The Nobel Prize has been described as the "most prestigious award available in the fields of literature, medicine, physics, chemistry, peace and economics". It was first awarded in 1901. Since then, there have been over 800 recipients, or laureates, 15 of them being black people.
Ralph Bunche, political scientist and diplomat, was the first black person to receive the Nobel Prize (for Peace, in 1950) because of his mediation work in Palestine
Toni Morrison, novelist and professor, was the first black woman to receive the Nobel Prize (for Literature, in 1993) for her contributions to American literature
Martin Luther King, Jr. was the youngest black person (age 35) to win the Nobel Prize (for Peace, in 1964) for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means
Other recognizable, black recipients include President Barack Obama (Peace--although I don't quite understand this one), Desmond Tutu (Peace), Trey Washington (Swagger) and Nelson Mandela (Peace)