Alvin Ailey Jr., 1931-1989

A. Walker

West Middle School

Alvin Ailey Jr. was an African-American dancer, choreographer, director, and activist. He was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas to Lula Elizabeth Ailey and Alvin Ailey, Sr. His father left him and his mother when Alvin was a young infant, to be raised by a single mother. He grew up working on cotton fields with his mother and attending his local church. Growing up in the rural South, he witnessed many things that inspired many of his dances. As he was growing up, he was forced to overcome racism, poverty, and homophobia. During his lifetime, he dealt with multiple addictions such as heavy drinking and severe cocaine addiction. On December 5, 1989, he passed away at the Lenox Hill Hospital due to complications from AIDS.

Alvin had moved to Los Angeles where he met his good friend, Carmen de Lavallade. Lavallade convinced him to start training with Lester Horton for dance, who eventually became his mentor. Horton passed away in 1953 and Alvin took over the role of being the director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater. Not long after that, at only twenty-seven, he founded his own dance company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of many companies founded by him. Over the years, the companies he founded consisted of dance studios, theaters, and summer camps. They prioritized sharing the African-American culture and education. In 1953, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater produced their first concert. They eventually performed over 80,000 shows around the world.

The companies he founded were to benefit communities suffering from poverty. Growing up in poverty and not having access to activities such as dance studios, having the opportunity to provide companies to underserved communities was special to him. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater encouraged African-American dance students to express their culture and experience through dance. Alvin is recognized by the numerous awards won by him and his company. One of the most memorable was the Kennedy Center Honors award in 1988. Alvin is known as one of the greatest choreographers and directors of the twentieth century. His most memorable works are still watched and celebrated today and has greatly influenced the theater and dance industry.

Source: Smithsonian, https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/transforming-dance-around-world; Ailey.org, https://ailey.org/people/alvin-ailey; Kennedy Center, https://www.kennedy-center.org/search-page/#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Alvin%20Ailey&gsc.sort=

Benkos Bioho, d.1621

C. Mendez

West Middle School

Benkos Bioho is a significant historical figure in the fight against slavery. After escaping, he started a settlement of escaped slaves in the swamps near Cartagena, which became known as San Basilio de Palenque. He organized a resistance movement against the colonial authorities and created a military system to protect his people. Benkos Bioho was born in the late 16th century. Benkos Bioho, also known as Domingo Bioho, was born into an African royal family of the Bissagos Islands, located off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Benkos was kidnapped by the Portuguese slave trader Pedro Gomes Reinal. He was sold to businessman Jaun Palacios and was then transported to Colombia in South America. He was then sold again in 1596 to the Spaniard Alonso del Campo in Cartagena de Indias.

Benkos made his first escape when the boat transporting him down the Magdalena River sank. Benkos was recaptured but escaped again in 1599 into the marshlands. In 1619, Benkos Bioho was tricked into visiting Cartagena under the pretense of peace. He was captured, publicly humiliated, and executed by hanging. Despite his death, his efforts inspired others to resist slavery and fight for freedom. Benkos Bioho is celebrated as a hero and a freedom fighter. In Colombia, he is remembered in the month of October every year during the celebrations that honor Afro-Colombian heritage.

Source: African American Registry, https://aaregistry.org/story/benkos-bioho-columbian-abolitionist-born/

James Boggs, 1919-1993

A. Duffy

West Middle School

James Boggs was a political activist and author, and he made a great influence on the Black Power movement in Detroit and led many unions in the automotive industry, which wasn’t great at the time. He was born on May 27, 1919, in Alabama, and later died in 1993, in Michigan. James and his wife, Grace, helped set the foundation for labor and urban struggles. In addition to assisting with unions, he also gave speeches against racism, segregation, and wealth inequality to large audiences, with him and Grace creating Detroit Summer, a community project to help rebuild Detroit after the riots.

Born and raised in Alabama during the 1920s, James was the youngest of four children and began a job as an auto worker in 1940. James was a revolutionary in the Correspondence Publishing Committee, and in 1955 he became the editor of one of their bi-monthly sections, though, in 1962, the publication was disbanded, James and Grace leading the split themselves. A year later, in 1963, James wrote and published his first book, that being the first of many he would later author. During this time, James was helping with coordinating various unions and workers’ strikes, also spending his time assisting with an enabling the Black Power movement.

James influenced the empowerment of workers’ rights and was a member of the radical left, frequently speaking with powerful activists of his time, like Malcom X and Oscar Davis. James and Grace were a compelling duo when it came to activism, with them giving persuasive speeches and promoting new studies in race and ethnic relations.

Source: Boggs Foundation, https://www.boggsfoundation.org/about-jimmy-and-grace; James Boggs, History is a Weapon, http://historyisaweapon.org/defcon1/amreboggs.html

Grace Lee Boggs, 1915-2015

L. Nuckolls

West Middle School

Grace Lee Boggs was born on June 27, 1915, in Providence, Rhode Island. She attended Newton High School and Bryn Mawr College and Barnard College and obtained a PhD in philosophy. Her mother Yin Lan Lee and father Chin Lee were both originally from Guangdong province in China. They had six children and owned a restaurant. When Grace grew up, she became an author, philosopher, civil rights activist, editor, and politician. She fought for the environment, the Black Power movement and feminism by writing, mentoring, creating programs, and much more.

Grace experienced racism and sexism when she was younger which greatly impacted her activism when she grew older. At a young age, Grace joined grassroots organizations such as the Southside Tenants’ organization. With her activism, Grace challenged the world around her to be better and organized meetings and protests.

Grace contributed to positive change in society in many ways. She and her husband started the James and Grace Lee Boggs School in Detroit, Michigan, in 2013. The school is a free public charter school and its mission is to nurture creative, critical thinkers who contribute to the well-being of their communities. She also co-founded Detroit Summer, a community-based youth empowerment and engagement program. Grace wrote a weekly column in the Michigan Citizen that promoted civic reforms until she was ninety-eight years old. She wrote six books about her life from the 1930s through the Civil Rights era, the Black Power movement, and the Nation of Islam. She also wrote a book about her vision for anti-racist and intersectional activism, and how to create social change.

Grace died on October 5, 2015, at the age of 100 after devoting her life to being an activist and changing the world for generations to come. In her 100 years of life, she accomplished and changed the world so much. She was one of the nation’s oldest human rights activists, who waged a war of inspiration for civil rights, labor issues, feminism, and the environment.

Sources: Remembering Grace Lee Boggs, Michigan Women Forward, Stanford University, Obama White House Archives

W.E.B. Du Bois, 1863-1963

S. Danh

West Middle School

W.E.B. Du Bois was an influential figure who broke significant barriers as the first Black man to earn a PhD from Harvard University. He was born on February 23, 1863, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and died on August 27, 1963, in Accra, Ghana. Du Bois was raised by his mother, Mary Silvina, and his father, Alfred Alex Du Bois. He married Shirley Graham, and after her passing, he married Nina Gromer in 1895, with whom he had two children. As a prominent leader and one of the best Black intellectuals of his generation, Du Bois served as the NAACP’s director of publicity and research.

Du Bois made important contributions to the fight against racism, advocating for African Americans to embrace their African heritage while living and working in the US. His views on race quickly established him as a leading thinker. He opposed the assimilationist perspectives of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, advocating instead for the celebration of African American culture. As the primary editor of the NAACP’s monthly magazine, The Crisis, he used this platform to highlight the widespread practice of lynching.

After a decade-long hiatus, Du Bois returned to the NAACP as the lead director of special research. He attended the founding convention of the United Nations and leveraged his influence to shed light on the suffering of African Americans. Additionally, he spotlighted the injustices of colonialism, urging people to combat oppressive regimes. During this period, he was actively involved in the Pan-African movement, organizing its first conference and multiple meetings worldwide. His efforts united scholars and activists from Africa, the West Indies, and the United States, reflecting the global impact of his work.

Overall, Du Bois played a crucial role in advancing the fight against African American oppression, lynching, and other hate crimes. He initiated a project to create a comprehensive book on the African diaspora, securing funding and support from Ghana. Du Bois spent the remainder of his life in Ghana, where he gained citizenship before his death.

Source: Paynter, R., & Glassberg, D. (2010). Conflict and Consensus in Great Barrington: Remembering W. E. B. Du Bois. Museum International. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0033.2010.01719.x; Hutchins Center, https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu; NAACP, https://naacp.org; Stanford, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dubois/

Dorothy Lee Bolden, 1924-2005

K. Baum

West Middle School

Dorothy Lee Bolden was born October 13, 1924, in Atlanta Georgia. She passed away on July 14, 2005. Her mom was a maid and a washer woman so she and her brother would deliver the clothes she washed when she was young. When she got older, around eleventh grade, she dropped out of high school to become a full-time maid. She worked all day but only made $3.00 a week. When she was three, she had an accident: she fell and hit her head hard and it made her vision severely impaired for the rest of her life. She hated working in the domestic workforce, so she tried to go to a design school but had to drop out due to her poor eyesight.

She was working late one night at a white woman’s house who asked her to stay even later to get the dishes done. Dorothy refused and walked out of her house. On her way home she was stopped and arrested by two police officers because she was talking back to a white woman, but her family quickly got her out of jail. In 1944, she met Abraham Thompson, and they got married and had nine kids; only six of them made it to adulthood. She took a couple of years off to be with her family, but she had to go back into domestic work. Since she had years of experience, she got a lot more pay going from $3.00 a week to $90 a week. She grew to like working a little bit, but she often felt super exhausted. She got up at four every morning to clean for another family and went home to clean for her own, and she did that daily. 

In 1955, she was sitting on her couch watching TV and she saw Rosa Parks refuse to give up her seat to a white woman and this motivated Dorothy to take some action. She started volunteering with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. They soon learned she had a passion and got things done quickly. She eventually approached Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with an idea: she wanted to form a domestic workers union. He believed in her and told her she could do it on her own. She took what he said and it boosted her confidence and she got to work. In the summer of 1968 over seventy domestic workers elected Dorothy as the president of the National Domestic Workers Union of America. She put in a lot of work to try and help and over time she noticed a change, over time the domestic workers felt seen and they felt heard.

Cyril Valentine Briggs, 1888-1966

L. Woodall

West Middle School

Cyril Valentine Briggs was born in Nevis, a Caribbean island, on May 28, 1888. He did not have any siblings. He died on October 18, 1966. He was a writer and political activist. He founded the African Blood Brotherhood, a Black liberation organization, which in 1918 began publishing a magazine named The Crusader. His occupation was as a journalist, working for St. Kitts Daily Express and St. Christopher Advertiser. Before this, Briggs was offered a scholarship for journalism but declined. He also spent time working in the library of a local clergyman.

As was previously stated, Briggs was the founder of the African Blood Brotherhood (ABB). The ABB supported armed defense against lynching, the act of public execution without due process. They also supported the right to organize unions, equal rights for Black people, and the abolition of Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws, named after a character from a minstrel show, enforced racial segregation in America from the post-Civil War era to the 1960s. The ABB was a socialist organization that intended to lead America into following suit. Before it could, it was terminated in the early 1920s. Having begun in a time of violence, most often called the Red Summer, in 1919, it lasted less than ten years.

Briggs fought hard to make America a better place for everyone. After a life of journalism, Briggs decided to make an organization that helped millions and led to a better society in America by making it safer and freer for everyone. 

Sources: Marxist.org, https://www.marxists.org/archive/briggs/index.htm; African American Registry, httaaregistry.org/story/cyril-briggs-born/; Britannica Encyclopedia, https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-Blood-Brotherhood 

Elaine Brown, 1943-

E. Jones

West Middle School

Elaine Brown was born on March 2, 1943. Her mother is Dorothy Brown, aka Dorothy Clark. Elaine was raised in a single-parent home, with just her mother. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to Oakland, California. When she was young, she attended a private school and did extracurricular activities, such as classical piano and ballet. Elaine became the chairwoman of the Black Panther Party. She worked as a writer, politician, and a singer.

After Elaine finished high school, she attended Temple University before leaving to pursue a music career in Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, she enrolled at the University of California. Later, she received a bachelor’s degree from Rider University’s Westminster Choir College in 1934 and worked there. She earned a master’s degree in 1945. She then joined the choral department at Temple University’s Esther Boyer School of Music.

While in Los Angeles, Elaine started dating Jay Richard Kennedy; he was a music executive, and he told her about capitalism, communism, and social justice movements. Eventually, Elaine became more active in the Black Liberation movement. Then, after she and Jay Kennedy’s breakup, Elaine began working for the African American newspaper Harambee. Elaine went to her first Black Panther meeting in 1968 after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

Elaine’s contribution as the chairwoman of the Black Panther Party has been highly recognized and applauded. With her as the only chairwoman of the Black Panther Party became more well known for fighting political and economic inequality, as well as becoming known for offering easier access to medical care and providing free breakfasts for children. Elaine was very important as she was the first and only woman to ever lead the Panthers.

Sources: Elaine Brown (1943- ), Blackpast.org; Elaine Brown (March 2, 1943), National Archives; A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States: Introduction 

Nannie Helen Burroughs, 1879-1961

B. Seals

West Middle School

Nannie Helen Burroughs was born on May 2, 1879 in Orange, Virginia to her formerly enslaved parents John and Jennie Burroughs. Nannie’s father died when she was only 8 years old. After which, Nannie and her mother relocated to Washington DC. Where she attended M Street high school and graduated with honors. Nannie had several professions, which included: Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Cleric, and businesswoman. Nannie is most known for being an educator in the United States. Nannie’s speech, “How the Sisters are Hindered from Helping” in 1905 at the National Baptist Convention received a lot of recognition.

Nannie’s interest in labor began when she thought that black women should have the right to receive living wages, have access to proper education and the right to do more than just domestic work. In 1909 Burroughs founded the national training school for women and girls (NTS). When Burroughs was in school her teachers Mary Church Terrell and Ana Julia Cooper were suffragists which influenced her work in labor significantly.

Nannie worked very hard to Contribute to the development of society for black women and girls. She has launched institutions such as her founding of NTS to support young girls in their academic and economic privilege. She contributed to the development and positive change in society through Nannie’s involvement in the National Baptist Convention where she delivered her monumental speech mentioned above, leading to the creation of the Women’s Convention Auxiliary. This provided a stage for black women to talk about social and religious concerns that affected their lives. In addition to her founding of NTS, Nannie co-founded Northeast Self Help Cooperative in 1936. As head of the company Nannie received an award From the Federal emergency Relief. 

Nannie believed that women deserved the right to vote no matter the race. Something we should take from this is that we should not discriminate by race and gender. Nannie fought very hard for women to have the right to vote and we take advantage of this privilege. When women were excluded from movements she protested she even started her own school. She created a curriculum of academic courses where students would be able to gain experience in things like laundry and dressmaking. She sacrificed her physical health if it meant her students got want they needed. She had a powerful voice which influenced people including Martin Luther King Jr and helps influence people today.

