February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements. We created this page to post various stories contributing to this great history. Check back each year as we will populate with new stories. Some you have all heard before and many of the "lesser known" moments and facts in Black history.
A. Philip Randolph
A. Philip Randolph was a pioneering labor leader and civil rights activist who founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the first successful African-American-led labor union. 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the BSCP.
Randolph's relentless advocacy for fair wages, desegregation of the military, and equal job opportunities cemented his legacy as a key architect of the modern Civil Rights Movement. He championed economic equality and social justice, famously organizing the March on Washington in 1963, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Martin Luther King, Jr. established the Poor People's Campaign in 1967. He incorporated issues outlined by Randolph’s March on Washington Movement, such as economic justice. For King, it was a priority for Black people to be considered full citizens.
Dorothy Bolden
Dorothy Bolden was a trailblazing labor leader and civil rights activist who transformed the lives of domestic workers in the United States.
In 1968, she founded the National Domestic Workers Union of America (NDWUA) in Atlanta, Georgia, giving a powerful voice to thousands of Black women who were historically exploited in low-wage domestic jobs. Bolden's efforts focused on securing fair wages, improved working conditions, and respect for domestic workers, many of whom were African American women denied basic labor rights.
Bolden's activism extended beyond organizing; she advised multiple U.S. presidents on labor issues and collaborated with civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to address economic inequities. Her work not only professionalized domestic labor but also highlighted the critical role Black women played in sustaining American households.
Bolden's legacy continues to influence the fight for labor justice and worker dignity today.
Viola Turner
Viola Turner was a pioneering businesswoman and financial leader whose work significantly advanced opportunities for African Americans in labor and finance during the early 20th century. As one of the first female executives at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the largest Black-owned insurance company in the United States, she shattered racial and gender barriers in the corporate world.
Turner played a crucial role in developing financial products tailored to the needs of Black communities, helping families build financial stability during an era of widespread economic exclusion.
Beyond her professional achievements, Turner mentored countless African American employees, championing professional development and leadership opportunities within the company. Her advocacy for workplace equity made her a vital figure in labor and economic progress for African Americans.
Viola Turner was also known as Black Wall Street's "Million-Dollar Investor" due to her significant financial contributions at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Turner's legacy continues to exemplify the importance of financial literacy, leadership, and breaking barriers in the workforce.
Isaac Myers
Isaac Myers was a pioneering labor leader and businessman who played a crucial role in advancing African American workers' rights during the Reconstruction era.
In 1866, he co-founded the Colored National Labor Union (CNLU), the first national labor organization for Black workers, advocating for fair wages, job security, and economic opportunities in industries that often excluded African Americans.
As a skilled ship caulker, Myers also helped organize Black dockworkers in Baltimore, leading to the establishment of the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company, a Black-owned cooperative that provided stable employment for African American laborers.
His leadership not only empowered Black workers in the post-Civil War economy but also laid the foundation for future labor movements that fought for racial and economic justice in the workplace.
Floyd Skinner
Floyd Skinner was a pioneering African American attorney in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who played a critical role in advancing labor rights and economic opportunities for Black workers.
As one of the city's first Black lawyers, he fought discriminatory hiring practices, helping break barriers that had long prevented African Americans from securing stable jobs in municipal and private sectors. His advocacy led to greater representation at City Hall, empowering future generations to pursue careers previously closed to them.
By challenging workplace discrimination and segregation, Skinner helped pave the way for a more inclusive labor market in Grand Rapids. Beyond his legal work, he mentored young Black professionals and encouraged civic engagement, using his platform to uplift the community.
His lasting impact continues to inspire labor and civil rights advocates, proving that legal and grassroots efforts can drive workforce equality.
Ella Baker
Ella Baker was a pivotal civil rights leader whose grassroots organizing transformed labor rights and economic opportunities for African Americans. She worked with the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), advocating for worker rights, fair wages, and racial equality in the labor force. Baker believed in empowering everyday people, particularly Black workers and youth, to challenge economic oppression and fight for workplace justice.
