The most inspirational African-American firsts in politics

Barack Obama - Some of his greatest accomplishments as president included passing a health care reform, ending the war in Iraq, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and eliminating the catch-22 in pay equality laws. He was also one of the only presidents to serve the entire presidency without a personal scandal.

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Amelia Boynton Robinson - Robinson was a civil rights activist in the 50s. She was beaten by state troopers in 1956 during a civil rights march, drawing nationwide attention to the movement.

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Amelia Boynton Robinson - In 1964, she was also the first African-American to run for Congress in Alabama, receiving 10% of the vote.

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Barbara Jordan - She was the first African-American congresswoman to come from the Deep South, where she served as a representative for Texas.

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Barbara Jordan - She served as congresswoman from 1972 to 1978, and was the first woman elected to the Texas Senate. She was even invited by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967 to help him with his civil rights message.

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Carol Moseley Braun - In 1992, she was the first African-American woman elected to the US Senate.

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Carol Moseley Braun - During her time in the Senate, she focused on civil rights, women's rights, educational reforms, gun laws, and served on the Senate Finance Committee.

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Lisa Perez Jackson - Jackson was the first African-American to head the US Environmental Protection Agency after being nominated by Barack Obama in 2008.

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Lisa Perez Jackson - During her four years in the post, she worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fight pollution, and promote environmentally-conscious residential and industrial practices.

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Maya Angelou - The civil rights activist's memoir, 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,' became the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman.

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Maya Angelou - Her broad career included being Hollywood's first female black director and serving on two presidential committees, Gerald Ford's in 1975 and Jimmy Carter's in 1977.

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Ralph Bunche - Bunche was a UN diplomat and an award-winning academic.

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Ralph Bunche - He was the first non-white person to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his peacekeeping efforts in the Middle East in 1949.

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Regina Benjamin - Benjamin was the 18th US surgeon general, appointed by President Barack Obama.

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Regina Benjamin - In 1995, she became the first African-American woman to be elected to the American Medical Association's board of trustees.

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Shirley Chisholm - In 1968, Chisholm became the first African-American congresswoman. She was also the first black candidate to run for the US presidency.

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Shirley Chisholm - She represented New York in the US House of Representatives for seven terms and ran for the 1972 Democratic nomination for the presidency.

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Patricia Roberts Harris - Harris was a very accomplished woman as the first African-American woman to hold a Cabinet position, head a law school, and serve as US ambassador.

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Patricia Roberts Harris - She served during the Carter Administration as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

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Hiram R. Revels - Revels was the first African-American to serve in the United States Senate in 1870.

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Hiram R. Revels - He represented the state of Mississippi, serving for a year before becoming the president of a historically black college.

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Jane Bolin - In 1939, Bolin became the first African-American female judge in the United States.

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Jane Bolin - She served on New York's Family Court for 40 years.

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Pinckney Pinchback - Pinchback is known as the first African-American to become governor of a US state.

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Pinckney Pinchback - He served in Louisiana from 1872 to 1873. He was also elected to the US Senate, but was refused the seat as the result of racial tensions.

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Henry Ossian Flipper - In 1877, he was the first African-American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point at age 21.

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Henry Ossian Flipper - He served as a second lieutenant with the 10th Cavalry, but was framed for embezzlement and received an honorary discharge in 1882. When it was revealed that he had been framed long after his death, President Bill Clinton pardoned him.

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John Mercer Langston - Langston was several firsts, including being the first African-American lawyer in Ohio and the first elected to public office in the US.

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John Mercer Langston - The first African-American to win a congressional election in the state of Virginia, he served in Congress from 1890 to 1891.

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Barack Obama - Obama was the first African-American president, serving as the 44th President of the United States for two terms.

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