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HS Kids Take Color-Blind View of History

Women, blacks dominate students' list of famous Americans

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 4, 2008 1:20 PM CST
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(Newser) – Martin Luther King Jr. is the most famous American in history, according to 2,000 high school students asked to name the top 10, reports USA Today. In a dramatic break from the "dead white male" paradigm, African Americans, women, and Arfican-American women dominated the list, with Rosa Parks second, Harriet Tubman at No. 3, and Oprah Winfrey No. 7.

The list's first white male is No. 5 Benjamin Franklin. "Over the course of about 44 years, we've had a revolution in the people who we've come to think about to represent the American story," said the study's co-leader. The change in focus isn't specific to teenagers, either—adults gave nearly identical responses.

If you ask a high school student to name the three most famous Americans ever, chances are Harriet Tubman will appear on that list.
If you ask a high school student to name the three most famous Americans ever, chances are Harriet Tubman will appear on that list.   (Archive Photos)
Susan B. Anthony comes in fourth on a list of the most famous Americans of all time. It can't hurt that she's on money.
Susan B. Anthony comes in fourth on a list of the most famous Americans of all time. It can't hurt that she's on money.   (Archive Photos)
Items in an exhibit on Benjamin Franklin at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania include a portrait of Franklin by Joseph-Siffred Suplessis in 1778. The statesman and inventor came in at number five on high schoolers' lists of the most famous Americans.
Items in an exhibit on Benjamin Franklin at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania include a portrait of Franklin by Joseph-Siffred Suplessis in 1778. The statesman and inventor...   (KRT Photos)
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is seen in this undated file photo. Nearly 40 years after his assassination in April 1968, after the deaths of his wife and others who knew both the man and what he stood for, some say King is facing the same fate that has...
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is seen in this undated file photo. Nearly 40 years after his assassination in April 1968, after the deaths of his wife and others who knew both the man and what he stood...   (Associated Press)
Martin Luther King, Jr topped the list of history's most famous Americans.
Martin Luther King, Jr topped the list of history's most famous Americans.   (KRT Photos)
Rosa Parks is remembered in Washington, DC after her death, and still looms large in the minds of high school students.
Rosa Parks is remembered in Washington, DC after her death, and still looms large in the minds of high school students.   (Getty Images)
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list • Oprah Winfrey • Marilyn Monroe • Albert Einstein • Martin Luther King Jr. • Benjamin Franklin • famous Americans • Rosa Parks • Harriet Tubman • Susan B Anthony • Amelia Earhart • Thomas Edison

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