Developing a vitality that has drawn strength from a hardship-filled past as well as optimism for the future, African Americans have transformed the history and culture of the United States. From the abolitionists and civil rights leaders who struggled to secure basic freedoms to the scientists, entertainers, and public servants who have nurtured innovation in their respective fields, African Americans have broken critical barriers for every American. This volume profiles many of those individualsfrom Frederick Douglass to Oprah Winfrey to Barack Obamawhose efforts and ideas continue to enrich the foundations of the nation.