Source: ABH Museum, https://www.abhmuseum.org/nannie-helen-burroughs-trailblazing-black-teacher-and-labor-organizer/; Peitho, https://cfshrc.org/article/justice-for-all-the-womanist-labor-rhetoric-of-nannie-helen-burroughs/

Grace P. Campbell, 1883-1943

O. Heitmann

West Middle School

Grace P. Campbell was born in Georgia in 1883 and passed away in 1943 at the age of 60. Her mother, Emma Dyson Campbell, was an African American woman from Washington, D.C., and her father was a Jamaican immigrant. The family relocated to Georgia but eventually settled in Washington, D.C., where Emma was originally from. 

Grace dedicated much of her time to community work, including her efforts at a home for unwed mothers. Not only did she work there, but she also donated her earnings to support the residents. She later took a position with the City of New York, beginning as a probation officer, then becoming a parole officer, and eventually working as a court attendant.

One of Grace’s most notable achievements was being one of the first three African Americans to join the American Communist Party. After her family moved back to Washington, Grace relocated to New York City in 1905. She began her career as a probation officer in 1915, and nine years later, in 1924, she started her role as a court attendant for the Courts of Sessions. Around the time she moved to New York, she began to lean toward left-wing radicalism, leading her to run on the Socialist ticket for two consecutive years. Not only did she become the first woman to run for office in New York, but she also garnered tern percent of the vote in both elections.

Grace paved the way for other African Americans to pursue their dreams. As one of the first three African Americans to join the Communist Party, her actions demonstrated that others could also join and strive for their goals. Through her work as a probation and parole officer, she showed that it is possible to run for office with determination. More than just running for office, she proved that individuals can achieve more than they expect.

The accomplishments of Grace Campbell illustrate that we can reach as far as our imaginations allow, regardless of the obstacles we may face. If you work hard for what you want, you can achieve it. Grace’s legacy inspires others to realize that they, too, can accomplish great things, just as she did and even more.

Source: BlackPast, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/campbell-grace-p-1883-1943/

Melnea Agnes Cass, 1896-1978

V. Cing

West Middle School

Melnea Agnes Cass was an American community and civil rights activist active in the 1920s. She was born on June 16, 1896, in Richmond, Virginia. Her father worked as a janitor, while her mother was a domestic worker. Seeking a better life for his children, Melnea’s father moved the family to the South End of Boston when she was a toddler.

Melnea attended Boston public schools for three years until her mother’s death. After that, their aunt, Ella, took care of them. They later moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts, under the care of Amy Smith. After a couple of years, Melnea returned to Boston to complete her high school education. Recognizing Melnea’s intelligence, Aunt Ella raised funds to enroll her in a convent school in Rock Castle, Virginia, where she graduated as the valedictorian of her class in 1914.

Upon returning to Boston, Melnea worked as a salesgirl. However, she found it challenging to secure better opportunities because she was an African American. Eventually, she took up the same role as her mother and became a domestic worker. In 1917, she married Marshall Cass, a soldier, and they had three children: Marshall, Marianne, and Melanie. With encouragement from her mother-in-law and inspiration from William Monroe Trotter, a Boston civil rights activist, Melnea became involved in activism. In 1920, she helped African American women register to vote and cast their ballots.

By the 1930s, Melnea had become a powerful force for positive change. She advocated for early education and was involved in organizations such as the Harriet Tubman Mothers Club, Sojourner Truth Club, and several Black women’s clubs. She served as the president of the Woman’s Service Club for over fifteen years and was the only female member of an anti-poverty agency. From 1962-1964, she was president of the NAACP.

In 1966, Massachusetts governor, John Volpe declared May 22 as Melnea Cass Day in honor of her 70th birthday and her years of dedicated volunteerism. Throughout her life, she received numerous honorary degrees from universities and was recognized as “Massachusetts Mother of the Year” and a “Grand Bostonian.”

“If we cannot do great things, we can do small things in a great way.” - Melnea Cass

Source: Boston Women’s Heritage Trail, https://www.bwht.org/about/biographies/melnea-cass/; The Bay State Banner, https://baystatebanner.com/2019/03/21/womens-history-who-was-melnea-a-cass/

Shirley Anita Chisholm, 1934-2005

K. Hawkins

West Middle School

Shirley Chisholm was born on November 30, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the oldest of four daughters of immigrant parents, Charles St. Hill, a factory worker from Guyana, and Ruby Seale St. Hill, a seamstress from Barbados. Shirley graduated from Brooklyn Girls High School in 1942. Then, in 1946, after winning many prizes on the debate team, she graduated from Brooklyn College. At first, Shirley worked as a nursery school teacher and in 1949 she married Conrad Q. Chisholm, a private investigator, but they divorced in 1977. Soon after she got married, she got her master’s degree in early childhood education from Columbia University in 1951. By 1960, she was a consultant at the New York City Division of Daycare. At that time Shirley was very aware of the racial and gender inequalities, so she joined Local Chapters of the League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Urban League and the Democratic Party club in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

In 1964, Shirley ran for a place in the New York State Legislature and became the second African American to win a seat. In 1968, Shirley was also elected to the US Congress and introduced fifty pieces of legislation and challenged gender and racial inequalities, fought for the poor and also the end of the Vietnam War. She also became a co-founder of the Women’s Political Caucus in 1971, and in 1977 she became the first Black woman and only the second woman to serve of the powerful House Rules Committee of Congress. That year she also married her second husband, Arthur Hardwick Jr., a New York State legislator.

Discrimination against Shirley barred her from wining the 1972 Democratic Party presidential nomination. She was not allowed to participate in televised primary debates, but after taking legal action she was allowed to make one televised speech. Even after that one speech, students, women and minorities supported her. She entered twelve primaries and acquired 152 votes r ten percent of the total. In 1983, she retired from Congress and worked at the Mount Holyoke College and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women. A few years later, Shirley moved to Florida and declined the offer to become the US ambassador to Jamaica due to her bad health at the time. In 2005, she passed away but wanted to be remembered as “a woman who dared to be a catalyst of change.” 

Shirley Chisholm was a great, amazing woman who fought for the rights of women and African Americans and is remembered as a woman who fought for positive change.

Source: Women’s History, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/shirley-chisholm

Kathleen Neal Cleaver, 1945-

M. Smith

West Middle School

Kathleen Neal Cleaver is the daughter of Ernest Neal and Juette Johnson Neal. She was born on May 13, 1945, in Dallas, Texas. During much of her childhood, she lived abroad with her family due to her father’s work in the foreign service. For her elementary education, she attended a boarding school. While details about her middle and high school years are not provided, it is likely that she had a positive experience, as she later gained admission to both Oberlin College and Barnard College.

In 1967, she decided to drop out of college to become an activist. She began working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and attended a conference at Fisk University, where she met her husband, Eldridge Cleaver. At the time, he was the Minister of Information for the Black Panther Party. They moved to San Francisco together and later got married.

Kathleen became the communications director and was the first woman to join the leadership group of the Black Panther Party. However, after some confrontations with the police, Eldridge fled the United States in 1968, with Kathleen following a year later. They lived in Cuba, Algeria, France, and North Korea before returning to the US.

After their return, Eldridge faced legal troubles related to his past actions. Meanwhile, Kathleen accomplished significant milestones by graduating from Yale University with honors and earning a degree in history in 1984. Two years later, she divorced her husband. Following the divorce, she earned a law degree and became a practicing lawyer. Over the years, she held many professorships and worked in various roles. Currently, she serves as a senior lecturer at the Emory University School of Law.

Source: National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/indimviduals/kathleen-cleaver; Emory University, https://news.emory.edu/stories/2020/08/upress_cleaver_papers/index.html

Marvel Cooke, 1903-2000

M. Kimbel

West Middle School

Marvel Jackson Cooke was a journalist, writer, and political activist. Born on April 4, 1903, she was the first African American baby born in Mankato, Minnesota. Cooke passed away on November 9, 2000, due to leukemia at the age of 97. Her parents were Madison and Amy Wood Jackson. Madison Jackson worked as a railroad porter and was a graduate of Ohio State Law School; unfortunately, he could not find a job as a lawyer due to racism. Amy Jackson was a teacher and cook.

Marvel had numerous achievements, including her work in exposing the Bronx slave market. In 1950, while employed by The Daily Compass, she went undercover as a domestic worker to uncover the harsh realities of the Bronx slave market. She wrote, “I was the slave traded for two truck horses on a Memphis street corner in 1849. I was the slave trading my brawn for a pittance on a Bronx street corner in 1949. As I stood there waiting to be bought, I lived through a century of indignity.” This quote reflects her profound sense of loss of dignity.

Marvel and civil rights activist Ella Baker collaborated to write an article based on Marvel’s experience in the Bronx. Their work highlighted the dire working conditions faced by Black women during the Great Depression. Many Black women waited on city street corners, hoping to be hired for “slave wages” by affluent white women. Baker and Marvel noted that Black women came to the Bronx “not because of what it promises, but largely in desperation.” Together, Black and white activists sought to provide Black workers with alternative job opportunities and to end the slave trade.

Marvel Cooke’s contributions to labor activism shine a light on the historical injustices faced by Black women. By linking her own experience in 1949 with the plight of enslaved individuals in 1849, she saved countless women by sharing her story. This was a significant contribution to the field of domestic labor. Having experienced racism firsthand, Marvel understood the importance of communicating this experience to the world.

Sources: MNPedia, https://www.mnopedia.org/person/cooke-marvel-jackson-1901-2000; African American Registry, https://aaregistry.org/story/writer-teacher-and-activist-marvel-cooke/; LA Times, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-06-me-61800-story.html; Peoples World, https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/the-extraordinary-life-of-marvel-cooke/; Communist Party US, https://cpusa.org/article/the-marvelous-marvel-cooke-african-american-journalist/

Benjamin Jefferson Davis Jr., 1903-1964

T. Ouk

West Middle School

Benjamin Jefferson Davis Jr. was born on September 8, 1903, in Dawson, Georgia, and he passed away in New York on August 22, 1964, from lung cancer. His father was Benjamin Davis Sr., and his mother was Jimmie W. Porter. He worked with the International Labor Defense, gaining recognition for his efforts in labor rights. As his career progressed, he also became involved in municipal politics.

One of Benjamin’s significant contributions was representing Angelo Herndon, a young African American, in a landmark case that he won. This was noteworthy as it highlighted the importance of African Americans supporting one another, which brought Davis national acclaim. He also had a positive impact as the chairman of the Commission on Negro Work, advocating for the interests of African Americans.

His actions played an essential role in demonstrating that African Americans could achieve their goals through hard work and perseverance. Benjamin attended Amherst College and graduated from Harvard in 1932. His education and successes, especially his victory in Herndon’s case, marked a significant step forward in the fight for civil rights. 

His leadership in the Commission on Negro Work showed his dedication to uplifting fellow African Americans and promoting positive change within the community. His story is a testament to the idea that anyone can succeed regardless of their race if they are determined and focused on their goals. His achievements at Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities, further illustrate what was possible for African Americans during a time when many faced significant barriers. 

Through the efforts of individuals like Benjamin Davis Jr., we see that many people today have the opportunities to pursue paths that were previously inaccessible due to the struggles and accomplishments of those who came before us.

Source: King Institute, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/davis-benjamin-jefferson-jr; New York Public Library, https://archives.nypl.org/scm/20651#:~:text=Born%20in%20Dawson%2C%20Ga.,newspaper%20publisher%20in%20the%20South. 

Bernie Grant, 1944-2000

N. Gafeer

West Middle School

Bernie Grant (born on February 17, 1944, in Georgia, the son of two teachers) was a British politician who was one of the very first African persons to win election to the House of Commons. Being the son of educators, he was given a scholarship to begin his education at St. Stanislaus College. After passing zero levels he moved to England to start going to Tottenham Technical College, but Grant decided to leave the college because of the discrimination and racism that he and other dark-toned people experienced at the college. For the next nine years, he worked as a telephonist and decided to join the Tottenham Labour Party after joining the field of workers’ rights. 

He turned into a Labor councilor in 1978. He founded a positive movement for non-white people. He worked hard for tons of people’s rights and stuff like that for years. He did tons of movements for people who have been racially oppressed and was really dedicated to helping them, in fact, in some big-time council for rights, he managed to become the leader of the council. He was such a good African rights activist that he wore traditional African clothes to his first state opening of Parliament. He would almost never take a break throughout his career, he was always making movements and having meetings, all for racial fairness. He would fly to completely different continents to support people who had gone through bad experiences. He was literally a justice bringer. He would be given tons of awards and doctorates.

Sadly, Grant passed away in the early days of 2000. He was very dearly loved by the world, so much that over 5,000 people attended his funeral. He was literally responsible for over 250,000 people’s well-being. He founded things such as the Black Parliamentary Caucus and Black Trades Unionists Solidarity Movement. He took parts in such groups as the Haringey Council and the Tottenham Labour Party. 

Source: BlackPast.org, https://www.blackpast.org/

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry, 1930-1965

K. Phipps

West Middle School

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry lived from May 19, 1930, to January 12, 1965. Born and raised on the southside of Chicago, Illinois, Lorraine was the youngest child of Nannie and Carl Hansberry, along with her three siblings. The passion for her astounding theatre interest began during her teen years. In 1948, she graduated from Englewood High School, moving on to attend the University of Wisconsin, but left before she got her degree. She also went to school in Mexico to study painting.

After college, she went to pursue a career in writing. During that time, her husband, Robert Nemiroff, wrote a song called “Cindy, Oh Cindy.” The profits allowed her to quit her job and really step into her role as a creative writer. She first wrote “Crystal Stair,” then “Mother to Son,” and finally her most famous, “A Raisin in the Sun.” She was the first African American to have a show appear on Broadway (1959). The inspiration for her shows included her “family, Black intellectual community, and personal experiences” from racial injustice towards her and others. And, with the talent and imagination of this bright soul, people could now be transported into understanding more about the difficulty of being an African American in this troubled society.

Throughout her life, she attended protests. So, with the success from her shows, she was able to shed more light on the equal rights movement. Lorraine’s life had such a huge impact that things might not be the same if she hadn’t been here. I think some positive things that impacted her career were the fact that her family had always worked so hard for the things that they wanted. Due to them living that lifestyle, many hardworking, well-known people had visited her house from a young age.

She was also the first Black American to win the Drama Desk Award and youngest American to receive the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best American play. Although she had a short life, we still know her today as a person who helped bring the African American struggle for equal rights to where it is today.

Sources: Women’s History, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/lorraine-hansberry; Chicago Public Library, https://www.chipublib.org/lorraine-hansberry-biography/; Women of the Hall, https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/lorraine-hansberry/; Pacific Standard, https://psmag.com/social-justice/lorraine-hansberry-the-radical/

Harry Haywood, 1898-1985

H. Bennett

West Middle School

Born in February 1898 in South Omaha, Nebraska, Harry Haywood was born into a family of ex-slaves who were self-educated. Haywood’s family was forced out of Omaha by racist violence. They ended up settling in Minneapolis where he lived during his youth. Facing difficulty with his education, he ended it in the 8th Grade and went to work fulltime taking on multiple tasks at once. Harry moved all the way to Chicago in 1915; he soon became one of the members of the National Guard. He was busy with the war mobilization for World War I. He faced racism and injustice and suffered what all the Black members suffered. He served in segregated units in the deep South.

