Pathfinders is a collective biography of sixteen diverse American men and women of African descent who made their mark on American history in the 18th to 20th centuries.

Venture Smith, prince -- James Forten, entrepreneur -- Richard Potter, magician -- James McCune Smith, physician -- Mary Bowser, spy -- Allen Allensworth, town founder -- Clara Brown, pioneer -- Sissieretta Jones, concert singer -- Maggie Lena Walker, bank founder -- Charlie Wiggins, race car driver -- Eugene Bullard, combat pilot -- Oscar Micheaux, filmmaker -- Jackie Ormes, cartoonist -- Sadie Tanner, Mossell Alexander, economist & attorney -- Paul R. Williams, architect -- Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, mathematician.