Who was the first African-American woman in the White House?

Asked by: Evangeline Dietrich  |  Last update: July 20, 2023
Score: 4.7/5 (37 votes)

First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a lawyer, writer, and the wife of the 44th President, Barack Obama. She is the first African-American First Lady of the United States.

Who was the first black American First Lady?

Obama was the first African-American woman to serve as first lady. After her husband's presidency, Obama's influence has remained high. In 2020, she topped Gallup's poll of the most admired woman in America for the third year running.

Who was the first black woman to work in the government?

United States House of Representatives

Most are members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The first Black woman to serve as a representative was Shirley Chisholm from New York's 12th congressional district in 1969 during the Civil Rights Movement.

Who was the first black singer to sing at the White House?

In 1878, diva Marie ("Selika") Williams appears to have been the earliest black artist to present a musical program at the White House.

What black woman sang at the Lincoln Memorial?

Marian Anderson, the legendary African American contralto, sang at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday in 1939 after she was refused a performance at Washington's Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because she was black.

Watch: 106-year-old woman's priceless reaction to meeting the Obamas

40 related questions found

Who was the first African American singer to be heard on a recording?

In 1890 George W. Johnson became the first African American to record commercially. A common story is that Johnson, a former slave, was discovered singing on the streets of Washington, D.C., by Berliner recording agent Fred Gaisberg.

Who was the first black man in the government?

On this day in 1870, an African American politician was seated in the United States Senate for the first time, but only after Republican leaders rebuffed a challenge based on the infamous Dred Scott decision.

Who was the First Lady in American history?

While the title was not in general use until much later, Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington, the first U.S. president (1789–1797), is considered to be the inaugural first lady of the United States. During her lifetime, she was often referred to as "Lady Washington".

Who was the first Black female US ambassador?

Patricia Roberts Harris was dedicated to public service, civil rights and the promotion of social justice. A woman of many firsts, she was the first Black woman to serve the nation as Ambassador, the first Black woman to become dean of a law school, and the first Black woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet.

Who was the First Lady of American film?

Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", and is credited with pioneering fundamental film performance techniques.

Who was the only black woman to serve as a U.S. senator?

In 1992 she defeated both the Democratic incumbent and the Republican challenger for a seat in the U.S. Senate, becoming the first female senator from Illinois and the first African American woman to serve in the Senate. As a senator, Moseley Braun sponsored progressive education bills and campaigned for gun control.

Who is the first black woman on board?

The first Black woman on a Fortune 500 board, one member discovered, was actually Patricia Roberts Harris, the late American lawyer, cabinet secretary, and diplomat, who was elected to the board of IBM in 1971.

Who was first black woman lawyer in the United States and the first woman admitted to District of Columbia bar in 1872?

Charlotte E. Ray became the first African-American woman to graduate from a law school, and the first to formally practice law in the United States. Charlotte Ray graduated from the Howard University School of Law in 1872 and was admitted to the District of Columbia bar.

Which President had more than one wife?

Presidents John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson had two official first ladies; both remarried during their presidential tenures.

Who was the 2nd first lady of the United States?

As the wife of John Adams, Abigail Adams was the first woman to serve as Second Lady of United States and the second woman to serve as First Lady.

Does the first lady receive a salary?

That said, while the FLOTUS doesn't receive a salary, she still gets a lot of perks as a member of the First Couple. Along with the president's $400,000 salary, the POTUS also receives a $100,000 travel account, $19,000 for entertainment and a $50,000 expense allowance.

Who was first Black senator?

Hiram Revels of Mississippi became the first African American senator in 1870. Born in North Carolina in 1827, Revels attended Knox College in Illinois and later served as minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

Who was the first Black person on TV?

African Americans have appeared on television as long as the medium has been around. In fact, the first Black person on TV may have been Broadway star Ethel Waters, who hosted a one-off variety show on NBC on June 14, 1939, when television was still being developed.

Who was the first African American to go to a white school?

On November 14, 1960, at the age of six, Ruby Bridges changed history and became the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South. Ruby Nell Bridges was born in Tylertown, Mississippi, on September 8, 1954, the daughter of sharecroppers.

Who was the first black musician to win a Grammy?

In contrast “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book” won for jazz performance. That year, Count Basie became the first Black man to win a Grammy, also taking home two awards, for best jazz group performance and best performance by a dance band.

Who was the first black musician to sell a million records?

Calloway was the first African-American musician to sell a million records from a single and to have a nationally syndicated radio show. In 1993, Calloway received the National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress.

Who was the first black singer to win American Idol?

Ruben Studdard (age 24 on the show) is from Birmingham, Alabama and auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee with Stevie Wonder's “Ribbon in the Sky.” Ruben's winning song was “Flying Without Wings.” He was the first man to win and the first person of color to win.

Who was the first black woman to study Harvard law?

Lila Althea Fenwick (May 24, 1932 – April 4, 2020) was an American lawyer, human rights advocate, and United Nations official. She was the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Law School.

Who was the first black woman Yale law?

Jane Matilda Bolin (April 11, 1908 – January 8, 2007) was an American attorney and judge. She was the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School, the first to join the New York City Bar Association and the first to join the New York City Law Department.

Who was the first female allowed to practice law in the United States?

Arabella Babb Mansfield has the distinct honor of being known as the first woman attorney to be certified in the United States. Known as Belle, Mansfield graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1866.