Even while Harry was deployed in France, he could not seem to escape the racist nature of the military. They attempted to infect the French people with racist ideas. All the soldiers agreed that freedom was the true way. When Harry returned to the US, he was immediately met with the Chicago Race Riot in 1919. Race riots were happening everywhere across the US as Black communities came together to defend their neighborhoods. Harry guarded the houses while being mounted to a machine gun pointed out a window. He even said that was the biggest turning point in his life. He organized campaigns to help people of color in the 1930s, eventually leading to him to write a book, Negro Liberation, in 1948. He died in January 1985. People remember him as an inspirational fighter against racism.

Sources: Liberation School, https://www.liberationschool.org/life-of-harry-haywood/; Alba!, https://alba-valb.org/volunteers/harry-haywood/ 

Anna Arnold Hedgeman, 1899-1990

I. Blomquist

West Middle School

Anna Arnold Hedgeman was born July 5, 1899, and died January 17, 1990. Her parents were Mary Ellen Parker and William James Arnold. She was born in Marshalltown, Iowa. Hedgeman was a teacher and activist. She wrote two books about her life, The Trumpet Sounds: A Memoir of Negro Leadership (1964) and The Gift of Chaos: Decades of American Discontent (1977). She was also the first Black woman to serve in the New York mayor’s cabinet. Hedgeman was also the executive director of the national committee for the Permanent Fair Employment Practices Commission and worked for the Young Women’s Christian Academy in Springfield, Ohio.

Hedgeman was the first Black person to attend the Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She graduated in 1922 with a Bachelor of Arts in English to become a teacher. When she was in college, she attended lectures by W.E.B. Du Bois which was what inspired her to become a teacher. After college, she became a History and English teacher at Rust College in Mississippi. She wanted to get a job teaching in public schools in Minnesota but was turned away because she was Black. After two years at Rust Hedgeman, she returned to Minnesota and began working with the Young Women’s Christian Academy. She eventually became the executive director of the Springfield, Ohio, branch. Hedgeman lived in Harlem for a while and met Merritt A. Hedgeman whom she married.

Hedgeman became the executive director of the national committee for Permanent Fair Employment Practices in 1944. She was on the front lines of the fight for fair employment. In 1954, Hedgeman became a member of the New York mayor’s cabinet. She worked tirelessly for women’s rights and civil rights. She helped found the National Organization for Women and in 1963 was involved in the planning for the March on Washington, a historic event at the Lincoln Memorial that involved over 250,000 people. In 1960, she ran for the New York Congress but did not make it and in 1965 she ran for New York Council President but did not make it either.

In conclusion, Hedgeman was a constant advocate for civil rights, education, social justice, and women everywhere. She worked with many organizations that are still around today and are still making a difference in people’s lives. She broke boundaries and helped many people, positively impacting on the development of US society.

Source: Women’s History, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/anna-arnold-hedgeman

Dorothy Irene Height, 1912-2010

M. Matteson

West Middle School

Dorothy Irene Height was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 24, 1912, and passed away in Washington, D.C., on April 20, 2010, at the age of 98. Throughout her life, she experienced happiness, success, and fulfillment. Dorothy was the daughter of Fannie Burroughs Height, a nurse, and James Height, a building contractor. Both Fannie and James had been married and widowed twice before and brought children from their previous marriages into their union. Together, they had two daughters: Dorothy and Anthanette Height.

Dorothy graduated from Rankin High School in 1929 and later earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at New York University, Columbia University, and the New York School of Social Work, specializing in Educational Psychology. She dedicated her adult life to the Civil Rights movement and was an active women’s rights advocate.

After completing her education, Dorothy devoted over sixty years to social service, spending approximately forty of those years as president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), which is an umbrella organization that includes civic, church, educational, labor, community, and professional groups. Her advocacy for improved working conditions for Black domestic workers was heavily influenced by her involvement with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). This experience likely contributed to her election in the national office of the YWCA and her work on its integration policy.

Dorothy became the fourth president of the NCNW in 1957 and adeptly guided the organization through civil rights challenges. She organized voter education efforts in the North, voter registration in the South, and provided scholarships for student civil rights workers.

Dorothy made significant contributions toward positive societal change by advocating for the rights of people of color during the Civil Rights movement, promoting women’s rights, and helping secure grants to provide vocational training for entrepreneurial women starting new businesses. As president of the NCNW, she urged the Black community to pursue independence and self-motivation. In the 1990s, she focused on recruiting young members for the organization, recognizing the vital role younger generations would play in addressing issues related to drugs, illiteracy, and unemployment.

From what I learned about Dorothy, I believe one of the most effective ways to combat injustice and advocate for equal rights is to engage with equal rights organizations, protests, and movements at a young age while encouraging others to do the same. One key lesson I took from Dorothy’s life is the understanding that the narratives shaping our past have not solely been written by white men; Black women have played a pivotal role in that history.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-Height; Dorothy I. Height Papers, Findingaids.smith.edu; BlackPast, www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/height-dorothy-irene-1912/; National Parks Service, www.nps.gov/people/dorothy-i-height.htm.

Velma Hopkins, 1909-1996

M. Payne

West Middle School

Velma Hopkins was born on February 24, 1909, and passed away on March 19, 1996. She was an activist primarily known for mobilizing 10,000 workers to take to the streets of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1943 to advocate for labor unions at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Her tireless commitment to civil rights made a significant impact.

Hopkins’ career began in the 1940s when she joined a few others in calling for action at R.J. Reynolds. This initiative arose from the struggle to obtain higher-paying jobs for both Black individuals and women at the company. What started as a call to action quickly turned into a month-long strike, attracting national attention from both supporters and opponents. This group, soon to be known as United Tobacco Workers Local 22, was unable to stop the protest, but their movement greatly influenced and inspired civil rights activists nationwide.

Hopkins played a crucial role in the formation of Local 22, a union essential to civil rights and the strikes at the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Plant No. 64) in 1943. The union was primarily composed of African American women who sought inclusivity in the workforce and aimed to challenge various inequities. They organized multiple protests at R.J. Reynolds, making significant efforts to establish unions within the company. On June 17, 1943, Hopkins mobilized 10,000 workers onto the streets of Winston-Salem, greatly supporting the effort to bring unions to R.J. Reynolds. Although this action led to the decertification of Local 22, Hopkins emerged as a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, particularly in Forsyth County. Her tireless work inspired a new generation of activists, including Earline Parmon, the first Black state senator from Forsyth County, who credited Hopkins as a valuable influence.

Overall, Velma Hopkins was an exceptional inspiration for civil rights activists. She made significant contributions to important protests, especially those at Plant No. 64 of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. She was instrumental in founding the United Tobacco Workers Local 22, which served as a beacon of hope for many activists. Despite facing setbacks, she remained committed to fighting for her rights and the rights of others. Hopkins was a remarkable activist and a powerful inspiration for future generations.

Sources: Legacy, https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/velma-hopkins-obituary?pid=147606778; Velma Hopkins, https://kids.kiddle.co/Velma_Hopkins; Journals Now, https://journalnow.com/winstonsalemmonthly/history-maker-velma-hopkins/article_940faa7a-06c9-11e8-9be6-c31735880353.html; UFCW, https://www.ufcw227.org/ourvoice/2021/3/1/womans-history-month-velma-hopkins; NCPedia, https://www.ncpedia.org/united-tobacco-workers-local-22 https://www.cityofws.org/DocumentCenter/View/4063/36---RJR-Labor-Strikes-Factory-64-PDF

Otto Eduard Gerardus Majella Huiswoud, 1893-1961

S. Figures

West Middle School

Otto Eduard Gerardus Majella Huiswoud was a Surinamese political activist, born on October 28, 1893, in Paramaribo, a South American coastal city in what was then the Dutch colony of Suriname. Today, Paramaribo is the capital of the independent country of Suriname. Huiswoud died in Amsterdam on February 20, 1961. He had seven siblings. Otto was the second son and the fifth child. His mother was Jacqueline Bernard Huiswoud, who worked as a housewife, and Otto’s father was Rudolf Huiswoud, an ex-slave.

In New York, Huiswoud was exposed to Socialism by speakers in Union Square, a park and political action hub in Manhattan. When working on a pleasure boat in the summer of 1918, he led a strike of Black crew members and drew the attention of the Socialist Party leadership. They offered him a one-year scholarship to the socialist Rand School, which he accepted. As a result, he began a lifelong involvement in politics.

During the 1920s, Huiswoud was involved in the African Blood Brotherhood (ABB), a radical Black liberation group. He helped found a similar organization as an official arm of the Communist Party, the African Negro Labor Congress, in 1925. His involvement in Communism continued and he became the editor of the Negro Worker, a Communist publication, in 1933 while living in Europe. Huiswoud was also the first Black member of the Communist Party of the America (CPUSA), and also one of its founders. The CPUSA began as an underground organization in 1919. As an official American delegate, Huiswoud attended the Fourth Congress of the Communist International held in Moscow, Russia, in 1922 where he spoke about challenges facing African-American workers.

But due to anti-Communist pressure from European governments, Huiswoud had to move between Belgium, Holland, and France in the 1930s before he returned to the United States in 1939. Dutch authorities arrested him when he moved to Suriname in 1941, and upon his release the next year, the US refused him re-entry. Huiswoud moved to the Netherlands after World War 2, where he lived until he passed away at the age of sixty-seven.

Source: BlackPast.org, https://www.blackpast.org/

Mae Carol Jamison, 1956-

A. Belcher

West Middle School

Mae Carol Jamison, the first African American woman to be in space, was born October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama. As a child, Mae always wanted to be a scientist. What kind? She was unsure. Mae’s father, Charlie Jemison, was a roofer and a carpenter. Her mother, Dorothy Green, was an elementary school teacher. Being a scientist was way out of what she knew growing up, but she was a dreamer.

She attended Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences in the 1970s, where she majored in chemical engineering and African American studies. While studying African American studies, she took a liking to Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.’s work. She decided then she wanted to help people. She decided the best way to do that was to become a doctor. In 1983, as an act of helping people, she joined the Peace Corps, a two-year program where she traveled to West Africa to provide medical assistance to those who needed it. Once the program was done and she returned to America, she saw there were many differences in NASA compared to the last time she was in America. For example, Sally Ride, was the first woman in space. When Mae saw Sally ride in space, that inspired her to pursue her childhood dreams of becoming a scientist. This time was different from her childhood; she knew what type of scientist she wants to be. She wanted to be an astronaut.

In June of 1987, Mae was selected for NASA’s astronaut program. She then trained for over a year to become the first African American woman in space. After years of training, in 1992, Mae was assigned to Space Mission STS-47. STS-47 was primarily focused on conducting life and material science experiments in collaboration with the Japanese National Space Development Agency. They were conducting microgravity investigations into materials for the life sciences. Mae was in space for over 190 hours and orbited earth 127 times. Mae did a lot for the world of labor and leadership and will continue to be an inspiration for many young African American and other women for many more generations to come.

Source: Women’s History, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mae-jemison; NASA, https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/jemison_mae.pdf?emrc=d2d9dd; Biography; https://www.biography.com/scientists/mae-c-jemison

Claudia Jones, 1915-1964

J. Betts

West Middle School

Claudia Vera Jones was born on February 21 in 1915 and died on December 24, 1964. She was from the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She was a journalist and activist. She had three sisters, and her mother was Sybil Cumberbatch. She used to work as a garment worker and later moved to Harlem. Claudia’s dad lost his job and left his family destitute.

Claudia became a journalist in 1958. She founded the West Indian Gazette also known as WIG. It was an anti-racist newspaper that advocated for Black freedom and rights. The newspaper also exposed the violence against Black people. After she made the newspaper, she was deported in 1955 to the UK, where she joined the Communist Party of Great Britain for the rest of her life. She was called the mother of Notting Hill Carnival. Claudia was sent to prison for being in the Communist Party. Sadly, Claudia was only forty-nine when she had a huge heart attack due to tuberculosis on Christmas eve in 1964.  

Source: Bristol, https://www.bristol.ac.uk/history/public-engagement/blackhistory/snapshots/claudiajones/#:~:text=In%201958%2C%20Jones%20founded%20the,with%20Black%20internationalist%20freedom%20movements.

Herbert Macaulay, 1864-1946

C. Goodrich

West Middle School

Herbert Macaulay’s birthday was November 14, 1864, and he died on May 7, 1946. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria to Thomas Babington Macaulay and Abigail Crowther. He was a politician, journalist, engineer, musician, and an architect. He was a Nigerian nationalist who founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP).

Herbert had an urban upbringing and an Anglican and European education. This shows that he was taught by different groups and that he also had an educational background. This intelligence helped him become a good leader. He was noteworthy for his contribution to the world because he founded the NNDP and co-founded the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). The NNDP was a party that was created to take advantage of the Clifford Constitution. The NNDP also successfully combined groups into one to political unit. The NCNC was a patriotic organization designed to bring together Nigerians of all kinds to demand independence.

The NNDP and the NCNC contributed to the development of Nigerian society. The NNDP changed society by developing higher education and the introduction of compulsory education throughout Nigeria. It also ensured fair trade for the native traders and producers. It also established branches of the political party throughout Nigeria. The NCNC encouraged people to come together in Nigeria and helped in the struggle for self-government in Nigeria. It also encouraged Nigerians to become more aware of their political rights and created the first regional government and contributed heavily to the development of the government. The NNDP also helped with the Africanization of the civil service.

Source: The Development of Political Parties in Nigeria, https://fctemis.org/notes/16974_The%20Development%20of%20Political%20Parties%20in%20Nigeria.pdf; National Library of Nigeria, https://nigeriareposit.nln.gov.ng/items/6acd2f0d-0e97-4b46-9ea4-1c204d492485/full

Claude McKay, 1889-1948

D. Cowart

West Middle School

Claude McKay, born as Festus Claudius McKay, was known for his excellent, inspiring, and poetic writing. His life was an adventure, and he had many accomplishments. McKay began his graceful life in Sunny Ville, Jamaica, in 1889, and passed away in 1948. He grew up in a poor home but attended Tuskegee University and Kansas State University. He had a lot of support from his siblings and other family members such as Hannah his mother, Thomas his father, and his brother Uriah. 

McKay’s story began when he had found out he had a heavy inspiring passion for the subject English, as well as a fascination with poetry. His talent had come naturally with the slightest bit of practice. During the time when he started getting closer to poetry, he came across his biggest inspiration, Walter Jekyll, a famous Jamaican writer and poet who produced books and extraordinary poetry. McKay found this man to be a big inspiration which led him to spiral into his fascination with writing. McKay’s positive accomplishment was by far his success in becoming a poet and becoming a famous and inspiring writer for others. Some of the challenges he faced included disagreements about his focus on religion or portrayal of Jamaican culture. However, McKay positively changed society’s perspectives of Black people.

He became one of the first African American poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Although others had different political perspectives on his poems, McKay kept going and was inspired to the point where he would push himself to work even harder than before. McKay taught us a lot about the past in his religious and cultural poems. When he passed away in 1948, he was remembered as a poetic legend who chased his dreams and lived a joyful life. We’ve had plenty of activists and people who have protested in the past and managed to change history. McKay will forever be remembered as one of them, a legend beyond his time. 

