In 1784, Virginia native James Hemings traveled to Paris with Thomas Jefferson, becoming the first American trained in French cuisine.

Harrison was an American designer, speaker, educator and the first African American to lead a major design department.

Bessie Coleman was the first woman of African American and Native American descent to earn her pilot's license in the U.S.

Kwanzaa didn't just appear spontaneously—it was specifically designed to heal a struggling community after the infamous Watts' Rebellion.