Bessie Coleman was born in 1892 in Texas. She faced challenges as an African American woman but became the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license in 1921. She performed aerial stunts and helped inspire others. Bessie was successful because she believed African Americans could be pilots and worked hard despite facing discrimination.

1. By: Fourth Grade Students

2. Born
Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 in
Atlanta, Texas.
Life and Family
Bessie Coleman had three sisters and 2 brothers.
Bessie’s dad left when she was 9 years old. She died in
1926 on April 30th in Jackson , Florida preparing a show.
Famous Accomplishments
Bessie Coleman was famous for being the first African
American to get her pilots license. She received her
license in 1921. Bessie Coleman performed aerial
acrobatics.
Why was Bessie Coleman Successful?
Bessie Coleman was successful in life because she
believed that African Americans could be pilots too.
Bessie Coleman faced many challenges as both as a
woman and also as an African American. She was
interested in learning and worked hard at that as well.
By: Koda

3. Born
Louis was born in 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Life and Family
Mayan and Willie were Louis’ mother and father. Louis was
poor and neglected and he stole to survive. Louis lived in
the Waif’s house for 18 months or so.
Famous Accomplishment
Louis was famous for playing the trumpet. He also
introduced jazz music. He influenced nearly all jazz horn
players who came after him.
Why Louis Armstrong Successful?
He was successful because he found a hobby he was good
at. He was also a pop singer. He helped jazz rise to the fine
arts.
By: Samuel

4. Born
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo,
Georgia. He grew up in Pasadena California.
Life and Family
Jackie Robinson had 3 brothers and 1 sister. His
brothers names were Edger, Frank, and Mack and her
sisters name was Willa Mae. His dad left him when he
was six months old. His mom worked as a maid to feed
her children.
Famous Accomplishments
Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play
in the Major League. He worked with Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. with civil rights. He lead the Brooklyn Dodgers
to the Major Leagues lots of times.
Why Jackie Robinson life was Successful?
Jackie Robinson practice every day. Jackie Robinson
never gave up. When people shouted insults at him he
never quit.
By: Corbin Richardson

5. Born
Jackie Robison was born on January 31st, 1919 in rural
Cairo, Georgia. Jackie had five siblings
Willie, Mae, Mack, Frank , and Edgar. Jackie grew up in
Pasadena, California.
Life and Family
As a kid Jackie was exceptional at many sports like
baseball. Jackie lived a impoverished childhood in
southern California. Jackie went to high school and also
went to a junior college. He died in 1972. Jackie lived to
be fifty six years old.
Famous Accomplishments
Jackie Robinson earned his fame because he was the first
black baseball player and was exceptional at it. Jackie
Robinson was famous for hitting great and fielding for
second base. Lastly, he was famous with the Brooklyn
Dodgers by helping them win the World Series.
Why Jackie Robinson was Successful?
Jackie was successful because he never gave up even
when the crowd did nasty things to him. An example of
that would be when Jackie played and people threw
stuff at him such as food. Another thing that made
Jackie successful is that he practiced a whole lot. He had
to have the patients to stay and play.
By: Michael

6. Born
George W. Carver was born between 1860-1864 in
Diamond Grove, Missouri.
Life and Family
His mother was stolen by slave raiders. The slave raiders also
took him and left him on the side of a dirt road. Susan and
Moses Caver raised him.
Famous Accomplishments
He was one of the first scientists to teach crop rotation.
He taught farmers how to get rid of boll weevils. George
also found a lot of ways to use peanuts.
Why George w Carver Successful?
Gorge W. Carver was smart and he kept trying to find
ways to get ride of boll weevils when they ate up all the
cotton. He always asked why and how. He taught
people many ways to use peanuts and sweet potato’s.
By: Abby

7. Born
Marian was born on February 27, 1897 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .
Life and Family
Marian had two sisters. As a child Marian sang in church
choir. Later, she took voice lessons and began to go on
concert tours.
Famous Accomplishments
Marian was an opera singer. She was famous for
performing in the White House. She was a pioneer in
overcoming racial discrimination.
Why Marian Anderson Successful?
Marian was successful in her life because, she had a pure
rich voice that she could sing a great range of parts.
Marian helped her family out by doing chores and
cleaning. Marian was also successful because at age 19
she got free singing lessons .
By: Dakota

8. Born
He was born at three o clock in the morning on July 12
, 1937.
Life and Family
Bill Cosby lived in a small apartment in north
Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. Everybody in his
neighborhood was black and most were poor. Bill
Cosby had younger brothers James, Russell and Robert.
They always had enough to eat. Their clothes were not
the best but they were clean and warm. Like many
others in their neighbor hood Cosby did have hard
times.
Famous Accomplishments
Bill Cosby has won numerous Emmy awards. He won a
athletic scholarship to Temple University. He was the
first person to win a Emmy.
Why Bill Cosby Successful?
He was successful because he had a mother that
taught him from right from wrong. He also was
successful because he works very hard. Amused by his
observation about family life, customers urged him to
stand up comedy.
By: Darian