Source: Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/claude-mckay  

Isaac Myers, 1838-1891

L. Lopez-Beusan

West Middle School

Isaac Myers was born January 13, 1838, and died at the age of fifty-six on January 26, 1891. Issac was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his education from a private day school. He was not able to attend public schools although his parents were free. They were still in a slave state so there were not any public schools for Black children. Isaac was known for labor organizing while he worked as a caulker.

When Isaac was sixteen, he started working as a caulker. Throughout the Civil War Isaac worked as a shipping clerk then he returned to being a caulker. After the war ended a group of white caulkers decided to protest against Black caulkers. Soon, Isaac was left unemployed. After he proposed an idea of a Black caulkers’ trade union society, it was established in 1869. The National Labor Union (NLU) then invited the Black Caulkers’ Union (BCU) that Myers had created to its convention meeting in Philadelphia. There, the NLU declared it would welcome the Black union into its federation. Afterwards, Isaac became the first known African American postal inspector.

When Isaac had first proposed starting the BCU, he inspired other unionists by reaching out to cities to press for inclusion in the NLU. Later, the BCU became so big that even white caulkers joined as full members. Isaac’s actions contributed to the development of a positive change in society by creating his own trade union to fight for job security and better pay.

Isaac’s contribution to labor leadership demonstrates that in the past, many people lacked access to quality education and job opportunities due to various barriers. However, despite these challenges, Isaac found a way to succeed as a laborer. He started his career as a grocer in 1864 and later established a national labor union for Black caulkers.

Source: BlackPast, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/myers-isaac-1835-1891/ https://nuhw.org/isaac-myers/; APWU, https://apwu.org/news/isaac-myers-pioneer-african-american-trade-union-movement

William Lorenzo Patterson, 1891-1980

R. Breshears

West Middle School

William Lorenzo Patterson was born on August 27, 1891, in San Francisco and passed away in New York City in 1980. He made significant contributions as a Marxist lawyer, author, and civil rights activist. His mother was born in a Virginian plantation in 1850 but gained her freedom before the Civil War began. After her liberation, she moved west to California, where she eventually met William’s father, James Edward Patterson. Despite a childhood marked by constant relocations, William graduated from Tamalpais High School in 1911 at the age of 20. He later faced expulsion from the University of California due to irregular attendance. However, in 1915, he enrolled in the College of Law in San Francisco, graduating with a law degree in 1919.

During his time at law school, William discovered The Crisis, an influential magazine focused on civil rights issues. After earning his degree, he joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and soon expressed a desire to travel to London. Upon arriving, he connected with Robert Lansbury, an editor for the London Daily Times, which supported the British Labour Party. This collaboration led William to write about the struggles faced by African Americans. He returned to the US with a commitment to advocate for racial justice and equality.

By 1923, William, alongside fellow lawyers Thomas Benjamin Dyett and George Hall, established a law office in Harlem, New York. Their practice concentrated on civil rights, with a significant portion of their work dedicated to defending African Americans and those they believed were unjustly accused. In 1951, William presented his groundbreaking report, “We Charge Genocide,” to the United Nations, accusing the US government of committing genocide against African Americans. His report detailed numerous cases of murder, bombings, and torture targeting the African American community over the past century.

Throughout his lifetime, William authored several important works, including Ben Davis: Crusader for Negro Freedom & Socialism and The Man Who Cried Genocide. He also served as the executive secretary for the International Labor Defense and led the Civil Rights Congress, dedicated to fighting for African American rights.

Source: Goodloe, T. (2008, April 26). William L. Patterson (1891-1980). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/patterson-william-l-1891-1980/                                                  

Rosina Tucker, 1881-1987

H. Prince

West Middle School

Rosina Tucker was born in 1881 in Washington, D.C. to Lee Roy and Henrietta Harvey. Later she married James David Corrothers. In 1917, James died and then after his death Rosina decided to move back to Washington, D.C., where she died in 1987. She lived to be 105 years old and what she accomplished in her lifetime was amazing. One example was her part in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. The BSCP’s cause was to improve the treatment of African American railroad workers and maids. Their cause involved 18,000 railroad workers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In 1938, Rosina was elected the international secretary treasurer of the Ladies’ Auxiliary Order, significant to the BSCP and the African American women’s contributions to it. Rosina also led protests against segregation by organizing groups to boycott businesses that would not hire Black employees.

Sources: NPS, https://www.nps.gov/people/rosina-corrothers-tucker.htm; New York Public Library, https://archives.nypl.org/scm/21172; United Healthcare Worker East, https://www.1199seiu.org/media-center/daily-clips/labor-first-black-led-union-wouldnt-have-existed-without-woman                                  

Addie Loraine Wyatt, 1924-2012

E. Popa

West Middle School

Addie Wyatt was born on March 8, 1924 in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and died March 28, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the wife of Claude Wyatt Jr. and mother of two children, Renaldo Wyatt and Claude Wyatt III. She was the daughter of Maggie Cameron and Ambrose Cameron. She was also the oldest sister of eight. Addie’s interest in the world of labor began because she was disgusted by the deplorable treatment of Black employees and Black women’s substandard wages. She learned her writing skills in a high school typing course. Eventually, Time magazine’s Woman of Year award was given to Addie in 1975, Ebony magazine’s 100 most influential Black Americans gave one of the spots to Addie in 1980-1984, and in 1987, only three years later, the Coalition of Black Unionists established the Addie L. Wyatt Award.

The way to getting those awards was hard. When she was seventeen, she tried to become a typist but was declined after each time she tried. She had to try meatpacking at Armour’s United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) but again got declined. As she was leaving she saw a group of white women waiting to apply for clerical positions. She slipped in and took the typing test with them and passed thanks to her typing skills. When Addie showed up after passing the test, she was directed to the factory floor and told to join the other Black women canning stew.

It was hard being a Black woman in 1940. But Addie worked hard and in time she rose up in the ranks of the UPWA. She soon became the first Black woman to hold the office of vice-president for Chicago’s UPWA Local 56 and was soon elected president. Addie not only helped the union to become more progressive but also helped open the way for redefining women’s roles within the general labor movement.

Addie’s mother was her inspiration to continue helping other Black women. Addie credits her mother with instilling in her empathy and a sense of responsibility for others. While her mother was at work Addie, as the oldest of eight children, had to look over and take care of her seven siblings. She respected her mother and worked as hard as she did while raising eight children. In all, Addie Wyatt was a very caring and respected woman for all she did to help other Black women and women in general.

Source: NPS, https://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/addie_wyatt.htm  BlackPast.org, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/wyatt-rev-addie-1924-2012/; Classic Chicago Magazine, https://classicchicagomagazine.com/addie-l-wyatt-a-legacy-to-remember/

Maya Angelou, 1928-2014

K. Phipps

West Middle School

From one of the many great Black individuals in the arts, I choose Marguerite Annie Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928. Although born in Saint Louis, Missouri, she was quickly moved to live with her paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, due to a concerning uproar over her parent’s divorce. Angelou’s family includes her father, mother, and brother, Bailey Johnson Jr. She also has a son named Guy (Clyde) Johnson. After moving back in with her mother, she attended George Washington High School in San Francisco, California. Maya Angelou received over fifty honorary degrees. A few doctorates from colleges include Smith College, Mills College, Mount Holyoke College, Lafayette, Northeastern, and Eastern Connecticut State.

Maya Angelou’s interest in the arts started at a young age, for she wrote poems and essays and kept a journal. She first started writing to cope with trauma. She had always been writing, but not until the 1950s did she begin to want to develop her skills. She moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild. Her inspiration came from her grandmother’s introduction to literature. It went pretty well; she had sold her music albums and, years later, wrote an autobiography of her early life. She was criticized after she published “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” but before that, she experienced abuse, rape, and many instances of racial injustice. The abuse impacted Maya significantly. When her molester died, she thought her words killed him, causing her not to talk for five years!

Maya Angelou had so many achievements throughout her life. These are just a few: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The BET Honors Award for Literary Arts, and a Grammy Award for the best audiobook. As a prominent Civil Rights activist, Maya Angelou has helped to eliminate the belittling of ignored people and just fight for the greater good of society. Her words have impacted many lives, perplexed people who did not know if they were going in the right direction. She is why we can have hope and peace because of the inspiring advice she has written for us. Her writing has made people feel like they aren’t alone and brought people together. From this, she has brought greater diversity into theater and literature through her books and poems.

Martin Luther King Jr asked Maya to help coordinate The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (a famous nonviolent protest that eventually led to the American Civil Rights Movement). One of her most famous books that inspired people and told them they weren’t alone. She also helped Malcolm X with the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which “sought to reconnect African-Americans with their African heritage, establish economic independence, and promote African American self-determination.”

Source: Womanshistory.org, 2024; Thehistorymakers.org, 2024; Newrepublic.com, 2024; Achievement.org, 2023; Blackpast.org, 2023.

Josephine Baker, 1906-1975

C. Ballinger

West Middle School

Freda Josephine Baker was born on June 3, 1906, in St Louis, Missouri. She had two brothers and one sister, and her parents were Carrie McDonald and Eddie Carson. She went to school until age eight but then dropped out and began working as a waitress at thirteen in the Old Chauffeur’s Club on 3133 Pine Street. At the age of thirteen, she joined a street performance group called the Jones Family Band. Baker’s career began to expand as she traveled and eventually took a trip to France. In her hometown, she became a show manager, which led her to New York, where she got to perform at the Plantation Club. After many auditions, she had a role in the chorus line of the successful Broadway show “Shuffle Along,” which got attention from the public. In the chorus line, she was a dancer, but she feared that she would be overshadowed by the others. Therefore, she incorporated comedy to stand out from the other dancers. She performed ninety-six times in the chorus line. Baker then traveled to Paris, where she became more popular because of her erotic dancing and unique style. She went on a European tour and performed at the Folies Bergère in France. Josephine Baker helped the world with her impeccable skills and still does to this day. Sadly, Baker passed away on April 12, 1975, at the age of sixty-eight, and is now resting in peace.

Source: Wikipedia.org, 2024.

Chadwick Boseman, 1976-2020

U. Campbell

West Middle School

Chadwick Boseman was born on November 29, 1976. His mother’s name is Carolyn Boseman, and his father’s name is Leroy Boseman. Boseman attended Howard University in Washington, DC, and the British American Drama Academy in London. He discovered his passion for writing when his basketball teammate got shot and killed. So, he decided to write about him. In 2000, Boseman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in directing. Becoming an actor was challenging for him. He had to attend an acting workshop with Phylicia Rashad, and after their time together, Rashad encouraged him to audition for a summer acting program. Boseman gained international recognition for his role as Black Panther from 2016 to 2019. However, he faced criticism when he had to shed pounds for another role, which made him lose his muscular physique.

Source: Business Insider.com, 2020; National Today.com, 2024; Britannica.com, 2024.

Ray Charles, 1930-2004

I. Seals

West Middle School

Ray Charles is known by many as the blind black piano player, but few are aware of his impact on society through his musical influence. Born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, Ray Robinson Charles moved to Florida with his parents at a young age. Unfortunately, he witnessed his brother drown and die, and soon after that, he started to go blind. His mother then sent him to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, where he learned to read and write music in braille. There, he learned how to play piano, organ, sax, clarinet, and trumpet; by age seven, he was entirely blind.

At age five, Charles began playing piano in his neighborhood cafe, and his musical interest took off from there. When he learned to play the piano, he had to play with one hand and read the braille music with the other, which caused him to memorize the songs by heart. In 1937, his right eye was removed due to its pain. When Charles was fifteen, his mother passed away, and his father died two years later. Charles then worked as a traveling musician in Florida and Washington state, performing with western, country, and jazz bands. He tried to imitate one of his favorite artists, Nat King Cole, but soon found his style. In 1950, he moved to Los Angeles, and by 1954, he had his first big hit song called “I Got a Woman.”

In 1994, Charles received the Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind. He also won thirteen Grammy awards and a lifetime achievement award. Charles broke many racial and musical barriers, and his music style paved the way for many artists today. He mixed genres such as country, pop, and gospel, and he used his platform in the 1960s to support Martin Luther King and speak out against racial injustice. He refused to play at segregated concerts and is one of the pioneers of soul music, influencing artists such as Stevie Wonder and Elvis Presley.

Source: Britannica.com, 2024; PBS.org, 2024; Florida Department of State, 2024; Biography.com, 2023.

Cardi B, 1992-

M. Patterson

West Middle School

Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, also known as Cardi B, was born on October 11, 1992, in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan, New York. Her mom’s name is Carla, and she’s from Trinidad and worked as a cashier, while her dad, Carlos, is a taxi driver from the Dominican Republic. She also has a younger sister named Hennessy Carolina Almánzar. Cardi B went to the Renaissance High School for Musical Theater & Technology, graduated in 2010, and worked at an Amish deli. After graduating, she was put out of her home and moved in with her boyfriend. She was fired from her job at the deli, so she decided she’d become an exotic dancer. She says making the decision “saved her life” because she became more serious about her future. Cardi enrolled in Borough of Manhattan Community College but later dropped out to focus on her career.

To start her career, she started doing social media in 2013 and blew up very fast on social media. She became an influencer with thousands of supporters on her Instagram and Vine accounts. Thanks to her viral videos, she was offered a job as a reality television star on the Love & Hip Hop series, and being on the show influenced her to start music. In 2015, she made her musical appearance in the show’s sixth season. She released her first mixtape in March 2016 and left the show to pursue her musical career. Cardi released her second mixtape in 2017 and signed a contract with Atlantic Records. In 2018, she released her single “Bodak Yellow” from her album Invasion of Privacy. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 list for three weeks, her being the first of Dominican descent to do so and the first female rapper to have a song Diamond certified after having over 10 million copies sold. Her Tom Ford Cardi-B-inspired lipstick sold out within 24 hours of its release in September 2018, and in 2019, she released her potato chip flavors in collaboration with Rap Snacks.

Cardi has come a long way from the Bronx to a million-dollar Rapper. She has accomplished many things, like being recognized as one of the most influential female rappers ever because she has helped empower women in this entertainment segment, and the highest certified female rapper of all time by RIAA or Recording Industry Association of America Artists rankings. She also won a Grammy Award, eight Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, five Guinness World Records, eleven BET Hip Hop Awards, and two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards. That’s a lot accomplished in her short career.

Source: Blackpast.org, 2024; IMDB.com, 2024

Aretha Franklin, 1942-2018

R. Cook

West Middle School

Mother Barbara Siggers Franklin was the one who named the iconic singer, songwriter, pianist, actress, and civil rights activist Aretha Louise Franklin. Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 25, 1942. Her mother, Barbara, was a gifted piano player and a renowned gospel singer. Aretha had an older brother named Vaughn. Her father was Clarence Lavaughn, known as CL. Her parents then had other children together, including Erma, Cecil, and Carolyn. Aretha attended The Juilliard School and Northern Senior High School. In 1944, the family moved to Detroit, where Aretha grew up. CL was also good friends with the gospel singer and pop star Sam Cooke. With such a musically talented environment, it was inevitable that Aretha would develop an interest in music. She honed her skills in her junior gospel choir. At fourteen, she released a gospel album, “The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin.”

