Herd about Black History
| Black Influential Leaders featured by the Wisconsin Herd during past seasons, CLICK below on each name to learn more! To learn more about the celebration, CLICK HERE | Season |
| MAYA ANGELOU - Famous Performer, Writer and Civil Rights Activist | '23-'24 |
| BENJAMIN BANNEKER - Mathematician who helped map boundaries of Washington D.C. from memory. | '25-'26 |
| DAVE BING - One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, former Detroit Mayor, and Youth Mentor | '24-'25 |
| GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER - Scientist and First African American to be honored with a National Monument | '23-'24 |
| SHIRLEY CHISHOLM - First Black woman elected to the United States Congress & President Honor of Freedom Honoree | '25-'26 |
| NAT "SWEET WATER" CLIFTON - First Black basketball player to sign with an NBA Team, the New York Knicks | '25-'26 |
| BESSIE COLEMAN - First African American Women Pilot | '22-'23 |
| CHARLES "CHUCK" COOPER - First Black basketball player drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics | '25-'26 |
| FREDERICK DOUGLASS - American Social Reformer, Abolitionist, Orator, and Statesman | '22-'23 |
| ED DWIGHT - First African American to be trained as an astronaut and world renowned sculptor | '24-'25 |
| WAYNE EMBRY - First African American General Manager and Team President in NBA | '23-'24 |
| REDD FOXX - Comedian and Actor | '23-'24 |
| DR. BERNARD HARRIS - First African American astronaut to walk in space | '23-'24 |
| SPENCER HAYWOOD - Challenged the NBA "four year rule" which opened the league to younger players. | '25-'26 |
| KAMALA HARRIS - First Female African American Vice President of the United States | '22-'23 |
| WADE HOUSTON - First African American head coach in the SEC | '25-'26 |
| REVEREND JESSE JACKSON - Civil Rights Activist and Head of Operation Breadbasket | '22-'23 |
| JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE - American track-and-field legend regarded as one of the greatest female athletes of all time | '25-'26 |
| EARL LLOYD - First African American Basketball Player to play a game in the NBA (x1) | '22-'23 |
| EARL LLOYD - First African American Basketball Player to play a game in the NBA (x2) | '23-'24 |
| EARL LLOYD - First African American Basketball Player to play a game in the NBA (x3) | '25-'26 |
| PAUL "SHOWTIME" GAFFNEY AND HERBERT "FLIGHT TIME" LANG - Harlem Globetrotters | '22-'23 |
| ERIC MONTE - Godfather of Sitcoms | '23-'24 |
| VALERIE MOSLEY - 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street | '24-'25 |
| MICHELLE OBAMA - First African American First Lady of the White House | '23-'24 |
| ULICE PAYNE JR. - First African American to be named President & CEO of a Major League Baseball Team | '24-'25 |
| ROCCSTAR - 14x Grammy nominated & Grammy award winning music producer | '25-'26 |
| ROSA PARKS - Civil Rights Activist known as the first lady of civil rights | '24-'25 |
| WILMA RUDOLPH - First American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics | '24-'25 |
| CHARLES "CHOO" SMITH - Harlem Globetrotters and Chairman of the National Basketball Retired Players Association | '23-'24 |
| DR. TOMMIE SMITH - Gold medalist who protested racism and injustice at the 1968 Olympics | '22-'23 |
| KENNY "THE JET" SMITH - 2X NBA Championship Player & Basketball Commentator | '23-'24 |
| WILSON SMITH III - First Black designer in the athletic footwear industry and Nike shoe design legend | '24-'25 |
| NEDRA GLOVER TAWWAB - Licensed Therapist, Relationship & Boundaries Expert and 2X New York Times Bestselling Author | '23-'24 |
| MIKE TAYLOR - First player in NBA history to be drafted out of the NBA Development League when selected as the 55th in the NBA Draft | '24-'25 |
| HARRIET TUBMAN - American Abolitionist | '22-'23 |
| REGGIE VAN LEE - Mentor, Philanthropist and Arts Advocate | '22-'23 |
| C.T. VIVIAN - Regarded as "the greatest preacher to ever live" and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree | '25-'26 |
| MADAM C.J. WALKER - First Female Self-made Millionaire in America | '22-'23 |
| BOOKER T. WASHINGTON - Educator, Author, and Orator | '23-'24 |
| EJ WILLIAMS - Youngest African American male to lead a network TV show in over three decades | '25-'26 |
| MALCOLM X - Civil Rights Activist (x1) | '23-'24 |
| MALCOM X - Civil Rights Activist (x2) | '24-'25 |