exhibited at Philadelphia's Centennial Expostion in 1876.

Bud Fowler: First Black Pro Baseball Player

John "Bud" Fowler is believed to be the first African-American to play baseball as a professional. While it is unrecorded when he began his career, by 1878 he was a pitcher with the Lynn Massachusetts Live Oaks, a white team. During Fowler's era, it was common for players to be able to play at any position. Fowler was a noted second baseman and called the best at that position in the country by Sporting Life, a contemporary weekly. Fowler's career lasted about 25 years.

Sources: Only The Ball Was White by Robert Peterson and Negro League Baseball Players Association website.

Political Pro: Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche

In 1950 Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for negotiating an end to the first Arab-Israeli war. He was the first person of color in the world to receive this honor.

source: pbs.org

Literary Luminary: Phillis Wheatley

In 1773, poet Phillis Wheatley became the first African-American to publish a book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.

source: http://www.britannica.com/

Mordecai Johnson

Eighty years ago this month in 1926, Mordecai Johnson became the first Black president of Howard University.