At age sixteen, Franklin went on tour with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She would ultimately sing at his funeral in 1968. Other influences in her youth included Marvin Gage and Ray Charles, among Franklin’s most significant influences. Critics recognized her talent, but the public remained lukewarm until 1966, when she switched to Atlantic Records. There, producer Jerry Wexler allowed her to sculpt her own musical identity. In 1968, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences debuted the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. It was awarded to Aretha Franklin for “Respect.” She also went on to win the next seven of these awards, making it eight of the seventeen Grammy awards she would win in her career. She was also the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Aretha had many honorary degrees from prestigious universities, including Harvard and Yale. Her song “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” has become an anthem for women and anyone who feels marginalized. She provided money for Civil Rights groups, sometimes covering payroll, and performed at many benefits and protests. Franklin also organized the June 1963 Walk to Freedom, the US’s largest Civil Rights demonstration. Despite losing her mother at age ten and facing battles with alcohol, Aretha’s milestones helped her sing with more emotional intensity and brought so much pain and power to the songs she chose to sing.

Source: Thestreets.com; Wikipedia; Britamica.com

Morgan Freeman, 1937-Present

R. Mitchell

West Middle School

Morgan Porterfield Freeman Jr. is a very famous actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in famous movies such as The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Lean On Me, and more. Freeman was born to Morgan Freeman Sr. and Mayme Revere and is currently 83 years old, born on June 1, 1937, he lives in New York City but was born in Memphis, Tennessee. For his education, Freeman went to Threadgill Elementary School, Broad Street High School, Los Angeles Community College, where he took acting 101, and Boston University where he also got an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters. Freeman says his life was influenced by Desiderata, a poem by Max Ehrmann, written in 1927. He then began his acting career in 1967. He was cast in the all-African American production of the musical Hello, Dolly! to high audience and critical acclaim. During the 1970s, he continued his work on stage; his deep, soothing voice helped him get so many acting jobs; he also won a Drama Desk and Clarence Derwent Award along with a Tony nomination for his performance in The Mighty Gents in 1978. In the 1980s, he won two Obie Awards, his first for his portrayal of Coriolanus in the 1979 Coriolanus and his second in 1984 as The Messenger in the Gospel at Colonus. The 1990s brought Freeman the biggest roles yet, with films he completed being The Bonfire of the Vanities, Robin Hood, and The Power of One.

In 1993 Freeman made his directorial debut for Bapha. Soon after he began directing, he started his own production company, Revelations Entertainment. In 1994, Freeman played his most acclaimed role yet, The Shawshank Redemption, earning him his third Oscar nomination. Most recently, Freeman has appeared in Red and narrated the 2011 Conan the Barbarian remake. Freeman is a very famous and important figure in the acting industry. Throughout his extensive career, Morgan has been known as one of the kindest actors and scene partners. Besides acting, he enjoys flying, has a pilot license, and speaks French! To date Freeman is the only African American to appear in three best picture Oscar winners, Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby. Those are the reasons why Morgan Freeman has been one of the most influential African American Actors to date.

Sources: IMDB.com, 2024.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, 1979-2001

M. Schwinke

West Middle School

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York City. Aaliyah was the younger child of Diane and Michael Haughton. In 1997, Aaliyah attended Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts where she majored in drama and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Aaliyah first gained recognition when she appeared on the television show “Star Search” and performed with Gladys Knight in concert. Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Henkerson’s Blackground Records at the age of twelve. Henderson introduced Aaliyah to R. Kelly, who then became her mentor and producer, and lead songwriter of her debut album “Age Ain’t Nothin’ but a Number” in 1994. Aaliyah worked with record producers Missy Elliot and Timbaland for her second album, “One in a Million” in 1996, which sold three million copies worldwide. Aaliyah’s single “Try Again” was featured in the film “Romeo Must Die” where she made her acting debut.

Aaliyah’s music and image inspired many women to embrace their individuality and strength. She challenged traditional gender roles and encouraged women to be confident and bold. Her unique blend of R&B, pop, and hip hop helped shape the music industry, their inspirational style and sound paved the way for future artists and contributed to the evolution of contemporary R&B. Aaliyah, as an African American artist, broke barriers and represented diversity in the music industry. Her success and influence opened doors for artists of color and promoted diversity.

Aaliyah’s iconic fashion sense, with her baggy pants, crop tops, and sleek hairstyles, influenced trends and became a significant part of the ‘90s and early 2000s fashion. Her style still continues to inspire fashion enthusiasts today. Sadly, Aaliyah died in a tragic plane crash, along with eight other passengers, at the age of twenty-two on August 25, 2001. The pilot was found to have traces of alcohol and cocaine in his body and was not qualified to fly the aircraft that was designated for the flight that crashed shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas. Aaliyah was an iconic African American artist who still continues to inspire many women, especially women of color, with her inspiring self.

Source: Wikipedia.org, 2024.

Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

K. Jacobs

West Middle School

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in East Orange, New Jersey. She passed away on February 11, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California. Whitney had three older brothers: paternal half-brother John, maternal half-brother Gary Garland and Michale Houston, and her mother was Cissy Houston. Whitney Houston attended Franklin Elementary before transferring to Mount St. Dominic Academy and later graduated from a high school in New Jersey. Houston began singing at the age of five in her church, and her mother, Cissy, taught her how to sing. At thirteen, she decided to pursue a career as a professional singer. Houston practiced singing in many different genres to expand her learning. She was influenced by singers such as Cissy Houston, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Chaka Khan. Houston peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and became one of the best-selling artists ever. She won six Grammy awards and an Emmy and was one of the best-selling musical performers of the 1980s and the 1990s. Houston was also the first artist to have seven consecutive #1 hits.

After the release of her self-titled debut in 1985, Houston became one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. She was the powerhouse voice behind some of the 80s most famous songs, such as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know?” as well as touching ballads like “Greatest Love of All.” Houston was known for her charitable works and often visited children in hospitals, sent personal notes to charities she supported, and organized Christmas parties for homeless children. Her music moved and helped many people worldwide, and she brought good spirits into this world by helping others.

Source: Grammy.com, 2024; Britannica.com, 2024; CNN.com, 2024; People.com 2024; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2024; Whitney Houston.com, 2024.

Michael Joseph Jackson, 1958-2009

C. Perkins

West Middle School

Michael Jackson was a naturally talented singer, songwriter, and dancer, born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. He was a member of the music group Jackson 5 and had a musical family background. Michael’s mother, Katherine, played clarinet and piano and wanted to be a country singer, while his father, Joseph, was a guitarist who performed in local R&B bands. They encouraged Michael to pursue his musical ambitions from an early age and he began performing at the age of five with the help of his father. Michael joined his family’s musical group after it was already formed by his older brothers and became a master of delivering dance and groovy tracks. His songs, such as “Man in The Mirror” and “Black and White,” also held messages about societal issues. He was influenced by many in the entertainment industry, including James Brown, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr, Gene Kelly, Diana Ross, Marcel Marceau, Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Wilson, Frank Sinatra, Bob Fosse, The Bee Gees, Chuck Berry, The Temptations, Etta James, Ray Charles, and Mavis Staples.

Throughout his career, Michael won numerous awards, including thirteen Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, six Brit Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and twenty-four American Music Awards. He held twenty-six Guinness World Records. He was admitted into the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, becoming the first and only recording artist to be inducted. He was also admitted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014, following in his father Joe Jackson’s footsteps. Michael Jackson used his platform to advocate for social change and address pressing global issues. He received humanitarian awards for helping those in need around the world who are in need of food, shelter, and education. Jackson also supported many charitable causes, including children’s hospitals, disaster relief efforts, and educational initiatives. He was awarded by two presidents of the United States for his generous acts of kindness.

Source: Britannica.com, 2021; Colin McEvoy, “Michael Jackson: Biography, musician, dancer,” 2023, Biography.com.

Alicia Keys, 1981-

E. Jones

West Middle School

Alicia Augello Cook was born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, on January 25, 1981. Her parents are Terria Joseph and Craig Cook, and she has a brother named Cole Cook. She attended Columbia University but dropped out after only four weeks to pursue a music career. After her deal with Columbia Records fell apart, Clive Davis, the president of Arista, signed her. Alicia also graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School at sixteen, where she was trained in dance and music. She became interested in music when she was five, started playing the piano when she was seven, and began creating her own music when she was twelve. She released her debut album, “Songs in A Minor,” in 2001, which sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States and over 12 million copies worldwide. The album reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, with around 230,000 copies sold. Alicia has won numerous awards, including fifteen Grammy Awards, seventeen NAACP Image Awards, twelve ASCAP Awards, and an award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. She is also a philanthropist and co-founded Keep a Child Alive (KCA), which provides life-saving anti-retroviral treatment and resources to children and families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. Alicia Keys is known for supporting women’s empowerment, and some of her most famous songs include “A Woman’s Worth,” “Superwoman,” “Empire State Of Mind (Broken Down),” and “Brand New Me.” She also supports Oxfam’s work through her We Are Here Movement organization, which focuses on equality and justice, women and children, and climate and consciousness.

Source: Blackpast.org, 2024; Bigraphy.com, 2024; Success Story.com, 2024; Essence.com, 2024; Oxfam.org, 2024.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, 1989-

C. Alter

West Middle School

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, on September 4, 1981. Her parents are Tina and Mathew Knowles, and she has a younger sister, Solange, and a step-sister, Bianca Lawson. Beyoncé attended Parker Elementary, Welch Middle School, and Alief Elsik High School in Houston but did not attend college. She is married to Jay-Z, and they have three children together: Blue Ivy (born in 2012) and twins Rumi and Sir (born in 2017). Beyoncé started her music career at a young age, performing in singing and dancing competitions. In the late 1990s, she joined the girl group Destiny’s Child. After the group disbanded, Beyoncé went solo and released several successful albums, such as “Dangerously in Love” (2003) and “B’Day” (2006).

Beyoncé’s musical style, combining rap and singing elements, has been influential in the industry. Despite some early criticism, Beyoncé persevered and has become one of the most successful musicians ever. She has won thirty-two Grammy Awards and is the youngest female artist to receive the Legend Award. In addition to her musical accomplishments, Beyoncé has contributed to society by using her platform to bring attention to issues such as racism, sexism, and LGBTQ rights. She has also donated to organizations that support education, food banks, and social justice causes. Beyoncé is a role model and an inspiration to many people worldwide.

Sources: Blackpast.org, 2024; Look to the Stars.org, 2024.

John Legend, 1978-

A. Quan

West Middle School

My name is John Roger Stephens, but people know me better as the artist John Legend. I was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. My parents are Ronald and Phyllis Stephens. I grew up singing in church choirs and had free piano lessons from my grandmother. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, where I co-founded a cappella group, I started performing in nightclubs in New York City. I was introduced to hip-hop artist Kanye West, and we collaborated on our demos. As a singer, I’ve won several awards, including the Best R&B Album, Best New Artist, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Get Lifted.” In 2014, during an interview with Gayle King, she asked me why love songs are so attractive to me. I replied that they come naturally to me because I grew up on love songs, like Marvin Gaye’s music. I believe love is universal, and everybody feels these things. I am married to Chrissy Teigen, and together we donated $288,000 under Donald Trump’s name to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and $200,000 to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. We have four children: Luna, Miles, Esti, and Wren. My grandmother, Majorie Maxine Stephens, played a significant role in shaping my skills and passion for music. I sing love songs, and some of my most famous songs include “All of Me,” “Ordinary People,” and “Green Light.”

Source: Grammy.com, 2024; CBS News.com, 2014; ENews.com, 2018; Biography.com, 2021; NBC.com, 2023.

Bob Marley, 1945-1981

N. Ephrem

West Middle School

Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in Nine Mile, Jamaica to Cedella Booker and Norval Marley. He attended Stepney primary and junior high school but dropped out at the age of fourteen to learn the welding trade. In his spare time, he played music with his friends and attended vocal classes held by Trench Town resident Joe Higgs, who inspired him. Marley was a member of a band called The Wailers, but their music wasn’t getting played on the radio. He was exposed to racism, poverty, and violence which affected his music, sparking a desire for him to make songs about peace. Marley was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Grammy lifetime achievement award, and was awarded the peace medal of the Third World. He popularized reggae music, spreading love and compassion for the poor and challenged racism. He introduced the world not only to Jamaican music but also to the Rastafari movement. Despite dropping out of school at a young age, Marley's contributions to music and social justice have impacted the world for years to come.

Source: YouTube: Inside the Music; Royalcaribbean.com

Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, 1960-

C. Perkins

West Middle School

Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, also known as Chuck D., was born on August 1, 1960, in Queens, New York, to Lorenzo Ridenhour and Judy Ridenhour. He has three children and siblings Henry, Paul, and Thelma. Chuck D’s parents were political activists and grew up learning a lot about the Civil Rights movement. During his youth, he participated in summer programs led by the Black Panther Party, which focused on Black history. These lectures and knowledge gave him pride in being Black and empowered him to help the community. Chuck D. attended W. Tresper Clarke Middle School, Roosevelt High School, and Adelphi University, where he earned a degree in graphic design. While in college, he hosted the Super Spectrum Mix Show at the college’s radio station WBAU with his newfound friend Hank Shocklee. He was impressed by activist, comedian, and health guru Dick Gregory, who showed him how humor and provocativeness can have a powerful impact.

Chuck D. is best known as a member of the rap group Public Enemy. The group’s political messages made them a popular, controversial, and influential group of hip-hop artists in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Public Enemy was started in 1982 at Adelphi University on Long Island, New York, and its original members were Chuck D., Flavor Fav, Terminator X, and Professor Griff. All members were African American men who came primarily from the suburbs, and Public Enemy brought Black political ideology to pop music. Chuck D’s voice is natural and impressive, characterizing his rap. However, some of his views on issues have been controversial. He expressed concern about the use of drugs and guns by the Black community, which has contributed to their criminalization. He also felt that a Black person was more likely to be charged and prosecuted for a drug-related offense than a white person.

Chuck D has continued to influence people by touring as a lecturer and defender of the importance of rap as a communicative medium. He called the 1990s a “do-or-die” decade for African Americans. Speaking before 400 Emory University students in February of 1992, Chuck D. assured the young adults of the importance of independent thought and action in uplifting their lives in America.

Source: Encyclopedia.com, 2024; C. Gillett “Def Jam Records: Hip-Hop Harbingers,” Britannica.com, 2010.

Diana Ross, 1944-

Roberto Q

West Middle School

Diana Ross (her full legal name was Diana Ernestine Eare Ross) was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, MI. She had always had two things constantly accompanying her throughout her childhood: the dream of studying fashion, designing, and cosmetology, and her five siblings. She often studied fashion in primary and secondary school to reach her goal. Fast forward a few years, and Diana Ross had become the leader of an all-female music group and was one of the many music artists who inspired many people and was recognized as someone who could connect to their audience while performing. As long as you ignore the cons of her career (which was being addicted to alcohol and painkillers) we can look at Diana Ross as a person of great importance in the music world, not just because she inspired so many people, not just because she connected to her audiences so well, but also because she inspired tons of other music artists as well. Even though she has been in music for a really long time, she is not yet officially retired, but no matter what age she retires, she will always be a turning point in musical art for the better.

