COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The names of the first African Americans in this country to have made history in television belong to some we know very well.

Nat "King" Cole was the first African American to be the host of his own televison show. It lasted one year (1956) and failed due to lack of sponsorship. It should be mentioned that Cole pulled the plug on his show; the network did not cancel it.

Cole experienced and fought racism all of his life, and was known for refusing to perform in any segregated venues. During one of his concerts, he was assaulted and nearly kidnapped by members of the North Alabama White Citizens Council.

Despite setbacks due to racism and overwhelming odds, Cole went on to become one of the greatest entertainers of the 50s and 60s. This author remembers  listening to Nat King Cole eight-track tapes as a child.

The first African American female to host a television show was Oprah Winfrey. beginning in 1986. Winfrey's show is currently the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She has been ranked as the richest African American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and at one time, the only African-American billionaire. Winfrey is a work-in-progress and still making history to this day.

The first African American to star in a dramatic television series was Bill Cosby in "I Spy." Cosby subsequently rose to success, creating some classic shows and characters, such as Fat Albert, The Bill Cosby Show, and The Electric Company. This leviathan of the entertainment industry was once nicknamed "America's Dad."

These three people -- Cole, Winfrey, and Cosby -- helped pave the way for black entertainment and defined an era for African Americans.