9. Born
Nat “King “ Cole was born on March 17, 1919 in
Montgomery , Alabama.
Life and Family
His family name is Nathaniel Adams Cole and grew he
up in Chicago. His daughters name is Natalie Cole. He
died of lung cancer.
Famous Accomplishments
Nat “ King “ Cole was famous for playing his jazz piano
and singing. He had two jazz bands. He was an
international star.
Why was Nat “ King “ Cole Successful?
He started playing piano at his dad’s church at age 12.
He also made many albums that were successful
because of his great singing. His albums were also
famous because of his jazz piano.
By: Greyson

10. Born
Fannie Lou Hamer was born on October 6, 1917. She was born
in Montgomery county, Mississippi.
Life and Family
Fannie Lou Hamer was the youngest of 20 children. Fannie was
as a sharecropper most of her life. Fannie Lou was working in
the fields with her sharecropper parents at the age of six.
Fannie Lou was a daughter of a slave. She died on March
14, 1977.
Why Fannie Lou Hamer Successful?
Fannie Lou Hamer began working for voting rights for blacks
after she tried to register to vote in 1962. Throughout the
1960’s and the 1970’s, she campaigned for voter registration.
She was also a part of the desegregation of the National
Women’s Political Caucus, when it was founded in 1971.
Famous Accomplishments
Fannie Lou Hamer was a leading black American civil rights
activist. Her civil rights activism began in August 1962, when
she answered a call by the SNCC, (Student Novident
Coordinating Committee). Fired from her job for her
activism, she became a field secretary for SNCC and a registered
voter in 1963.
By: Linda

11. Born
Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975 in
Cypress, California.
Life and Family
Tiger is of mixed racial backgrounds. His dad is African
American and his mom is Asian. Tiger is an only child.
Tiger`s father liked to play Golf too. Mr. & Mrs. Woods
knew there son was a good golfer.
Famous Accomplishments
Tiger repeated as a P.G.A. Champion in August 2007 &
despite an injury on his left knee, he won 14 Majors!
One person almost got more points then him but Tiger
didn`t let him.
Why Tiger Woods is Successful?
Tiger is successful in life because he kept working hard
and played like a good sportsman. He made sure that
he was not cheating. He also has good communication
skills.
By : Tyler

12. Born
Muhammad Ali WAS BORN in Louisville, Kentucky
on January 17, 1942.
Life and Family
Ali’s real name was Cassius Clay.
Cassius grew up in the American south in a time of
segregation. Cassius father, Cassius Marcellus
Clay, supported a wife and two sons by painting
billboards and signs. His mother, Odessa Grady
Clay, worked as a household domestic.
Famous Accomplishments
Ali was an American professional boxer and social
activist. Ali was famous because he was the first
fighter to win the World Heavyweight
Championship and he defended this title 19 times.
He was convicted of draft evasion and his title
was declared vacant.
Why Muhammad Ali was Successful?
Ali was well coached. He practices to become
very good at boxing. He kept trying until he
retired.
By: Cameron

13. Born
Hank Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama.
Life and Family
Hank loved his family, but he also loved baseball. Hank
wanted to be a professional baseball player. Hanks
mom put him in baseball and he never quite because he
loved what he did.
Famous Accomplishments
Hank became a professional baseball player. He never
gave up because he loved what he did. His coach was
one of the best and he taught Hank how to play
baseball.
Why Hank Aaron was Successful?
Hank Aaron was successful because he had baseball in
his heart . He loved what he did. And really cared
about baseball.
By: Tim

14. Born
Charles Drew was born on June 3, 1904 in Washington
D.C.
Life and Family
When Charles was a child he had a friend named Andy
and he was teaching Charles how to train a horse.
When he was a man he was a good athlete. At 1950 he was
in a bad car accident and died right at the accident. His
family was devastated when they heard about it.
Famous Accomplishments
His famous accomplishment was making a blood bank. He
had the whole idea of giving blood to other people but
they had to have the same kind of blood.
He soon developed efficient ways to process and store
Large quantities of blood plasma in blood banks.
Why Charles Drew Successful ?
He demonstrated that plasma had longer life than whole
blood. Therefore, could be better made for transfusion
and people could live longer. Charles was educated at
Amherst College (graduated 1926), McGill University,
Montreal (1933), and Columbia University (1940).
By: Jay

15. Ben Carson was born in 1951 and lived in
Boston, Massachusetts.
When he was eight he had to live with his mother and
his brother in Boston. When he lived it was 1959.
School was hard for Ben Caron as a child.
Ben Carson received a Presidential Medal of Freedom
because he separated conjoined twins from their
connected body. He also gave speeches on things he
thought were right. Ben Carson also wrote a book on
what he think is right and he even makes alto biography
Why Ben Carson is Successful? He had a poor academic
in elementary school but had a full scholarship in Yale
University and became a doctor. He was successful
because he save many people’s live. He is also
successful because he write about how care for people if
they’re sick or in learning.
By: Timothy