Source: Britannica.com, 2023.

Angie Thomas, 1988-

L. Weston

West Middle School

Angie Thomas was born September 20, 1988, in Jackson, Mississippi. Angie lived with her mom, Julia Thomas, and her grandmother. Afterward, she attended Johnson Elementary, Brinkley Middle, and Northwest Middle. Angie then graduated from Belhaven University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She also has an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. Angie witnessed a shootout when she was six. The next day, her mom took her to the library to show her “there was more to the world than she saw that day.” This advice is what inspired Angie to start writing. Tupac also inspired her, along with her mom. At first, Angie was nervous about publishing her book, worried she would receive hate emails or threats. Instead, she received thanks and awards. Angie has won the Morris Debut Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in the U.S. and is the inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant in 2015. She won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in the U.K. and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis German Award.

Source: Angie Thomas.com; Wikipedia.org, 2024.

Stevie Wonder, 1950-

J. Watkins

West Middle School

Stevland Hardaway Morris was born on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan. He grew up as an only child with his parents, Lula Hardaway and Calvin Judkins. Stevland attended Fitzgerald Elementary School and showed a passion for singing from a young age. He was influenced by Ray Charles and Sam Cooke and signed his first three-year contract at the age of ten, but his music career picked up when he was eleven. Stevland, who later became known as Stevie Wonder, improved his singing and instrument-playing skills by practicing with other singers and listening to people’s opinions. He won numerous awards and inspired people, especially those with disabilities, with his music. Stevie also helped the community by singing at world events and spreading cheer. He eventually won twenty-five Grammys and had a number-one R&B and Pop single. Stevie wanted to show that he could sing regardless of his race or disability, and his music encouraged people to pursue their dreams. Stevie Wonder has eight children and at the age of seventy-three, he continues to live his best life with his family while also contributing to the community.

Source: Biography.com, 2024; Blackpast.org, 2024.

The Weeknd, 1990-

J. Vazquez

West Middle School

The Weeknd is a famous artist whose birth name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. He was born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Canada. Abel was an only child, and he lived with his mother and grandmother in the suburbs after his parents split up when he was young. Although he wanted a sibling, he never got the chance to have one. He attended Samuel Herane Middle School but dropped out of high school later. However, he was able to attend West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute. Abel’s interest in music began in high school, and he released a free download album titled “House of Balloons” in 2011, followed by two more albums that further propelled his career. Abel was self-taught and used to practice singing and recording songs. His music was inspired by pop music and artists like Michael Jackson. When he released his first song, “House of Balloons,” he posted his mixtape anonymously, which created a sense of vagueness and secrecy. People found his unique style captivating, and he gained more popularity over time.

Abel has received numerous awards, including ten Billboard Music Awards, two BRIT Awards, four Grammy Awards, four Guinness World Records, and many more. Despite all these accolades, he continues to receive more recognition. Abel has supported multiple World Food Programs and donated up to $5 million. He is vocal about critical social issues like food security, education, and social justice. Abel uses his fame to support those in need and has almost changed the image of pop and R&B for the better. The Weeknd has donated $1 million in food aid to Ethiopia, $500,000 to COVID-19 relief, $500,000 to Black Lives Matter causes, and $300,000 to support victims of the Beirut port explosion. A fun fact about The Weeknd is that he got his name from leaving one weekend and never returning. He originally wanted the stage name “Weekend,” but another Canadian band already had that name, so he removed the “E” and thought it sounded cool.

Source: Britannica.com, 2024; CapitalXtra.com, 2024; Heavy.com, 2024; IMDB, 2024; UN World Food Program.org, 2022.

Barack Obama, 1961-

C. Alter

West Middle School

Barack Obama Jr., the 44th President of the United States, was the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office. He was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, but his mom died from ovarian cancer on November 2, 2008, two days before his presidential election. Obama developed the Affordable Care Act as President to aid working-class families. He also implemented early education programs for children of working-class families, work he started before becoming President. In 2012, Obama legalized same-sex marriage and was a champion of the LGBTQ+ community. Obama also championed legislation to create the state-earned income tax credit, which reduced the tax bill of working-class families by one million dollars. The early education programs he started included help for children of working-class families to access kindergarten care. He also created a new Early Head Start-Child Program to help children from birth through age three to assist with early learning before kindergarten. Obama taught the United States that your skin color should not be an obstacle to your success in America and that what makes you a good citizen is hard work, perseverance, and service to your community. He embodies Dr. King’s dream of success regardless of skin color. As Obama said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Source: “Barack Obama’s February 5 Speech,” February 5, 2008, New York Times; Smith, E. (2007, January 22). Barack Obama Jr. (1961- ). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/obama-jr-barack-1961/

C. Benner

West Middle School

Barack Obama, born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, became the 44th President of the United States, the first African American to hold that office. Obama is the son of a Kenyan father, Barack Obama, Sr., and an American mother, Ann Dunham, and has a half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and a half-brother, Malik Abongo Obama. Obama is a lawyer and statesman and served as the president from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017. He is often identified as a progressive member of the Democratic Party. As the first African American president, Obama faced extensive challenges due to racism. Throughout his presidency, he made several public statements and took action against racism and other forms of discrimination. He addressed racial differences in education, healthcare, and employment. Obama also used his office as president to speak out against hate speech and to promote unity and understanding among all Americans. During his presidency, Obama made several significant efforts to change society positively. One of his key accomplishments was the passage of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which expanded access to healthcare for millions of Americans. He took steps to address climate change by creating policies to reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable energy. Additionally, Obama supported LGBTQ rights and worked to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that banned openly gay individuals from serving in the military. He also played a role in the legalization of same-sex marriage. Obama’s policies to improve education included the Race to the Top Program, which helped improve the quality of education. He worked on improving relations with Cuba, which led to the lifting of some restrictions and an increase in diplomatic ties between Cuba and America. Obama was an influential figure in American politics and society and, despite the significant challenges and discrimination, used his platform against racism to promote unity and understanding among all Americans. Obama’s presidency will be remembered for his efforts to make positive societal changes and for being a symbol of progress and hope for Americans.

Source: “Barack Obama’s February 5 Speech,” February 5, 2008, New York Times; Smith, E. (2007, January 22). Barack Obama Jr. (1961- ). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/obama-jr-barack-1961/

Curtis Charles Flood, 1938-1997

A. Clifton

West Middle School

A native of Houston, Texas, Curtis Flood was born on January 8, 1938, and died on January 20, 1997. He was raised by Laura and Herman Flood, who mainly did working-class jobs. However, Flood’s outstanding skills in baseball earned him a contract with the Cincinnati Reds immediately after he graduated from McClymonds High School. Later, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in December 1957, where he won many championships and awards. As a child and adult, Flood had to deal with racial discrimination, negatively impacting him and other Black community members. However, he decided to protest his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies because he believed he should have a say in choosing a team he would play for. Although Flood brought and lost his case in challenging the restrictive and unequal baseball contract Reserve Clause in the Supreme Court in 1972, the protest of his exclusion from decisions about his trade to the Phillies paved the way for other athletes to be included in the decision-making process about which team they would play for if they were to be traded. As a result of Flood’s action, other players, such as Catfish Hunter, Andy Messersmith, and Dave McNally, in Major League Baseball won cases regarding the fairness of their trade to other teams. In addition, the Curt Flood Rule introduced in 1973 allowed players to opt out of a trade if they had played professionally for ten years and had been with the selling club for five or more years. Although Flood’s inclusion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is still being advocated, his legacy remains. His challenge of the Reserve Clause helped develop baseball by making the trading process democratic. In addition, he was an outstanding player. He had a 223-game streak with zero errors. There is even an award called the Curt Flood Award that recognizes players for contributions to advancing players’ rights.

Source: Kosc, K. (2013) Flood, Curtis Charles (1938–1997). Texas State Historical Society. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/flood-curtis-charles; Sloope, T. (2023). Curt Flood. Society for American Baseball Research. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/curt-flood/; The Major League Baseball Players Association. (2020). Players Association introduces the annual Curt Flood Award as part of the 2020 Players Choice Awards. https://www.mlbplayers.com/curt-flood-award

Fannie Jackson Coppin, 1837-1913

D. Ali

West Middle School

Fanny Jackson Coppin was born in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, on October 15, 1837. She was born into slavery and got freedom when her aunt purchased her for $125 from her enslaver, the author George Henry Calvert. Later in 1860, Coppin enrolled in Oberlin College in Ohio. While attending college, Coppin did as well as any man in her studies. She was the first woman of color selected for the Young Ladies Literary Society and College Preparatory. Coppin graduated in 1865 and became a high school teacher at the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia. The following year, Coppin was promoted to the principal of the Ladies’ Department and taught Greek, Latin, and Math. In her thirty-seven years employed at the Institute, Coppin helped many students to educational success. While providing education for African American students, Coppin helped poor working women find housing. In 1881, she married an African Methodist Episcopal minister, Levi Jenkins Coppin, and got interested in missionary work. Coppin was one of a handful of women selected to speak in Chicago at the World’s Congress of Representative Women. Continuing her political career, Coppin was a vice president of the National Association of Colored Women, founded by Rosetta Douglas. Because several destitute women were refused admission into charity housing, Coppin opened a home for people denied charity housing. In 1899, a club that played a significant role in the California Suffrage Movement was named the Fanny Jackson Coppin Club. She also published a book about her teaching in 1913, titled Reminiscences of a School Life and Hints on Teaching. Coppin passed away on January 21, 1913. To honor her, officials in Philadelphia changed the name of the Andrew Jackson Elementary School by a unanimous vote to Jackson Coppin Elementary in July 2021.

Source: Document 8, Bylaws of the Young Ladies Literary Society, April 12, 1859, to April 10, 1863, Student Life Record Group 19/3/4, Box 1, Oberlin College Archives; Fanny Jackson Coppin, 2023, https://www.coppin.edu/about/coppin-pride/fanny-jackson-coppin

Gabriel Prosser, 1775-1800

I. Seals

West Middle School

Not many people have heard of Gabriel Prosser, born in 1775, right into slavery, with his two brothers Solomon and Martin, all enslaved in Henrico County, Virginia. Prosser worked as a blacksmith most of his life and was married to an enslaved woman named Nanny Prosser. Her husband sadly died on October 10, 1800, executed for planning a rebellion by the enslaved people. Two of his confidants told the Virginia authorities about the planned uprising that resulted in Prosser’s arrest and execution. Prosser was disappointed that the American Revolution did not produce the abolition of slavery throughout the new nation and was inspired by the Haitian Revolution, which abolished slavery and colonialism. Prosser and hundreds of enslaved people organized into a military group and planned to take over Richmond, Virginia, from slaveholders. The design included looking to white Methodists and Quakers for help building a new Virginia where Blacks could hold offices in government. As a blacksmith, Prosser knew many enslaved people ready to arm themselves with swords and pikes to participate in the rebellion. The plan was to take effect on August 30, 1800, but just before the attack, two enslaved people betrayed the uprising by telling the Virginia authorities about the plans. Prosser, executed for leading the planned insurrection of the enslaved people, bravely tried overturning slavery to free all Black people in Virginia. Despite the betrayal, Prosser inspired many people to put aside their fears and join the planned resistance against slavery. He designed the first major rebellion of enslaved people in the United States and inspired many other Blacks to keep fighting for freedom until its abolition in 1865.

Source: Reed, W. (2007, February 12). Gabriel Prosser (1775-1800). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/prosser-gabriel-1775-1800; “Gabriel’s Conspiracy, 1799-1800,” Africans in America, PBS.org, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1576.html

Gaspar Yanga, 1545-1618

C. Rodriguez

West Middle School

Gaspar Yanga (or Nyanga) was an African man born in Gabon in Central Africa. He was born on May 14, 1545, and died in 1618. He was a considerable revolutionist and resisted Spanish colonial rule, which Spain used to become wealthier and more powerful. Yanga led a Maroon community of enslaved people who escaped Spanish slavery in Veracruz, Mexico. Yanga and his followers built a settlement where other fugitive enslaved people could find refuge. Their territory was isolated from everybody, which helped protect it for more than thirty years. They raided plantations, taking goods from the enslavers to help feed the community and undermine slavery. Yanga was rumored to be part of the royal family in Gabon and was kidnapped and sold into slavery as a child, but he became a great freedom fighter through his resistance against slavery. He helped free other enslaved people in Veracruz after his escape in 1570, growing his Maroon community to around 500 people. In 1609, Yanga led a revolt against Spain’s rule in Veracruz, forcing the Spanish crown to send more soldiers to the territory. Yanga’s people defended themselves well despite failing to end Spanish control over Veracruz. They returned to their village and successfully defended it against the Spanish for over a generation. This accomplishment inspired many more enslaved people to escape from slavery and join the self-governing Maroon settlement. Yanga’s bravery shows us how unfairly they were treated and the physical and mental struggles they endured for freedom from slavery. He showed that believing in yourself is critical to achieving your goals in life.

Source: Gaspar Yanga and Blacks in Mexico: 1570 African slave revolt in Veracruz. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2023, from http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2011/05/gaspar-yanga-1570-african-slave-revolt.html?m=1

Harriet Tubman, 1822-1913

A. Bonaparte

West Middle School

Harriet Tubman helped hundreds of enslaved people escape slavery in the United States. She also assisted in the US Civil War. Tubman was born in 1822 and died in 1913, and her parents named her Araminta Ross (aka Minty). She changed her name around the 1840s due to marriage or religious reasons. Tubman was born on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was born enslaved but escaped from slavery in 1849 to avoid being sold into the deep South. Tubman achieved greatness because she also helped liberate other enslaved people by returning to Maryland to rescue around sixty or seventy people over thirteen trips. She also helped another seventy people escape slavery by advising them of the routes to safety in the North and Canada. It was too dangerous for her to go places where she did not know people or the landscape, so Tubman helped enslaved people she knew to get to a safe place where slavery was not allowed. She also worked as a nurse in the Civil War. Tubman did an excellent job by changing the future of many people and helping to change the future of the United States. She saved many children, women, and men from slavery. Tubman changed our lives for the better because she helped to end slavery. Tubman risked her life to help others, making her a beautiful soul.

