African Americans that changed the world

Every year in February, Black History Month is celebrated to acknowledge African Americans’ achievements and recognize their role in US history. Black History Month has been celebrated since 1915, fifty years after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the US. Black History Month began as just a one-week celebration in February, but by the late 1960s, it evolved to a full month. According to history.com, every US president since 1976 has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

During Black History Month, well-known Black heroes like Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Muhammad Ali, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are often remembered. However, this list is missing hundreds of other notable African Americans that have also changed the world.

A large amount of Black history is missing from the nation’s curriculum. Therefore, so many African Americans go unrecognized for their contributions and their accomplishments in civil rights, politics, inventions, arts and much more. Following are ten African Americans that should be remembered and celebrated during this year’s Black History Month.

Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress. During her seven terms in the US House of Representatives, she introduced more than fifty pieces of legislation that promoted racial and gender equality, helped those in poverty and worked to end the Vietnam War. Later, in 1972, she became the first African American to attempt to be nominated for president. Along with her involvement in politics, she was the co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus and the National Political Congress of Black Women. Chisholm was also involved in the League of Women Voters, NAACP, Urban League and the Democratic Party club.

Bayard Rustin (1912-1987) played a key role in organizing and strategizing the March on Washington. Due to safety reasons, Rustin did not participate in the front lines of the march, and instead worked behind the scenes planning. After the march, he continued to advocate for racial equality, worker’s rights and eventually gay rights.

Claudette Colvin (1939-) was the first woman to be detained for resisting to move to the back of a bus. At fifteen years old, she refused to move from a seat in the middle of a bus to a seat in the back of the bus. Colvin remained seated after a bus driver asked her to move and was eventually arrested. Nine months later, Rosa Parks protested in the same way during the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott and became famous for her resistance.

Marsha P Johnson (1945-1992) was a trans rights activist who played a key role in advancements for gay rights. She was part of the Gay Liberation Front and the co-founder of STAR, an organization that helped house homeless gay youth. Johnson was also a prominent figure in the Stonewall Uprising, a rebellion that was organized by gay rights activists after a violent police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar.

Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was a track and field star. While competing in the 1936 Olympics, he won four gold medals and set the world record for long jump. Later, in 1976, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1990, ten years after his death, he received the Congressional Gold Medal.

Bessie Colman (1892-1926) was the first licensed Black pilot in the world. She received her license from a flight school in France in 1919. Colman became a well-known pilot in many air shows and was known for her dangerous plane tricks.

Rose Marie McCoy (1922-2015) was an African American singer and songwriter who wrote and produced some of the most popular pop songs during the 50s. After her two songs “After All” and “Gabbin’ Blues”, she was contacted by multiple major music labels to write songs for other artists. She wrote hit singles for many popular artists at the time, including Elvis Presley’s “Trying to Get You”.

Phillis Wheatley (1754-1784) was the first African American and third woman to a have a volume of poetry published. She was enslaved most of her life and never received a formal education. She wrote her first published poem when she was thirteen. In 1773, she published her poems in a book called Poems on Various Subjects.

Benjamin O Davis (1880-1970) was the first Black general in the US military and served for 50 years. During the Spanish-American War, he was a first lieutenant in an all-Black unit. Throughout his career, he was a commander for the New York National Guard and a special assistant for the Secretary of the Army. He also worked at Tuskegee and Wilberforce University as a professor of military science. In 1948, President Harry Truman attended Davis’ public retirement ceremony. In honor of his service, Davis was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

James McCune Smith (1813-1865) was the first African American to become a licensed doctor. Smith was born a slave and received his primary education in Manhattan. His school taught African Americans job skills in preparation for employment when the state finally granted full emancipation. When Smith tried to further his education, he was not accepted into any US schools due to racist practices in university admission offices. So, he attended the University of Glasgow in the UK instead. Smith later received his medical license in 1830 and became a physician and scientist. Along with being a doctor, Smith also fought for equal rights. He helped establish educational resources, relief organizations and antislavery agencies.