Through her activism, Baker pushed for unionization, economic self-sufficiency, and protections for Black workers in industries that exploited their labor. She supported movements demanding fair pay and equal job opportunities, recognizing that racial and economic justice were deeply connected. Her legacy inspires labor movements, proving that collective action and grassroots leadership can create lasting change for African Americans in the workforce.
Dorothy Vaughan
Dorothy Vaughan was a trailblazing mathematician and one of NASA’s first Black supervisors, making a lasting impact on African Americans and labor in the fields of science and technology. As a leader in the West Area Computing Unit at NASA’s predecessor, NACA, she broke racial and gender barriers by advocating for Black women in STEM, ensuring they had opportunities for advancement in a segregated workplace.
Vaughan’s expertise in computing and programming helped transition NASA into the digital age, and she became a pioneer in FORTRAN, a critical programming language. By mentoring and training other Black women in computing, she empowered a new generation of African American professionals in a field that had long excluded them. Her legacy highlights the importance of workplace inclusion, representation, and equal opportunities in technical and scientific careers.
The movie ‘Hidden Figures’ tells the inspiring true story of Dorothy Vaughan and her team of Black female mathematicians at NASA, whose groundbreaking calculations and leadership helped propel America’s space program while breaking racial and gender barriers.
Dr. William F. Pickard
Dr. William “Bill” Pickard was a trailblazing entrepreneur, business leader, and advocate for minority economic empowerment. As Chairman of Global Automotive Alliance and several other ventures, he has made significant contributions to the automotive and manufacturing industries, helping to redefine opportunities for African Americans in corporate spaces. His ventures have created thousands of jobs, demonstrating his commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Beyond business, Dr. Pickard was a passionate mentor and philanthropist, dedicated to supporting education and entrepreneurship within underserved communities. His contributions to higher education, including his service on multiple university boards and generous scholarship programs, reflect his belief in education as a pathway to success. As a strong advocate for minority-owned businesses, Dr. Pickard continues to inspire the next generation of leaders to pursue innovation and economic independence.
Dr. Pickard was a Detroit native who attended both Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan. He was a long-time GVSU donor and former GVSU Board of Trustees member.
The Black History Month theme of 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts”.
African American art is infused with African, Caribbean, and the Black American lived experiences. In the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression, the African American influence has been paramount. African American artists have used art to preserve history and community memory as well as for empowerment. Artistic and cultural movements such as the New Negro, Black Arts, Black Renaissance, hip-hop, and Afrofuturism, have been led by people of African descent and set the standard for popular trends around the world. In 2024, we examine the varied history and life of African American arts and artisans.
EVOLVING FORMS OF MUSIC | 02-05-2024
The suffering of those in bondage gave birth to the spirituals, the nation’s first contribution to music. Blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, McKinley ‘Muddy Waters’ Morganfield and Riley “B.B.” B. King created and nurtured a style of music that became the bedrock for gospel, soul, and other evolving forms of music.
Gospel, rooted in religious traditions, brought soul-stirring vocals, passionate harmonies, and a profound connection to the divine. Soul, born from the African American experience, infused music with raw emotion, authenticity, and a visceral expression of joy, pain, and resilience. Together, these genres not only shaped the musical landscape but also became a powerful tool for social and cultural expression, transcending boundaries and fostering a sense of unity and shared experience.
B.B. King, often hailed as the "King of the Blues," played a pivotal role in bridging the worlds of gospel and soul with the blues. His emotive guitar playing, rich with soulful bends and gospel-inspired phrasing, brought a unique dimension to the blues genre. B.B. King's influence expanded the genre's horizons and opened doors for future musicians to explore the intersection of different musical traditions, leaving an indelible mark on the evolution of American music.
