100+ Black Trivia Questions on Culture & History

Emma | 26 - Jul -2025
100+-Black-Trivia-Questions-on-Culture-&-History

Cheers to the ultimate collection of Black trivia questions including celebration of Black excellence, history, culture, and legacy. Whether you’re planning a trivia night, looking for classroom questions, or just want to test your knowledge, this list covers iconic achievements, historical moments, music, literature, civil rights, and more.

Black History Trivia Questions

  1. Who was the first African American to win a Nobel Peace Prize?

Ralph Bunche

  1. What year was slavery abolished in the United States?

1865

Who was the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
  • A. Maya Angelou
  • B. Toni Morrison
  • C. Zora Neale Hurston
  • D. Alice Walker
  1. Who was the first African American woman elected to Congress?

Shirley Chisholm

  1. Who was the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice?

Thurgood Marshall

  1. What does Juneteenth commemorate?

The emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in Texas on June 19, 1865

  1. What organization was co-founded by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1909?

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

  1. Who delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963?

Martin Luther King Jr.

  1. What was the Underground Railroad?

A secret network that helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom

  1. Who was the leader of the Black Panther Party?

Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale

  1. What landmark civil rights law was passed in 1964?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Black Music Trivia Questions

  1. Who is known as the “Queen of Soul”?

Aretha Franklin

  1. What was Beyoncé’s first solo album called?

Dangerously in Love

  1. Who was the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize?

Kendrick Lamar

  1. Which Black artist broke records with the album “Thriller”?

Michael Jackson

  1. What was the name of Prince’s 1984 film and album?

Purple Rain

  1. Who is the best-selling female rapper of all time?

Nicki Minaj

  1. What is the name of the genre combining gospel and blues that originated from Black culture?

Soul music

  1. Which artist released the song “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”?

James Brown

  1. What instrument did Miles Davis famously play?

Trumpet

  1. Who performed the anthem at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration?

Aretha Franklin

Black Literature and Art Trivia Questions

  1. Who wrote the novel Beloved?

Toni Morrison

  1. What Harlem Renaissance poet wrote “I, Too”?

Langston Hughes

  1. Which African American author penned The Bluest Eye?

Toni Morrison

  1. Who was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?

Alice Walker, for “The Color Purple”

  1. Who is the author of Between the World and Me?

Ta-Nehisi Coates

  1. What genre is Zora Neale Hurston best known for?

Folklore and fiction

  1. What was Maya Angelou’s first autobiography called?

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

  1. Which Black artist painted the “Sugar Shack,” popularized by the TV show Good Times?

Ernie Barnes

  1. Who wrote the play A Raisin in the Sun?

Lorraine Hansberry

  1. Who is known for the poetic line “Still I Rise”?

Maya Angelou

Black Inventors & Innovators Trivia

  1. Who invented the modern traffic light and gas mask?

Garrett Morgan

  1. Who was the first Black woman to receive a patent?

Sarah E. Goode

  1. Who invented the Super Soaker water gun?

Lonnie G. Johnson

  1. Who invented the folding cabinet bed?

Sarah E. Goode

  1. Who invented the three-position traffic signal?

Garrett Morgan

  1. Who developed a technique to preserve blood plasma?

Dr. Charles Drew

  1. Which Black chemist improved the process of peanut production?

George Washington Carver

  1. Who co-founded the video-sharing platform YouTube?

Jawed Karim (of Bangladeshi and German descent, often misattributed as Black)

  1. Who invented the ironing board?

Sarah Boone

  1. Who invented the automatic elevator doors?

Alexander Miles

Black Cinema and TV Trivia Questions

  1. Who was the first Black actor to win an Academy Award?

Hattie McDaniel

  1. What was the first major film with an all-Black cast?

Cabin in the Sky (1943)

  1. Who played Black Panther in the Marvel movies?

Chadwick Boseman

  1. Who directed the film Get Out?

Jordan Peele

  1. What show featured the Huxtable family?

The Cosby Show

  1. Which film did Spike Lee direct about Malcolm X?

Malcolm X

  1. Who became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series?

Viola Davis

  1. What show starred Issa Rae and explored modern Black womanhood?

Insecure

  1. Who starred in the Netflix series “When They See Us”?

Jharrel Jerome (Emmy Winner)

