Since 1976, when President Gerald Ford designated February as Black History Month saying Americans should “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history,” every U.S. president has designated February as Black History Month.

With the inauguration of the United States’ first African-American vice president, the quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, provides you the opportunity to test your knowledge of African-Americans who served our nation as we mark this annual observance.

1. An estimated 9,000 Black patriots fought against the British in the Revolutionary War. Even before the war began, Black patriot Crispus Attucks is considered a hero for his efforts during what event?

A. The Boston Tea Party

B. The Gaspee Affair

C. The Boston Massacre

D. Battles of Lexington and Concord

 

2. Which famous abolitionist was the first African-American confirmed for a presidential appointment by the Senate?

A. Sojourner Truth

B. William Lloyd Garrison

C. Harriet Tubman

D. Frederick Douglass

 

3. Who was the first African-American governor and what state did he serve?

A. P.B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana

B. David Paterson of New York

C. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts

D. Douglas Wilder of Virginia

 

4. The first two African-American U.S. senators represented which state?

A. New Jersey

B. Illinois

C. Massachusetts

D. Mississippi

 

5. African-American volunteers comprised which of the following famous World War II military units?

A. The Ghost Army

B. Tuskegee Airmen

C. Monuments Men

D. Yellowjackets

 

6. Which African-American co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party?

A. Fannie Lou Hamer

B. Carol Moseley Braun

C. Stokely Carmichael

D. Bobby Seale

 

7. Who was the first African-American woman elected to Congress?

A. Shirley Chisholm

B. Maxine Waters

C. Kamala Harris

D. Corrine Brown

 

8. Who successfully argued the landmark desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court and later served as the first African-American justice on the court?

A. Earl Warren

B. Thurgood Marshall

C. William Brennan Jr.

D. Clarence Thomas

 

9. Who was the first African-American to serve as U.S. secretary of state?

A. Condoleezza Rice

B. Cordell Hull

C. Colin Powell

D. John Foster Dulles

 

10. How many African-American women were elected or re-elected to serve in Congress in the 2020 elections?

A. 14

B. 17

C. 21

D. 26

 

Answers: 1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-D, 5-B, 6-A, 7-A, 8-B, 9-C, 10-D