LITERATURE | 02-08-2024
Black contributions to literature include works by poets like Phillis Wheatley and Maya Angelou, autobiographies and novels by writers such as David Walker and Maria Stewart, and essays by James Baldwin.
Black history through literature in America serves as a vital means of preserving, celebrating, and illuminating the rich tapestry of African American experiences. Literature has been a powerful tool for amplifying voices that have often been marginalized or silenced in mainstream narratives. From the slave narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs to the literary works of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison, black authors have used their craft to challenge stereotypes, confront systemic oppression, and assert the humanity and dignity of their communities. Through storytelling, poetry, and prose, these works have provided insight into the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of black life in America, offering readers a deeper understanding of history and culture. These works ultimately confront the realities of systemic racism and work towards a more just and inclusive future.
In essence, black literature serves as a beacon of resilience, wisdom, and creativity, ensuring that the voices and stories of African Americans are not only remembered but also celebrated as integral parts of the American narrative.
THE BLACK RENAISSANCE | 02-13-2024
The Black Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, was a surge of creativity in literature, music, visual arts, theater, and other forms of cultural expression that occurred primarily in the 1920s and 1930s. This movement marked a significant shift in the way black identity was perceived and represented in American society. Emerging in the aftermath of the Harlem Renaissance, which was centered in Harlem, New York City, the Black Renaissance encompassed a broader scope, reaching beyond Harlem to various urban centers across the United States.
Langston Hughes is often regarded as one of the most influential figures, as a prolific poet, playwright, novelist, and activist whose work captured the essence of the African American experience with unparalleled depth and resonance. Other artists such as Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, and Jean Toomer produced influential works that celebrated black culture, critiqued racial injustice, and explored the complexities of identity and belonging. Musicians like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong revolutionized jazz, infusing it with a new level of sophistication and popularity. Artists such as Aaron Douglas and Jacob Lawrence depicted the vibrancy and struggles of black life through their paintings and murals.
Overall, the Black Renaissance was a pivotal moment in American history, challenging stereotypes, inspiring pride, and laying the groundwork for future generations of black artists and intellectuals.
BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT | 02-15-2024
The 1960s continued this thread through the cultural evolution known as the Black Arts Movement, where artists covered issues such as pride in one’s heritage and established art galleries and museum exhibitions to show their own work, as well as publications such as Black Art. This period brought us artists such as Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison, Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez. The movement would not have been as impactful without the influences from the broader Black world, especially the Negritude movement and the writings of Frantz Fanon.
Fanon's writings served as a catalyst for self-awareness, empowerment, and resistance among black artists, inspiring them to explore themes of identity, liberation, and cultural pride in their work. His ideas challenged prevailing notions of racial inferiority and superiority, urging black individuals to reclaim agency and assert their humanity in the face of systemic oppression. Fanon's influence on the Black Arts Movement extended beyond his lifetime, shaping its ethos of cultural nationalism, radicalism, and social transformation. His insights continue to inform contemporary discussions on race, identity, and liberation within the realms of art, literature, and activism.
The Black Arts Movement stands as a pivotal moment in history, igniting a cultural revolution that continues to inspire the artistic and social landscape, affirming the power of art as a catalyst for liberation, self-expression, and empowerment.
HIP-HOP | 02-21-2024
Hip hop as a cultural movement originated in the Bronx borough of New York City in the 1970s, emerging from the creativity and ingenuity of African American and Latino youth in marginalized communities. Hip-hop was comprised of five foundational elements: DJing, MCing, Graffiti, Break Dancing and Beat Boxing. Hip-hop performers also used technological equipment such as turntables, synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers to make their songs.
While it's difficult to attribute its inception to a single individual, DJ Kool Herc is often credited as one of the pioneers who helped lay the groundwork for hip hop culture. Through his innovative DJing techniques, Kool Herc pioneered the use of two turntables to extend the breakbeats of funk and soul records, creating the foundation for the rhythmic backbone of hip hop music. Alongside Kool Herc, other influential figures such as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash played crucial roles in shaping hip hop's early development, contributing to its evolution as a dynamic and multifaceted cultural phenomenon.