  1. Who played Aunt Viv in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (original actress)?

Janet Hubert

Black Sports Legends Trivia

  1. Who was the first Black player in Major League Baseball?

Jackie Robinson

  1. Who was the first Black man to win a heavyweight boxing title?

Jack Johnson

  1. Who is considered the greatest female tennis player of all time?

Serena Williams

  1. What sport did Simone Biles dominate?

Gymnastics

  1. Who became the first Black driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship?

No Black driver has won the Cup yet, but Bubba Wallace is a top contender

  1. Who was the first Black golfer to win the Masters Tournament?

Tiger Woods

  1. What basketball player is known as “His Airness”?

Michael Jordan

  1. Who won four Olympic gold medals in track and field at the 1936 Berlin Games?

Jesse Owens

  1. Who is the youngest NBA MVP ever?

Derrick Rose

  1. Which boxer said, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”?

Muhammad Ali

Black Culture and Modern Excellence

  1. Who founded the beauty brand Fenty Beauty?

Rihanna

  1. What was Barack Obama’s campaign slogan in 2008?

Yes We Can

  1. Who created the phrase “Black Girl Magic”?

CaShawn Thompson

  1. What is the Pan-African flag made of?

Red, black, and green stripes

  1. Who launched the #MeToo movement?

Tarana Burke

  1. What day celebrates Black economic power with shopping from Black-owned businesses?

Blackout Day (July 7)

  1. Who starred in Creed and Black Panther?

Michael B. Jordan

  1. What is the official flower of Kwanzaa?

The flower varies; Kwanzaa focuses more on symbols than flowers

  1. What is the Swahili word for “unity” celebrated during Kwanzaa?

Umoja

  1. Which Black woman became the first U.S. Vice President?

Kamala Harris

Black Scientists & Innovators Trivia

  1. Who was the first African American woman to go to space?

Mae Jemison

  1. Who invented the three-way traffic signal?

Garrett Morgan

  1. What famous African-American agriculturist developed hundreds of products from peanuts?

George Washington Carver

  1. Who created an early version of the modern gas mask?

Garrett Morgan

  1. Which African-American scientist pioneered blood storage and transfusion techniques?

Charles Drew

Black TV & Media Trivia

  1. What was the first Black family sitcom to appear on American television?

Julia

  1. Who became the first African American woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series?

Viola Davis

  1. What show featured the Huxtable family?

The Cosby Show

  1. Who played the lead role in “Scandal”?

Kerry Washington

  1. What sitcom did Queen Latifah star in during the ’90s?

Living Single

Black Sports Legends Trivia

  1. Who was the first African American to win the Masters Tournament in golf?

Tiger Woods 

  1. What female athlete has the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era?

Serena Williams

  1. Who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947?

Jackie Robinson 

  1. Who is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer as of 2024?

LeBron James 

  1. Who was known as the “Greatest” and also refused to fight in the Vietnam War?

Muhammad Ali 

Black Music Trivia: Modern Era

  1. Who won Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammys for “Harry’s House”?

Harry Styles

  1. Which Black artist holds the record for the most Grammy wins ever?

Beyoncé

  1. Which rapper’s real name is Shawn Carter?

Jay-Z

  1. Who was the first Black woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Aretha Franklin

  1. Who is the youngest solo artist to score a number one hit on Billboard?

Stevie Wonder

Black Culture & Achievements

  1. What is Juneteenth a celebration of?

The end of slavery in Texas 

  1. What African-American holiday celebrates family, community, and culture from Dec 26 to Jan 1?

Kwanzaa

  1. Who was the first African American president of the United States?

Barack Obama

  1. What major event did Rosa Parks influence?

Montgomery Bus Boycott

  1. Who said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere?”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Bonus: Fun & Pop Culture

  1. What animated Disney film features the first Black princess?

The Princess and the Frog

  1. Who starred as Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Chadwick Boseman

  1. What groundbreaking sitcom was produced by Kenya Barris and starred Tracee Ellis Ross?

Black-ish

  1. Which Black actress voiced Bo Peep in Toy Story 4?

Annie Potts 

  1. What is the name of Beyoncé’s visual album inspired by “The Lion King”?

Black Is King

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