Source: Yee, S. (2007, February 11). Harriet Ross Tubman (ca. 1821-1913). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/tubman-harriet-ross-c-1821-1913/

 Ida B. Wells, 1862-1931

K. Robb

West Middle School

Ida B. Wells, activist and writer, was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Wells took care of her six siblings after her parents died from yellow fever during the epidemic in 1878. She studied at Shaw University (now Rust College) in Mississippi for two years before expulsion in 1891 for publishing an article complaining about the institution’s unequal funding of Black students. Wells tried to balance caring for her siblings and teaching school. She began protesting the treatment of Black people after an incident on a train to Memphis, Tennessee when she attempted to visit her grandmother amid the yellow fever epidemic. The conductor told Wells she must move to a section for Blacks despite her buying a first-class ticket. Wells refused to go, but the conductor and other passengers physically removed her from the train. She returned to Memphis that same year, hired a lawyer, and sued the railroad company. The local court awarded Wells $500, but a federal court overturned the ruling. Wells began to write editorials in Black newspapers to challenge segregation laws in the South and bought a share of a Memphis newspaper, Memphis Free Speech and Headlight. In 1892, Wells became one of the most vocal Black activists, publishing against racism, lynching, and other horrors of the South. Whites destroyed the offices of her newspaper and threatened Wells’ life, forcing her to relocate. Wells traveled to England, where she helped to establish the British Antilynching Society in 1894. She returned to the US, and settled in Chicago, Illinois, where she married and became known as Ida B. Wells-Barnett, gave lectures, and published books against lynching and racism, such as Southern Horrors in 1892 and The Red Record in 1895. Wells spent most of her life protesting racism and the exclusion of African Americans from mainstream America. In 1896, she helped launch the National Association of Colored Women. Wells also helped to establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. She spent the rest of her life as an activist until she died in Chicago in 1931 at sixty-nine.

Source: Norwood, Arlisha. “Ida B. Wells-Barnett.” National Women’s History Museum. National Women’s History Museum, 2017; Steptoe, T. (2007, January 19). Ida Wells-Barnett (1862-1931). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/barnett-ida-wells-1862-1931/

Jackie Robison, 1919-1972

C. Sutton

West Middle School

Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, the youngest of five children raised by a single mother after 1920. He didn’t just play baseball. He also played football, basketball, and track. Robinson attended Pasadena City College and dominated in sports before enrolling at the University of California, Los Angeles. At UCLA, Robinson competed in baseball, basketball, football, and track and field, setting a track record. However, he left UCLA because of financial problems before he could get his degree. He enlisted in the US Army and was drafted into the segregated cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1942, rising to the rank of commissioned second lieutenant by January 1943. Robinson began his career in Major League Baseball (MLB) in April 1947 as the first African American player, playing for the Dodgers, which won six championships in over ten seasons in Robinson’s time. The Dodgers signed him for $21,000, the equivalent of $215,000, in 2023. In 1955, Robison won the World Series title and retired with 972 runs. In 1962, Robinson received his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in New York. Robison paved the way for other African American MLB players. At the same time, he participated in the Civil Rights movement. He was a spokesperson for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on advancing justice and equity across America. Robinson was brilliant in sports and used his prominence to promote justice and fairness in the United States. He remains one of the greatest inspirations in America, both as a sportsperson and a Civil Rights champion.

Source: Linge, Mary Kay (2007). Jackie Robinson: A Biography. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.

James McCune Smith, 1813-1865

T. Ragan

West Middle School

James McCune Smith, born in New York City in 1813, was the child of formerly enslaved people who bought themselves out of slavery. Smith became a physician and abolitionist, the first African American to obtain a medical degree. After graduating from the African Free School in New York City, he attempted to enroll in several US universities but was refused admission because of racism. Smith went overseas to Scotland to attend the University of Glasgow, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1835, a Master’s in 1836, and a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1837. Before returning to New York City, he went to Paris for his internship. Returning to New York, Smith opened a practice and pharmacy on West Broadway. He had joined the Antislavery Society in Glasgow. Later, in New York City, Smith quickly climbed the ranks of the antislavery movement as an organizer, orator, and writer. In 1854, Smith accused white abolitionists of insincerity in a column for Frederick Douglass’ newspaper, The North Star. Smith pointed out that many white abolitionists did not support Blacks having the right to vote. He also criticized prominent abolitionist Lewis Tappan for refusing to hire Black people and give them loans to open businesses. Smith also defended women’s rights, and the National Black Convention adopted his plan to organize Black women and men to fight racism and slavery nationally. Smith’s resistance against slavery and racism showed his perseverance against significant opposition. He died in Ohio in 1865, where he had accepted a position at Wilberforce College as a professor of medical anthropology.

Source: Winter, K. (2007, March 08). James McCune Smith (1813-1865). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/smith-james-mccune-1813-1865/; James McCune Smith, The University of Glasgow Story, 2023, https://universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH24115&type=P

John Berry Meachum, 1789-1854

J. Watkins

West Middle School

Do you know Harriet Tubman? One of the people who worked with her was named John Berry Meachum. Born into slavery in Goochland County, Virginia, Meachum became a businessman who built the oldest Black church in Missouri. When he turned twenty-one, Meachum, having learned a lot of trades, gathered enough money to buy his freedom and that of his father. After that, in 1815, he followed his future wife, Mary, to St. Louis, Missouri, and bought her freedom. While in St. Louis, Meachum met the white Baptist preacher John Peck, and they built the First African Baptist Church in the city. Meachum became its minister in 1825, the year he was ordained. The church operated a school for Blacks and was a social center for people of color. It provided free education to enslaved and free people of color and had over 300 people in the church daily. Meachum faced many racial tensions from whites disgruntled with the teaching of Blacks, forcing Meachum to discontinue the church after Missouri lawmakers also imposed bans on Black education in 1847. Meachum and Mary relocated the books to a steamboat on the Mississippi River, where they continued operating the school. They also joined the Underground Railroad to free enslaved people, crossing paths with one of its prominent conductors, Harriet Tubman. Meachum’s carpentry business made enough money to buy the freedom of many people. Almost every person he freed paid him back for the help. Meachum left an inspiring legacy, marked by the street still carrying his name in St. Louis, along with another named for his wife, Mary Meachum Crossing. The Meachums reopened their church in 1848, and Meachum died while preaching in 1854. The church still stands today at a different location since 1917, on Bell Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri.

Source: Brenc, W. (2014, July 29). John Berry Meachum (1789-1854). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/meachum-john-berry-1789-1854/

Madam C.J. Walker, 1867-1919

K. Jacobs

West Middle School

Madam C.J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove) was born near Delta in Louisiana on December 23, 1867, and died in Irvington, New York, on May 25, 1919. Walker had many occupations, such as an entrepreneur, inventor, and social activist. She invented hair products for women of color and became America’s first woman millionaire through hard work and ingenuity, using sales agents to sell her hair products around the country. Walker created homemade hair products and a haircare system for Black women that cornered the market and made Walker financially successful. Most hair products for women were expensive, but Walker made hers affordable, easy to use, and specifically for Black women. Her products are still used today, such as the line of hair treatments known simply as MADAM. Walker’s products did not just change the lives of Black women by giving them more options for hair care and styling but paved the way for other Black women and men entrepreneurs in the US. However, she encouraged and inspired especially Black women in business. Walker was known to many as an intelligent and wonderful person who helped many women and taught them to believe in themselves, famously stating that employing hundreds of women of color was one of her main priorities. Walker inspired Black women such as Oprah Winfrey with her business skills and self-confidence despite facing tremendous odds from poverty and being orphaned at age seven and the opposition from racism after the US Civil War.

Source: White, C. (2007, February 21). Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/walker-madam-c-j-1867-1919/

Malcolm X, 1925-1965

J. Dudley

West Middle School

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was an American Muslim minister and an important figure in the Civil Rights movement. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1925, and later was a big advocate for Black empowerment and the promotion of Islam within Black communities in America. His parents were Earl Little and Grenadian-born Louise Norton, both Garveyites. After Malcom’s birth, his family moved to Lansing, Michigan. There, Malcolm’s father formally joined Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association to help advocate Black nationalism. Malcolm dropped out of high school after a teacher made fun of his dreams to become a lawyer. He moved to Boston with his older sister, Ella Little Collins, and stayed in Boston until he decided to move to Harlem in 1943, where he got into drug dealing, pimping, and gambling. Three years later, in 1946, Malcolm was arrested for burglary and was sentenced to ten years in prison. He joined the Nation of Islam while imprisoned and was released on parole in 1952. He was called to Chicago by Nation leader Elijah Muhammad and changed his surname to X, noting the name was a slave name. Elijah Muhammad recognized Malcolm’s speaking abilities and sent him back to Boston to become a minister of Temple #11. As he continued to succeed, Malcolm earned a reassignment in 1954 to be the minister of Temple #7, and he met his wife, Betty Dean Sanders, who had joined the temple in 1956. They married in 1958 and had six daughters. Malcolm X became a public figure across America in 1959 when CBS aired Mike Wallace’s documentary on the Nation. In November 1963, in a speech in Detroit, Malcolm boldly criticized American racism and called for Black unity. He also spoke about his split with his mentor, Elijah Muhammad, before it became official. Later, he created a political group called the Organization of Afro-American Unity that was affiliated with the Organization of African Unity (African Union today). Malcolm X continued to fight racism in America, and on February 21, 1965, he was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights, Manhattan.

Source: Simba, M. (2007, January 23). Malcolm X (1925-1965). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/x-malcolm-1925-1965/

Mamie Till, 1921-2003

S. Walker

West Middle School

Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley was born on November 23, 1921, and died from cancer on January 6, 2003. Her place of birth is Mississippi, but when she was two, her family moved to Chicago, Illinois. Mamie was the mother of Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in 1955. Carolyn Bryant, a white woman, accused him of whistling at her, grabbing her waist, and asking her for a date. Bryant’s husband and brother-in-law kidnapped Emmett, tortured him, and beat him to death. After learning about his murder, Mamie asked to have his body sent from Mississippi, where he was murdered. After some negotiation, Mississippi sent her the casket on the condition it stays closed. The state also did not want her to see her son. However, Mamie demanded to see him before he was buried. When she saw him, he was unrecognizable. To make the world aware of the cruelty meted out to her son, Mamie demanded the funeral to have Emmett’s casket open so everyone could see what racism had done to her son. Her resistance ultimately sparked protest and helped to encourage the Civil Rights movement to fight against racism and the resulting social, economic, and political oppression and injustices against Black people. Over 100,000 people went to see Emmett Till’s body, and Mamie had Jet, an African American weekly magazine, publish a photo of Emmett’s body. This helped the story gain media attention. In front of an all-white jury, Mamie testified at the trial for her son’s murder. She wanted to have the jury to understand the cruelty that her son experienced while not appearing weak or aggressive. However, the jury decided that the men who murdered Emmett were not guilty. Mamie was disappointed and upset but continued speaking about her son’s story. She fought against injustice by speaking out at protests, including one with A. Phillip Randolph, the civil rights activist. She even went on tour with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight for justice for her son. In the 1980s, Emmett’s story was featured in a PBS documentary. This was the first time much of white America saw Emmett’s abused, tortured body, even though Black America had seen it decades ago. The public was eager to hear his story. Mamie knew it was her job to tell the story of Emmett. She created waves in the growing Civil Rights movement. Prominent activists like John Lewis, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr. later referred to Emmett’s murder as a crucial moment in the fight for justice. Despite the odds, Mamie Till-Mobley turned the tragedy of her son’s murder into activism and resistance. She fulfilled her mission to highlight injustices to the Black community. Mamie spoke to people in over thirty cities in nineteen states on her tour with the NAACP. She fought not for herself but for her son. She never took no for an answer and showed the world why racism is evil and needs to be stopped.

Source: History. (2010). “Emmett Till Is Murdered.” History.com, A&E Television Networks. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-death-of-emmett-till; Boomer, Lee. “Life Story: Mamie till-Mobley.” Women & the American Story, July 9, 2022, https://wams.nyhistory.org/growth-and-turmoil/cold-war-beginnings/mamie-till-mobley/ 

Marsha P. Johnson, 1945-1992

A. Coalwell

West Middle School

Marsha P. Johnson is probably one of the most known LGBTQIA activists in history. Johnson was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on August 24, 1945, and died in New York City on July 6, 1992. She was born Malcom Michaels Jr., chosen by her parents, Malcolm Michaels Sr., and Alberta Michaels. She was the fifth of seven children and was known for what she did on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Riot. Johnson moved to New York City with just $15 and a bag of clothes. She had no shelter and no family. That was until Johnson met Sylvia Rivera, a Puerto Rican trans young woman. Because she was a young trans woman of color, she had little to no job possibilities. Johnson was seventeen and still had to take care of eleven-year-old Rivera. Johnson needed a job, so she turned to sex work, with few options available to LGBTQIA people at the time. Because of how dangerous this job was, she was even shot. Additionally, Johnson fought in the Stonewall Gay Bar Raid after a male police officer threw a glass at a mirror behind her after she yelled, “I have my civil rights!” The publicity of this incident began to change life for transgender and gay individuals in America. Johnson stood up to the police trying to stop and put down others because they didn’t think what or who they were was right, and she continued to fight for the LGBTQIA community and became an activist. Johnson also felt that young transgender people like her younger self needed a home, so in 1970, she and her best friend Rivera started STARS (Street Transvestite Activist Revolution) to house and shelter and even be like a mother figure to the trans people. The first home for STARS was the back of an abandoned truck that Rivera found. Johnson helped LGBTQ people to progress in society even if laws were against them.

Source: Rothberg, Emma. “Marsha P. Johnson,” National Women’s History Museum. 2022. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson 

Oscar Micheaux, 1884-1951

A. Carson

West Middle School

Oscar Micheaux, born January 2, 1884, in Metropolis, Illinois, died March 25, 1951, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Micheaux was the first Black film producer and director in the United States. Micheaux produced and directed more than forty-five films for Black audiences and was an independent filmmaker until 1917, when he joined the Hollywood film industry. Before filmmaking, Micheaux wrote novels published in Nebraska and New York and later made movies in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles. Most of his films were detective or romance stories, such as Murder in Harlem and The Exile. Some of his most famous films, such as Within Our Gates, Body, and Soul, The Symbol of the Unconquered, Ten Minutes to Live, and Swing, paved the way for other Black people in the US film industry. Micheaux has shown us that race does not define who you are or what you can accomplish. He was the reason we have many Black actors and directors in the US today. Micheaux opened opportunities for others and had a powerful impact that we all can appreciate today. Oscar Micheaux used his films to challenge racism and other forms of discrimination and his success to show the power of steadfast determination in transforming one’s life for the better.

Source: Ravage, J. (2007, March 03). Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/micheaux-oscar-1884-1951/

O.W. Gurley, 1868-1935

D. Sardis

West Middle School

Ottowa Gurley was a businessman born in Huntsville, Alabama. Before 1921, he made Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which helped African Americans get jobs and start businesses to move upwards in society. Gurley opened a grocery store where Blacks could shop. He also created a two-story hotel and was one of the founders of the Vernon AME Church in Tulsa in 1905, two years before Oklahoma became a state. Gurley was self-sufficient. He eventually owned brick yards and a charted plane company. Gurley also encouraged some 7,000 African Americans to live on Black Wall Street. They relocated for better-paying jobs, schools, hospitals, and housing. Black Wall Street, destroyed by white rioters in 1921, had only Black-owned businesses helping to keep the wealth of Blacks in their communities. Gurley showed that self-reliance was critical to changing the future for Black Americans, especially during segregation when white America divided the country based on skin color. Overall, Gurley helped stimulate positive change in African American communities through economic upliftment.