Since then hip-hop has continued to be a pivotal force in political, social, and cultural spaces and was a medium where issues such as racial violence in the inner city, sexism, economic disinvestment and others took the forefront.
AFROFUTURISM | 02-27-2024
Afrofuturism is a cultural, artistic, and philosophical movement that intersects African culture with science fiction, technology, and speculative fiction.
The term Afrofuturism emerged in the 1990s, coined by cultural critic Mark Dery in his essay "Black to the Future." However, the roots of Afrofuturism can be traced back much earlier, with elements of the movement appearing in the work of artists, musicians, and writers throughout the 20th century. For instance, the jazz musician Sun Ra incorporated Afrofuturist themes into his music and persona as early as the 1950s, envisioning himself as an extraterrestrial being sent to Earth to spread messages of peace and enlightenment. Similarly, science fiction writers like Samuel R. Delany and Octavia Butler began exploring Afrofuturist themes in their work in the 1960s and 1970s.
Afrofuturism remains important as it provides a platform for marginalized voices to imagine alternative futures that celebrate black culture and resilience while challenging systemic oppression. Modern art continues to draw on Afrofuturist themes to explore issues of identity, technology, and social justice.
Examples of Afrofuturism span various artistic mediums including, film and television, literature, music and visual arts. The most current examples of this are the Black Panther movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.
Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme.
The Black History Month 2023 theme is “Black Resistance.” Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and achieved success.
SEPTIMA POINSETTE CLARK (1898-1987)
Septima Poinsette Clark was an African American educator and civil rights activist. Clark developed literacy and citizenship workshops that played an important role in the drive for voting rights and civil rights for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.
She became known as the "Queen mother" or "Grandmother" of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. commonly referred to Clark as "The Mother of the Movement".
Clark's argument for her position in the Civil Rights Movement was one that claimed "knowledge could empower marginalized groups in ways that formal legal equality couldn't.”
Clark is most famous for establishing "Citizenship Schools" teaching reading to adults throughout the Deep South, in hopes of carrying on a tradition. While the project served to increase literacy, it also served as a means to empower Black communities.
“I have a great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift.” ~Septima Poisette Clark
EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH (1886-Present)
Black faith institutions were spaces where Black communities met to organize resistance efforts, inspired people to participate in the civil rights movements, and offered sanctuary during times of crisis.
An example of this is Ebenezer Baptist Church in the "Sweet Auburn" community of Atlanta, Georgia. Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, the church’s second pastor, promoted Black businesses, urged his congregation to become homeowners, and “get a piece of the turf.” He led them in the battle for adequate public accommodations for blacks, despite Jim Crow segregation laws.
In 1931, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., became pastor at Ebenezer. In 1960 his oldest son, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., joined his father as co-pastor, giving Ebenezer international stature. He remained in that position until his death in 1968. As a final farewell to his spiritual home Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral was held in the church.
Today, Ebenezer Baptist, with a congregation of over 6,000, continues to serve the Atlanta community in the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site under the dynamic leadership of Reverend Dr. Raphael G. Warnock. Dr. Warnock is only the fifth minister to lead the Ebenezer congregation in its 136 year history.
ISAAC MYERS (1835-1891)
In 1869 several black delegates were invited to the annual meeting of the National Labor Union. Among them was Isaac Myers, a prominent organizer of African American laborers. He spoke eloquently for solidarity, saying that white and black workers ought to organize together for higher wages and a comfortable standard of living. However, the white unions refused to allow African Americans to join their ranks. In response to this, Myers met with other African American laborers to form a national labor organization of their own, the Colored National Labor Union.
The CNLU was established to help improve the harsh conditions facing black workers. Among the goals of the CNLU, were the issuance of farmland to poor African Americans in the South, government aid for education, and new nondiscriminatory legislation that would help struggling black workers.
