I was the first African-American woman to play Maggie in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.' It was at the Virginia State Theatre, and we turned Richmond upside down.
Words can't even describe how much Olympic medals means to me, because of all the hard work, sacrifice and effort I put in at the gym, and also because of how much my family supported me and sacrificed their dreams for mine. It also means a lot to me, knowing that I became the first African American to win the individual all-around gold medal.
When I first heard that Barack Obama was going to be the first black president, I wanted to do the smallest, biggest tribute in history.
I've played 100 caps for England, for my country. Being the first black player, I think, is amazing.
America was magnificently characterized in November of 2008 when we elected, for the first time, an African-American President of the United States.
In 1965, Cosby had become the first black man ever to star in a prime-time television show; he was conscious enough of his non-dissolved, traditional nuclear family that he made it the foundation of his public persona, his comedy act, and eventually of his blockbuster sitcom.
Cooper was my road roommate, and also happened to be the first African American player drafted by a National Basketball Association team.
I can't deny that it will be a historic event for an African-American to become president. And should that happen, all Americans should be proud - not just African-Americans, but all Americans - that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen. It will also not only electrify our country, I think it'll electrify the world.
Regardless of what you feel about Obama and his politics - screw all that. The fact of the matter is, he was the first black guy to be the president of the United States. The history is still being made.
The very fact that Barack Obama - an African-American - was twice elected to the presidency will always be the lead line in that hard-to-meld, gold-plated paragraph.
I was the first black man on television.
When I graduated, I was told I was the first Latino to have three graduate degrees from Harvard. And Harvard does something amazing to you. It opens the doors to the world.
New Rule: The rest of the world can go back to being completely jealous of America. Our majority white country just freely elected a black president, something no other democracy has ever done. Take that Canada! Where's your nubian warrior president? Your head of state is a boring white dude named Steven Harper, and mine is a kick-ass black ninja named Barack Hussein Obama!
I did something that no brown-skinned man in the movie industry ever did. I made a brown-skinned man look very romantic - a matinee idol. If you think about it, what I introduced is historical because it had never happened before, and it hasn't happened since - not on that level.
I was the first white British woman to reach No 1 on the R&B chart - the American black music chart.
The small moments I've had to talk with President Obama, I've told him, 'I get it.' His presidency was in some ways almost overshadowed by the fact that he was the first black president.
There's a time when it was an event for a black person to be on television. Where black households would gather around, 'Oh, you know, Sammy Davis is going to be on 'All in the Family' tonight! Let's go check it out!' It was a big, big thing.
Here's the thing: every office I've run for I was the first to win. First person of color. First woman. First woman of color. Every time.
The whole idea of the first female president is not nearly as momentous or exciting as the first African-American.
I did want to mark the fact that it was the first African-American to win the Lead Actress category.I thought it was so progressive.
Obama's a great speaker. Because of his speaking ability and his appearance, a lot of guys got on board. Being the first African American, a lot guys got on board.
I remember getting flowers and champagne for being one of the first black artists on MTV. That was a big deal.
I never thought my granny, somebody that was born down South, who witnessed America when it was segregated, would see, in her lifetime, an African-American in office as the President of the United States. It's major, it's a real historic day.
It's an amazing honor to be the fourth Black hockey player to go into the Hall of Fame. It's a huge thrill.
If you think about it, I made history. Not only was I the first black British woman to be nominated for an Oscar, I was the first black British person.