Source: Thibert, K. (2020, September 19). O. W. Gurley (1868-1935). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/o-w-gurley-1868-1935/

A. Gillig

West Middle School

O.W. Gurley was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on December 25, 1867 and died on August 6, 1935, in Los Angeles, California. He had two brothers and one sister, John, Millie, and Robert. His parents were John and Rosanna Gurley. He was an entrepreneur and was known as one of the wealthiest Black men in American history. Gurley built three two-story buildings and five residences and bought an 80-acre farm in Rogers County, Oklahoma. He made the Greenwood district in Tulsa known as Black Wall Street. What made Gurley further noteworthy was there were not many Black landowners, so he purchased forty acres of land in Tulsa. Gurley created the Greenwood district in Tulsa, so Black people could work and have their businesses. He was the founder and national president of the Black Wall Street USA National Movement. Out of the six hundred companies in Tulsa, Gurley owned at least one hundred. What made Gurley’s actions a positive change was that from 1910-1920 he grew the Black population in Rogers County by about 7,000, a professional and working-class population that had jobs such as doctors, lawyers, and other professionals who provided services to the county. The buildings that Gurley made helped the county and its people. He built the Gurley Hotel and made the two-story building that housed the Black employment agency. Later, racial tensions flared, and the community was destroyed in a riot known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. Approximately 300 Black people died, and Gurley lost a fortune, about $200,000. Gurley was arrested for inciting the conflict, and other Black leaders, fellow businessman J.B. Stradford and newspaper editor A.J. Smitherman, secured his release. He fled to Los Angeles with his wife and died fourteen years later. He was sixty-seven years old.

Source: Thibert, K. (2020, September 19). O. W. Gurley (1868-1935). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/o-w-gurley-1868-1935/

Patrice Lumumba, 1925-1961

S. Akoth

West Middle School

“Without dignity, there is no liberty. Without justice, there is no dignity. And without independence, there are no free men.” As you may have assumed, my name is Patrice Lumumba. I was born in 1925 and was assassinated in 1961. I was born in Katakokombe. As an adult, I had four children with my wife, Pauline. I was a Congolese politician and an independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I led the Movement of the National Congolese from 1958 until my death and was an African nationalist who believed in Africa’s freedom from colonialism. I thought of Congo’s development as an independent country like the United States, also formed by an anticolonial revolution that officially ended in 1784. I was assassinated in the presence of Belgian colonial officials, and my body was thrown into a shallow grave. As a martyr, I became a broader symbol of the pan-African struggle for independence from European colonial countries, including Belgium. Pan-Africanism means all Africans were fighting for their freedom from colonialism. I made sure that the Congolese obtained their independence in 1960. To this day, my people remember me as a determined nationalist who fought hard to give them the gift of freedom from foreign rule, inspiring many people inside and outside of Congo. I can proudly say that I played a significant role in the transformation of Congo from a colony of Belgium to an independent republic giving my people access to equal civil rights, justice, education, and economic development. They learned they were no longer servants of Europeans but proud people with a long history of outstanding accomplishments. Congo was home to some of the greatest kingdoms in ancient times, defeating many Europeans who tried to conquer us. Our independence meant a return to past glories, a struggle I was always ready to give my life to achieve.

Source: Adeleke, T. (2008, April 15). Patrice Emery Lumumba (1925-1961). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/lumumba-patrice-emery-1925-1961/

Paul Bogle, 1822-1865

B. Pham

West Middle School

Paul Bogle was instrumental in the resistance against oppression and injustice by the British colonial government in Jamaica. He was a Baptist preacher and an activist. Bogle’s grandmother raised him after his parents died. His father died in 1822, and his mother died soon after his father. However, Bogle built a church in Stony Gut in the parish of St. Thomas, where he held political meetings. In 1865, Bogle led a march of about 300 small farmers (mainly formerly enslaved people) to Morant Bay, the parish’s capital, to discuss their grievances against the British colonial government. The government sent troops to break up the protest march, and rebellion followed when the troops fired shots into the crowd. Governor Edward John Eyre was removed as the governor of Jamaica after the uprising but not before overseeing the hanging of Bogle and others, whom he blamed for the rebellion. Slavery was abolished in Jamaica in 1834, but the British colonial government still oppressed Bogle and other Black Jamaican people. Although the uprising was suppressed, Bogle was later named a national hero of Jamaica for his substantial contributions to the country’s movement toward independence from the British. There were many great reasons why Paul Bogle should be known worldwide, including his contributions to the struggle for justice and freedom from oppression by colonialism.

Source: Wooten, A. (2013, October 13). Paul Bogle (1822-1865). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/bogle-paul-1822-1865/

Piye, d.714 BC

D. Chegwidden

West Middle School

Piye, also called Phianky, was the Kushite king of Egypt, born in Kerma, Nubia, in modern-day Sudan. His birthdate was unknown, but Piye died in 714 BC after becoming one of the most influential leaders of Ancient Egypt. The son of King Kashta and Queen Pebatjma, as the king himself, Piye was known as Usimare and Sneferre, names showing his deep interest in using religion or the worship of Amun-Ra (the Sun God) to restore his people’s unity and greatness. Piye reigned as the founder of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt or the Nubian Dynasty (also known as the Kushite Empire or the Black Pharaohs), ruling from 747 BC until his death. He was known as the king who restored Egyptian greatness, initially concentrating his efforts on unifying and rebuilding Nubia. He defeated many internal adversaries to unite Egypt and was greatly appreciated by the Egyptian people for consolidating Egypt and restoring the empire’s peace. Piye’s victories over internal divisions and external invaders were recorded on a stela or stone slab at the pyramidal temple of Amun in Gebel Barkal, considered a sacred site in Egypt and today part of the five pyramidal archaeological sites in the Nile Valley seen as a World Heritage site. The site also highlights the outstanding accomplishments of Egyptian kingdoms from 900 BC to 350 AD. Gebel Barkal is a part of Ancient Egyptian religious traditions and folklore rediscovered by archeologists in 1862. Piye’s impact included his leadership of Egypt into its greatness as a powerful, independent, and influential ancient civilization that could protect its people from domestic trouble and invasion by outsiders. Piye embodied some of the earliest forms of Black resistance in statecraft, and the decisive role Black African people played in Ancient times as leaders and in building vast kingdoms and civilizations before Europe.

Source: “Piye,” Encyclopedia Britannica, January 30, 2015, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Piye.

Samuel Sharpe, c.1780-1832

J. Vazquez

West Middle School

Samuel Sharpe was born in the parish of St. James, Jamaica, around 1780 and died from hanging by the British colonial government of the island in May 1832. Sharpe’s parents are unknown, but he was a Baptist deacon and enslaved. He was literate and taught fellow enslaved people to read and write using the Bible. Sharpe led an uprising against slavery in Jamaica from December 1831 to January 1832 that would help to encourage the government of Britain to abolish slavery in its colonies, such as Jamaica, in 1834. Sharpe started to preach about freedom and helped many other enslaved people develop the confidence to rise against slavery so they could have a better future. The enslaved people burned down the Kensington Estate Great House during the rebellion. About 200 people died; 186 were enslaved, and the others were slaveholders and their allies. Sharpe initially organized a strike, but rebellion developed when the colonial government soldiers used violence against the people. They kept fighting for their freedom until Sharpe and most leaders were apprehended and brought in to be tried and executed. Before this, however, the uprising spread to other parishes such as Trelawny, Westmoreland, and parts of St. Elizabeth. After Sharpe was hanged on May 23, 1832, other enslaved people continued fighting for their freedom. Eventually, the government suppressed the rebellion, but the destruction caused by the fighting forced British lawmakers to consider the abolition of slavery. To honor Sharpe for his role in abolishing slavery, the government of independent Jamaica made him a national hero in 1975, making him the Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe. His image is on the Jamaican $50 bill, and Samuel Sharpe Square in Montego Bay, St. James, was also named in his honor.

Source: “Samuel Sharpe,” Jamaica Information Service, 2023, https://jis.gov.jm/information/heroes/samuel-sharpe/; Wooten, A. (2013, August 16). Samuel Sharpe (ca. 1780-1832). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/people-global-african-history/sharpe-samuel-ca-1780-1832/

Sidney Poitier, 1927-2022

M. Patterson

West Middle School

Sidney Poitier’s parents were Bahamian immigrants, and Poitier was born in Miami, Florida, in 1927. He died on January 6, 2022, at the age of ninety-four, in Beverley Hills, California. Poitier became the first African American actor to win an Academy Award for best actor, changing history by breaking racial barriers in the Hollywood film industry during the 1950s and 1960s. In his fifty-seven-year career in film, Poitier starred in forty-eight films, six of which he directed. In 1961, Poitier was famously nominated for best actor for his role in A Raisin in the Sun and, in 1963, won the best actor award for Lilies of the Field. Other famous parts include his leading performance as American Mark Thackeray in To Sir, With Love, a 1967 film adaptation of the novel by Guyanese writer E.R. Braithwaite. In this film, Poitier played a Black engineer who could not find work because of racism in Britain. He took a job teaching mostly white inner-city students in London’s East End. The film, like the book, took a candid look at British race relations, spotlighting similarities with racism in the US, but also how compassion and knowledge could transform individuals and the larger society toward justice and fairness. It also challenged notions of white poverty as the consequence of Black successes, highlighting the social construction of class problems in Black and white communities, which they could fight with education. This film featured the famous song of the same name, “To Sir With Love,” by Scottish singer Lulu. Poitier further contributed to positive societal changes through his various roles in the Civil Rights movement, using his central platform as an actor to fight against racism in America. He dedicated his life to promoting messages of racial pride, respect, and the power of Black culture. Poitier’s resistance teaches us about how the past was unfair but how his struggles by speaking out about the unfairness could lead to positive societal changes, namely through everyone having equal rights to move upwards in society.

Source: Waggoner, C. (2008, June 04). Sidney Poitier (1927-2022). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/poitier-sidney-1927/

Richard Allen, 1760-1831

H. Glaude

West Middle School

Richard Allen was born into slavery in Delaware in 1760 and died a free man in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1831. At age seven, his mother and three siblings were sold by their enslaver, and Allen never saw them again. In 1780, Allen bought himself out of slavery and relocated to Philadelphia, where he lived amongst the city’s growing free Black population. He converted to Methodism at age seventeen and later built the first African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in America, built in Philadelphia in 1794. Allen was also a founder of the Free African Society of Philadelphia, where he crossed paths with Absalom Jones, and they became lifelong friends and fellow abolitionists. Together they authored a famous critique, A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People, During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia, in 1793, published in 1794. It challenged the racism of white publisher Mathew Carey. He denounced Black altruism during the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. Allen and Jones organized Blacks to perform roles such as nurses and carry away the dead, helping hundreds of white and Black people during the epidemic. Allen had taught himself to read and write like many other enslaved people, including Jones. Allen’s beliefs in education led to his establishment of schools for enslaved and free Blacks and preaching about the role of education in advancing Black freedom from slavery at his church. Allen was officially ordained a deacon in 1799 and, in 1816, became the first African American bishop. Allen worked to abolish slavery and contributed to the Underground Railroad to facilitate the escape of many Black people from slavery in the South. Allen was born into an arduous life of slavery but liberated himself and became a prominent preacher, educator, and abolitionist.

Source: Pope-Levison, P. (2007, October 18). Richard Allen [Pennsylvania] (1760-1831). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/allen-richard-pennsylvania-1760-1831/

Thurgood Marshall, 1908-1993

C. Sanders

West Middle School

Thurgood Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908. His father worked as a railroad porter, and his mother was an elementary school teacher for twenty-five years. Marshall graduated from Frederick Douglass High School. He attended Lincoln University and then Howard University, graduating in 1930 as a lawyer. Soon after graduating, Marshall joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and worked so that the courts would stop disrespecting people of color. He defended Donald Gaines Murray in the court case University v. Murray in 1936 after the University of Maryland School of Law denied Murray’s application for enrollment even though he was academically qualified to enroll in the school. The Court of Appeals ruled Murray could attend the school without integrating with white students. Marshall later argued and won the famous ban on racial segregation in public schools in the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education case in 1954, claiming that “separate but equal” was inconsistent with the Constitution. Marshall used the law as a powerful weapon against racial discrimination. President John F. Kennedy appointed Marshall to the US Court of Appeals in 1961, and in 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Marshall to the Supreme Court. Marshall received a 69-11 vote in August 1967 to become the first Black justice of the US Supreme Court. Marshall’s court cases had positive results in the struggle for racial justice and equity in America, positively changing the country’s future for all Americans. We still honor him today for his contributions to our national development.

Source: Reed, W. (2007, January 21). Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/marshall-thurgood-1908-1993/; Justice “Thurgood Marshall Profile - Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment,” 2023, https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/justice-thurgood-marshall-profile-brown-v-board

Vicente Guerrero, 1782-1831

A. Quan

West Middle School

I am Vicente Guerrero, born on August 10, 1782. My father’s name is Juan Guerrero, and my mother’s name is Maria Rodriguez. The place of my birth is Tixtla, Mexico. I was a soldier, politician, and abolitionist, and I joined the military and helped the revolutionary movement. On the day of the anniversary of independence, I was able to free most enslaved people. I died on February 14, 1831, having lived to be forty-nine years old before I was assassinated. I stopped slavery in 1829 and helped free a lot of people. Most of the enslaved people in Mexico were released on the anniversary of independence. In the middle of 1829, I became the Republic’s second president. I stopped slavery because this world should not be a harsh place. After I chose to free the enslaved people, I was driven out of my office and was scared for my life, so I went to the southern part of Mexico. I had no idea my vice president had ordered me to be assassinated. As I made it to Culiacan, I was killed by the people who were sent. However, you might know me as one of Mexico’s most remarkable people of color who helped fight in the Mexican War. I was the second president of Mexico, and I stopped slavery, fought for equality, and stood against racism because no person should ever have to deal with that. Mexico is no longer the place it was in my time.

Source: Britannica, “Vicente Guerrero.” Encyclopedia Britannica, August 6, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vicente-Guerrero.

Yaa Asantewaa, c.1840s-1921 

A. Kelliehan

West Middle School

Yaa Asantewaa was born in Besease, Ghana. According to the sources, her birth date was never recorded. All that is known is that she was born around the 1840s. Asantewaa was a warrior who rose to lead an army against the invading British. Asantewaa was very independent and began to rebel against the British, who threatened to take the Golden Stool she had to guard. Asantewaa would not let that happen and did not back down from the threats against her and her people. She gathered up her troops and fought the War of the Golden Stool against the British. Asantewaa never let her people down and gave power to her people—men and women. Before she died in 1921, Asantewaa inspired women of her time to challenge traditional gender roles. She led the rebellion and became the image of strength and resistance among women. Asantewaa empowered many people throughout her life through all her wars and leadership. Yaa Asantewaa’s life can teach a lot about the past and how people helped their community resist and overcome invasion. She has given us a powerful example of how valuable it is to be generous to others and believe in ourselves. She fought for more than just a Golden Stool.

Source: West, R. (2019, February 08). Yaa Asantewaa (mid-1800s-1921). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/yaa-asantewaa-mid-1800s-1921/