Myer's continued to contribute to the labor movement. He became increasingly involved in the Republican Party during the 1870s.
His efforts towards labor laws and equality for the African American population inspired a multitude of others. A myriad of other coalitions, councils and labor unions were formed by Black communities to resist inequality and to advocate for themselves in a number of different career fields.
MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE (1875-1955)
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune became one of the most important black educators, civil and women’s rights leaders and government officials of the twentieth century. The college she founded set educational standards for today’s black colleges, and her role as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave African Americans an advocate in government.
Bethune opened a boarding school, the Daytona Beach Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls. Eventually, Bethune’s school became a college, merging with the all-male Cookman Institute to form Bethune-Cookman College in 1929. It issued its first degrees in 1943.
A champion of racial and gender equality, Bethune founded many organizations and led voter registration drives after women gained the right to vote in 1920. In 1924, she was elected president of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, and in 1935, she became the founding president of the National Council of Negro Women. Bethune also played a role in the transition of black voters from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party during the Great Depression.
“Mary Bethune was one of the most potent factors in the growth of interracial goodwill in America.” ~The New York Times, upon her death in 1955
LANGSTON HUGHES (1902-1967)
Langston Hughes became one of the most prolific black writers and poets of the 20th century. Through his work, Hughes aimed to depict the lives of African Americans in the United States in the 1920s. He is known to be one of the first Black Americans that was able to fully support himself solely on his writing.
In 1921, Hughes published his first poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” in Crisis magazine. This poem was highly praised and explored the depths of African American Soul. From there, he went on to join the Harlem Renaissance’s cultural movement with his poem “The Weary Blues” securing him notoriety as a black writer and a scholarship to further his studies at Lincoln University and travel the world giving lectures. Following this time, some of his greatest works were released. His most praised work, “Let America Be America Again” focused on the working class, expressing their yearning for the American Dream.
Later works, including “Simple”, a set of comic stories exploring urban working class themes, and “Harlem”, a poem exploring how the american dream falls short for many, cemented his commitment to telling the real american story. Hughes will always be remembered as an advocate for the working class and a smashing success story in the black community.
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” -Dreams by Langston Hughes
ARTHUR ASHE (1943-1993)
Arthur Ashe is known to be one of the greatest tennis players of his time, inducted into the Tennis National Hall of Fame in 1985. In early life, Ashe was the first African American person to play in the Maryland boys’ championships, also the first integrated tennis competition in the US. Despite only being able to oppose other black tennis players for most of his early life, Ashe continued his path of success, earning a scholarship to play tennis for UCLA. At the peak of his career, Ashe became the first and only black man to win the Wimbledon singles title.
Ashe was aware of the impact of using his platform for good. After his failed attempt to reach the South African Open due to Apartheid Laws, Ashe made it a goal of his to protest the Apartheid Regime over the next 2 decades. He founded Artists and Athletes against Apartheid and continued to protest, even being arrested outside the South African Embassy in 1985.
Ashe paved a path for many black athletes through the rest of his life before suffering a heart attack which required a quadruple bypass surgery in 1979 and another bypass surgery in 1983. From this tragic series of events, Ashe required a blood transfusion to speed up recovery. This transfusion resulted in him contracting HIV, which remained a secret until a few months before his death. Before passing, he founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, continuing his legacy.
The 2022 Black History Month theme is Health and Wellness. Below are some interesting stories relating to that topic.
CARTER G. WOODSON & THE ORIGIN OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Carter G. Woodson was an American historian, author, journalist, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He established Negro History week in 1926 during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Woodson's concept was later expanded into Black History Month in 1976.
In 1926 Carter realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The theme for 2022 focuses on the importance of Black Health and Wellness.
This theme acknowledges the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well.
Throughout February we will be sharing important events and individuals that have contributed to Health and Wellness in America.
