W.E.B. DuBois was an American educator, editor, and writer, and he was the co-founder of the NAACP. In addition, DuBois was the NAACP Director of Publicity and Research, a member of its board of directors, and founded The Crisis, its monthly magazine. In The Crisis, Du Bois directed a constant stream of agitation – often bitter and sarcastic – at white Americans while serving as a source of information and pride to African Americans. The magazine always published young African American writers. Amongst his many other accomplishments, W.E.B. DuBois was also the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1909.

In the 1920s, Langston Hughes was a leader of the Harlem Renaissance, which focused on African-American writers, poets, musicians, and artists. Hughes wrote several plays and poetries, and he also wrote columns for the Chicago Defender in which he addressed racial issues. His book based on black themes and heritage, “The Weary Blues,” earned him the first prize in a literary competition by Opportunity magazine. He worked for several American newspapers during the Spanish Civil War as a war correspondent.

Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, from 1967 to 1991. The civil rights advocate was also the legal counsel for the NAACP and fought against Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial isolation in the Southern parts of the U.S. Before being appointed to the Supreme Court, in 1961, he was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals by President John F. Kennedy and four years later in 1965, he was appointed as the solicitor general by President Lyndon B. Johnson, becoming the first African-American to hold the office.

Stevie Wonder: a musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is the most ever awarded male solo artist, having won 25 Grammy Awards along with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. His singles, including “Superstition” (1972), "Sir Duke" (1976), "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (1973), and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (1984), along with his albums have made him one of the top 60 best-selling music artists in the industry. Wonder was named the United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009 for his work as a political activist. Along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Wonder also has a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

Whitney Houston began her career at 14 as a background singer for legends likes Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls. One of the best-selling artists of all time has sold almost 200 million records globally. She influenced many young and aspiring artists with her videos like “How Will I Know” (1985). She also starred in several films, such as "The Bodyguard” (1992), “Waiting to Exhale” (1995), and “The Preacher's Wife” (1996). She won a total of seven Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year for the soundtrack of “The Bodyguard” and Record of the Year for "I Will Always Love You."

 The origin of the potato chip: As the story goes, Crum became agitated when a customer sent his French-fried potatoes back to the kitchen, complaining that they were cut too thickly. Crum reacted by slicing the potatoes as thin as he possibly could, frying them in grease and sending the crunchy brown chips back out on the guest's plate that way.
        The reaction was unexpected: The guest loved the crisps. In fact, other guests began asking for them as well, and soon Crum's "Saratoga Chips" became one of lodge's most popular treats.
      In 1860, Crum opened his own restaurant, "Crumbs House," near Saratoga Lake where he catered to an upscale clientele. One of the restaurant's attractions was that a basket of potato chips was placed on every table

​Beyoncé rose to fame in the late 1990s as part of Destiny's Child. She went on to have a massively successful solo career, delivering many No. 1 singles, including “Crazy In Love” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." She is a winner of 20 Grammy Awards and with over 60 nods became the most nominated female artist in the award's history.

Often called the “Queen of All Media,” Oprah Winfrey is best known for her long-running talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (1986-2011). Ranked as the richest African-American and North America’s first and only multi-billionaire black person, Winfrey is also praised for her philanthropic efforts. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, and she has been called “the world’s most powerful woman” by CNN and Time.com.

Often called the greatest tennis player of all time, Serena Williams has been ranked number 1 in the world for 300 weeks in her career. She holds the record for most Open-era titles, with eight Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledon and six U.S. Open titles. She’s also an Olympian who has won four gold medals. Williams has also been featured in the 2010 Time magazine list of “The World’s 100 Most Influential People” and regularly makes it to the Forbes list of “The Celebrity 100.” The highest paid female athlete in 2016, she was also named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsperson of the Year” in 2015.

Barack Obama was the first U.S. President of African origin. Obama served two terms as President and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Obama implemented health care reform and spoke about the need for Americans to remain united, despite differences of political opinion.