First to Win an Academy Award
Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress in 1940 for her role in Gone with the Wind. She was the first African American to win an Academy Award.
First to Win Best Actress Oscar
Halle Berry won for her performance in the 2001 film Monster's Ball.
First to Win Best Actor
Sidney Poitier won for his role in Lilies of the Field.
First Grammy Award
Known as the Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald was the first African American female to win a Grammy in both categories for Best Vocal Performance and Best Jazz Performance at the first Annual Grammy Awards in 1958.
First to Win an Emmy for Directing a Comedy
Donald Glover won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing on a Comedy Series with his FX show Atlanta, making history as the first African American male to win the award.
First to Win an Emmy For Comedy Writing
Lena Waithe made history as the first African American female to win an Emmy for her writing on the Netflix series Master of None.
First to Win Individual All-Around Event in the Olympics
Gabby Douglas was the first African American to win the individual all-around event at the Summer Olympics.
First to Win Miss America
On September 17, 1983 Vanessa Williams was the first African American to win the Miss America pageant.
First to Become A Victoria’s Secret Angel
Tyra Banks became the first African American Victoria's Secret model to don the iconic Angel wings in 1997. She was also the first black model to wear the Fantasy Bra, which reportedly cost $3 million dollars.
First Supermodel
Beverly Johnson is known as the first black supermodel after gracing the cover of Glamour in 1971.
First Lead Anchor on a Primetime News Show
In 2015, Lester Holt became the face of NBC Nightly News, making history as the first black male to become the lead anchor on a nightly weekday news show.
First Female African American Billionaire
Oprah Winfrey joined Forbe's highly acclaimed list of American billionaires in 2003, making her the first black woman to ever join the ranks of the world's richest.
First Playboy Playmate Centerfold
In March 1965, Jennifer Jackson was the first African American Playboy Playmate centerfold.
First Vogue Cover
In 1966, Donyale Luna was the first African American to cover Vogue.
First Rock and Roll Inductees
In 1968, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and Little Richard were the first African Americans to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
First Album of the Year
In 1974, Stevie Wonder was the first African American to the Grammy Album of the Year. The singer won for his album Innervisions.
First Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Viola Davis was the first African-American female to win Outstanding Actress in a Drama series at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2015 for her role on How to Get Away With Murder.
First to Win EGOT
In 2002, Whoopi Goldberg was the first African American to win an Academy Award (1990), Emmy(2002 & 2009), Grammy(1985), and Tony (2002).
First Tony Winner
In 1950, Juanita Hall is the first African American to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Bloody Mary in South Pacific.
First Principal Dancer for American Ballet Theatre
On June 30, 2015, Misty Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre history.