OTIS BOYKIN (1920 - 1982)
Otis Boykin was an inventor whose work with electrical resistors paved the way for the first successful pacemaker. His resistor was also quickly incorporated into a number of products, including guided missiles and IBM computers in the U.S. and overseas. A resistor is a crucial electronic component that impedes the flow of electrical current.
His mother died of heart failure when Otis was only 1 year old. This trajedy eventually led to the invention of the pacemaker. His path wasn’t in the medical field but in science and engineering. He first worked as a laboratory assistant at Fisk University’s aerospace lab, where he eventually graduated. After College he worked at an Electro Manufacturing Company and then the Chicago Telephone Supply Corporation, where he did much of his pacemaker research.
Otis Boykin patented 26 devices.
REBECCA LEE CRUMPLER (1831 - 1895)
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. She is credited with helping countless African Americans who had no access to healthcare.
Crumpler graduated at a time when very few African Americans were allowed to attend medical college or publish books. Crumpler first practiced medicine in Boston, primarily serving poor women and children. Crumpler worked for the Freedmen's Bureau to provide medical care for freed slaves.
She was one of the first female physician authors in the nineteenth century. In 1883, she published A Book of Medical Discourses. The book has two parts that cover the prevention and cure of infantile bowel complaints, and the life and growth of human beings. Dedicated to nurses and mothers, it focuses on maternal and pediatric medical care and was among the first publications written by an African American about medicine.
CHARLES DREW (1904-1950)
Charles Drew was an American surgeon and medical researcher. He is credited with discovering a method for long-term storage of blood plasma and organized the country’s first large-scale blood bank. He was given the title of "Father of the Blood Bank."
His innovation is believed to have saved thousands of lives during World War II. He standardized procedures for long-term blood preservation that were adapted by the American Red Cross, according to the American Chemical Society.
Charles Drew also stood up for African Americans health and wellness. As the most prominent African American in the field, Drew protested against the practice of racial segregation in the donation of blood, as it lacked scientific foundation. He later resigned his position with the American Red Cross, which maintained the policy until his passing in 1950.
DANIEL HALE WILLIAMS (1856 - 1931)
Daniel Hale Williams pursued a pioneering career in medicine. Williams set up his own practice in Chicago’s South Side and taught anatomy at his alma mater, also becoming the first African American physician to work for the city’s street railway system.
Due to the discrimination of the day, African American citizens were still barred from being admitted to hospitals and Black doctors were refused staff positions. Firmly believing this needed to change, in May 1891, Williams opened Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses, the nation’s first hospital with a nursing and intern program that had a racially integrated staff. The facility, where Williams worked as a surgeon, was publicly championed by famed abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass.
Daniel Hale Williams is credited as one of the first physicians to perform open-heart surgery in the United States, which took place in 1893.
SOLOMON CARTER FULLER (1872 - 1953)
Solomon Carter Fuller has been called the country’s first Black psychiatrist.
Fuller always showed an interest in medicine, especially since his grandparents were medical missionaries in Liberia.
Fuller faced discrimination in the medical field in the form of unequal salaries and underemployment. His duties often involved performing autopsies, an unusual procedure for that era. While performing these autopsies Fuller made discoveries which allowed him to advance in his career as well contribute to the scientific and medical communities.
His groundbreaking research into Alzheimer’s helped the medical community understand the true nature of the disease. The results of Fuller’s research helped to confirm that Alzheimer’s was not the result of insanity but rather a physical disease of the brain.
PATRICIA BATH (1941 - 2019)
Patricia Bath was the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology. She noticed that rates of blindness and visual impairment were much higher at the Harlem Hospital’s eye clinic, which served many black patients, than at the eye clinic at Columbia University, which mostly served whites. That led her to conduct a study that found twice the rate of blindness among African-Americans compared with whites. Bath continued to explore inequities in vision care throughout her career.
Despite official university policies extolling equality and condemning discrimination, Bath experienced both sexism and racism during her tenure at both UCLA and Drew. Determined that her research not be obstructed by the "glass ceilings," she took her research abroad to Europe where she excelled in research and laser science, the fruits of which are evidenced by her patents for laser eye surgery.
