60+ Best Black History Month Trivia Questions & Answers

Black History Month trivia is a quiz game about the people, events and firsts that shaped Black history in America. It is a simple way to learn, share and talk about the past.

This list has 64 Black History Month trivia questions and answers. They are sorted by topic and level.

Easy Black History Month Trivia Questions and Answers

These are the names and dates most Americans learn in school. They work well for kids, classrooms and mixed groups.

What month is Black History Month in the USA?
February. It holds the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Who created Negro History Week in 1926?
Historian Carter G. Woodson, often called the “Father of Black History.”
When did Black History Month become a national observance?
In 1976. President Gerald Ford urged Americans to honor Black achievement.
What does Juneteenth mark?
June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. It became a federal holiday in 2021.
Who refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery in 1955?
Rosa Parks. Her arrest sparked a major boycott.
Who gave the “I Have a Dream” speech?
Martin Luther King Jr., in August 1963. More than 250,000 people joined the March on Washington.
Who led enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad?
Harriet Tubman. She made about 13 rescue trips, by most accounts.
Who signed the Emancipation Proclamation?
Abraham Lincoln, on January 1, 1863.
Which amendment ended slavery?
The 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865.
Who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947?
Jackie Robinson, with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Who was the first Black U.S. president?
Barack Obama, the 44th president. He took office in 2009.
Who was the first Black woman U.S. Vice President?
Kamala Harris, in 2021.
Who was the first Black woman elected to Congress?
Shirley Chisholm, in 1968. She ran for president in 1972.
Which six-year-old integrated a New Orleans school in 1960?
Ruby Bridges. Federal marshals walked her to class.
What does NAACP stand for?
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It formed in 1909.
What name was given to the nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957?
The Little Rock Nine. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect them.

If you enjoy exploring fascinating historical facts and testing your knowledge, keep the trivia fun going with Lord of the Rings trivia questions that challenge your memory of Middle-earth, its legendary characters, and epic adventures.

Black History Month Trivia Questions on Civil Rights and Leaders

The civil rights movement was won through courts, marches and sit-ins. These questions test how well you know its key moments and leaders.

Which 1954 Supreme Court case ended school segregation?
Brown v. Board of Education.
How long did the Montgomery Bus Boycott last?
381 days, from December 1955 to December 1956.
Which 1896 case allowed “separate but equal”?
Plessy v. Ferguson. It stood for nearly 60 years.
Who argued Brown v. Board and later joined the Supreme Court?
Thurgood Marshall. He became the first Black justice in 1967.
Which group launched the 1961 Freedom Rides?
CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality. Riders tested bus station desegregation in the South.
Where did the 1960 lunch counter sit-in begin?
A Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina. Four college students started it.
Which 1964 law banned segregation in public places?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Which 1965 law protects Black voting rights?
The Voting Rights Act of 1965.
What happened on “Bloody Sunday” in 1965?
Police attacked marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.
Who chaired SNCC and later served 17 terms in Congress?
John Lewis.
Who was the first president of the SCLC?
Martin Luther King Jr. The group formed in 1957.
Who gave the 1964 speech “The Ballot or the Bullet”?
Malcolm X.
Who said, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired”?
Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi voting rights leader.
Whose 1955 murder in Mississippi pushed the movement forward?
Emmett Till, who was 14. His mother chose an open casket.
Which abolitionist published the paper The North Star?
Frederick Douglass.
Who gave the 1851 speech “Ain’t I a Woman?”
Sojourner Truth.

Black History Month Trivia Questions on Firsts, Science and Inventors

Black inventors and pioneers changed medicine, travel and daily life. See how many of these historic firsts you know.

Who was the first Black woman in space?
Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.
Who was the first Black American in space?
Guion Bluford, in 1983.
Whose math helped Apollo 11 reach the moon?
Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician. NASA honors her work.
Who invented an early traffic signal and a safety hood for firefighters?
Garrett Morgan. He patented his three-position signal in 1923.
Who improved the light bulb filament?
Lewis Latimer. His carbon filament lasted far longer.
Who invented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract surgery?
Dr. Patricia Bath, the first Black woman to receive a medical patent.
Who pioneered blood plasma storage and blood banks?
Dr. Charles Drew.
Who found hundreds of uses for peanuts?
George Washington Carver, a scientist at Tuskegee Institute.
Who invented the first home security system?
Marie Van Brittan Brown, in the 1960s. It used a camera and a remote monitor.
Which NASA engineer invented the Super Soaker?
Lonnie G. Johnson.
Who became the first self-made woman millionaire in the U.S.?
Madam C.J. Walker, through her hair care business.
Who was the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license?
Bessie Coleman, in 1921.
Who was the first Black person to win a Nobel Prize?
Ralph Bunche, who won the Peace Prize in 1950.
Who was the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
Toni Morrison, in 1993.
Who was the first Black man to win the Best Actor Oscar?
Sidney Poitier, in 1964, for Lilies of the Field.
Who was the first Black performer to win an Oscar?
Hattie McDaniel, in 1940, for Gone with the Wind.

Black History Month Trivia Questions on Culture, Sports and Heritage

Black art, music and sport reshaped the world, and African history reaches back thousands of years. These last questions cover both.

Which 1920s movement celebrated Black art and writing in New York?
The Harlem Renaissance.
Who wrote the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”?
Langston Hughes.
Who wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God?
Zora Neale Hurston.
Who is known as the “Queen of Soul”?
Aretha Franklin. Her 1967 hit “Respect” became an anthem.
Which record label did Berry Gordy found in 1959?
Motown Records, in Detroit.
Who was the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize?
Kendrick Lamar, for DAMN. in 2018.
Who was the first Black woman to headline Coachella?
Beyoncé, in 2018.
Who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics?
Jesse Owens.
Who was the first Black player to win a Grand Slam tennis title?
Althea Gibson, in 1956.
Who is the most decorated gymnast in world championship history?
Simone Biles.
Which Tulsa district was known as “Black Wall Street”?
Greenwood. A white mob destroyed much of it in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Which Mali emperor made a famous gold-filled trip to Mecca in 1324?
Mansa Musa.
Who led the Haitian Revolution?
Toussaint Louverture. Haiti won independence in 1804.
Which all-Black pilot group fought in World War II?
The Tuskegee Airmen.
Which WWI unit earned the nickname “Harlem Hellfighters”?
The 369th Infantry Regiment.
Which Black-owned magazine did John H. Johnson launch in 1945?
Ebony.

FAQs

What are some good Black History Month trivia questions?

Start with easy ones on Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Juneteenth. Then try harder questions on Plessy v. Ferguson, the Freedom Rides and Black inventors.

How do you play Black History Month trivia at school or work?

Make teams and ask five to ten questions per round. Reveal answers after each round. Keep a bonus question ready for ties.

Who started Black History Month?

Historian Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week in 1926. It grew into Black History Month, which President Gerald Ford recognized in 1976.

What are some easy Black history trivia questions for kids?

Ask about Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Harriet Tubman and the Little Rock Nine. Keep answers short and add one fun fact.

Conclusion

These Black History Month trivia questions and answers cover civil rights, historic firsts, science and culture. Each one links to a real person, date or event worth knowing. Use them for a class quiz, a team break or a family game night. Keep learning after February ends, because Black history is American history all year. Share this quiz and see who scores highest.

William Vicky

William Vicky is the lead writer and trivia curator at Trivia Questioners, with a passion for uncovering fascinating facts across history, science, pop culture, and general knowledge. He loves crafting questions that challenge and delight readers of all ages.