1. Oprah Winfrey: Winfrey was born into poverty. By age 32, she was a millionaire. According to Forbes Magazine,
Winfrey is the first black billionaire and remains the richest
woman on earth.
(Tennessee State)
2. Toni Morrison: Morrison is the first black person to win a
Nobel Peace prize for literature.
(Howard)
3.Ruth Simmons: President of Brown University. She is the first black person to lead an Ivy-League college.
(Dillard)
4. Anika Noni Rose: Disney’s first black princess. (Florida A&M)
5. Regina Benjamin: She is the current U.S. Surgeon General and former FAMU trustee. (Xaxier)
6.Willie Gary: Known as the “Giant Killer” for winning 150 multi-million dollar
lawsuits against several corporations. (Shaw & North Carolina Central)
7. Earl Graves: The publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine.
(Morgan State)
8. Sean Combs: A music and fashion icon. One of the richest men in music.
(Howard)
9. Rod Paige: Seventh U.S. Secretary of
Education.
(Jackson State)
10. Joe Ballard: The first African-American chief for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
(Southern)