Most people think of Rosa Parks as the first person to refuse to give up their seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. There were actually several women who came before her; one of whom was Claudette Colvin.
It was March 2, 1955, when the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl refused to move to the back of the bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’ stand that launched the Montgomery bus boycott. Claudette had been studying Black leaders like Harriet Tubman in her segregated school, those conversations had led to discussions around the current day Jim Crow laws they were all experiencing. When the bus driver ordered Claudette to get up, she refused, “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn't get up."
Claudette Colvin’s stand didn’t stop there. Arrested and thrown in jail, she was one of four women who challenged the segregation law in court. If Browder v. Gayle became the court case that successfully overturned bus segregation laws in both Montgomery and Alabama, why has Claudette’s story been largely forgotten? At the time, the NAACP and other Black organizations felt Rosa Parks made a better icon for the movement than a teenager. As an adult with the right look, Rosa Parks was also the secretary of the NAACP, and was both well-known and respected – people would associate her with the middle class and that would attract support for the cause. But the struggle to end segregation was often fought by young people, more than half of which were women.
On Wednesday, August 28, 1963, 250,000 Americans united at the Lincoln Memorial for the final speech of the March on Washington. As Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the podium, he eventually pushed his notes aside.
The night before the march, Dr. King began working on his speech with a small group of advisers in the lobby of the Willard Hotel. The original speech was more political and less historic, according to Clarence B. Jones, and it did not include any reference to dreams. After delivering the now famous line, “we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream,” Dr. King transformed his speech into a sermon.
Onstage near Dr. King, singer Mahalia Jackson reportedly kept saying, “Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin,” and while no one will know if he heard her, it could likely have been the inspiration he needed. Dr. King then continued, “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream….” And then the famous Baptist preacher preached on, adding repetition and outlining the specifics of his dream. And while this improvised speech given on that hot August day in 1963 was not considered a universal success immediately, it is now recognized as one of the greatest speeches in American history.
Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied Sociology. She has written for the New York Times and has three books forthcoming with Penguin Random House.
The national youth poet laureate captivated millions during Biden’s inauguration. Her original poem, “The Hill We Climb”, has become a beacon of hope for many. But the young star isn’t finished yet. On February 7th, she recited another original poem before the Super Bowl, "Chorus of the Captains." This poem celebrated and introduced the three honorary captains — Pittsburgh-based Marine veteran James Martin, who volunteers with the Wounded Warrior Project and works with at-risk kids, Los Angeles educator Trimaine Davis and Tampa ICU nurse manager Suzie Dorner. Gorman is the first poet to ever recite a poem before a Super Bowl and youngest poet to recite at a presidential inauguration.
“You really have to crown yourself with the belief that what I’m about and what I’m here for is way beyond this moment,” Gorman shared during a TIME Black Renaissance interview with former first lady Michelle Obama. “I’m learning that I am not lightning that strikes once. I am the hurricane that comes every single year, and you can expect to see me again soon.”
The ban on interracial marriage in the U.S. was overturned because of one couple in 1967.
Mildred and Richard Loving left their home state of Virginia to get married. They were warned by Virginia state officials that getting married would be a violation of state law, as Richard was white and Mildred was not. When they returned home, Mildred was promptly arrested. When she was finally released, the couple was referred to the American Civil Liberties Union by Robert Kennedy. The ACLU, seeing an opportunity to end anti-miscegenation laws, jumped at the chance.
After making their way through local and state courts, Loving v Virginia was put before the Supreme Court, and the bans on interracial marriage were deemed unconstitutional. It was a landmark victory for couples of different races, and the Lovings are often heralded as being the catalysts for making it happen. The last law formally prohibiting interracial marriage was overturned in Alabama in 2000. The Lovings were featured in a 2016 biopic, Loving, starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton.
The first licensed African American female pilot.
Born in Atlanta, Texas in 1892, Bessie Coleman grew up in a world of harsh poverty, discrimination and segregation. She moved to Chicago at 23 to seek her fortune, but found little opportunity there as well. Wild tales of flying exploits from returning WWI soldiers first inspired her to explore aviation, but she faced a double stigma in that dream being both African American and a woman.
She set her sights on France in order to reach her dreams and began studying French. In 1920, Coleman crossed the ocean with all of her savings and the financial support of Robert Abbott, one of the first African American millionaires. Over the next seven months, she learned to fly and in June of 1921, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale awarded her an international pilot's license. Wildly celebrated upon her return to the United States, reporters turned out in droves to greet her.
Coleman performed at numerous airshows over the next five years, performing heart thrilling stunts, encouraging other African Americans to pursue flying, and refusing to perform where Blacks were not admitted. When she tragically died in a plane accident in 1926, famous writer and equal rights advocate Ida B. Wells presided over her funeral. An editorial in the "Dallas Express" stated, "There is reason to believe that the general public did not completely sense the size of her contribution to the achievements of the race as such."
Inoculation was introduced to America by a slave.
Few details are known about the birth of Onesimus, but it is assumed he was born in Africa in the late seventeenth century before eventually landing in Boston. One of a thousand people of African descent living in the Massachusetts colony, Onesimus was a gift to the Puritan church minister Cotton Mather from his congregation in 1706.
Onesimus told Mather about the centuries old tradition of inoculation practiced in Africa. By extracting the material from an infected person and scratching it into the skin of an uninfected person, you could deliberately introduce smallpox to the healthy individual making them immune. Considered extremely dangerous at the time, Cotton Mather convinced Dr. Zabdiel Boylston to experiment with the procedure when a smallpox epidemic hit Boston in 1721 and over 240 people were inoculated. Opposed politically, religiously and medically in the United States and abroad, public reaction to the experiment put Mather and Boylston’s lives in danger despite records indicating that only 2% of patients requesting inoculation died compared to the 15% of people not inoculated who contracted smallpox.
Onesimus’ traditional African practice was used to inoculate American soldiers during the Revolutionary War and introduced the concept of inoculation to the United States.
Hattie McDaniel was able to carve out a place for herself in Hollywood despite rampant racism and a consignment to bit parts. She paved the way for many African American women, but not without her fair share of obstacles. Her performance as “Mammy” in Gone With the Wind (1939) won her Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars that year. However, the national movie premiere was in Atlanta. Because of Georgia’s Jim Crow Laws, she was prohibited from attending the event.
Hattie went on to star in over 300 films, was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 2006, and was the first Oscar winner to appear on a postage stamp. Despite her ultimate success, her choices (insofar as she had any) in roles were often criticized. The NAACP said Hollywood’s roles for African Americans were narrowed to servants or characters whose main purpose was being comically slow and dim-witted. Hattie was criticized for settling for lesser roles than her white colleagues. Despite this, Hattie went on to have a stellar career.
Madam C.J. Walker was an African American entrepreneur who became America's first female self-made millionaire.
Born in 1867 to former slaves on a Louisiana cotton plantation, Madam Walker rose in power to become America's first female self-made millionaire. She did so through the creation of the Madam C.J. Walker Company. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, her company was a cosmetics manufacturer that specialized in beauty and haircare products for African American women.
Walker's business prowess was matched only by her philanthropy and activism. She helped establish a YMCA in the Black community of Indianapolis and contributed funds to the Tuskegee Institute. Upon moving to New York, she joined the NAACP, donated generously to the NAACP's anti-lynching fund, and commissioned the first Black architect in New York City to build Villa Lewaro, her home on the Hudson where great minds such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington gathered to discuss social matters important to the African American community.
By the time of her death in 1919, she was known not only as a remarkably successful African American business owner, but one of America's most successful entrepreneurs of all time.