Historic Black Figures

Every February, the United States celebrates and honors African Americans all over the world by dedicating February to be known as Black History Month. Black History Month came to be in 1976 when President Gerald R. Ford called upon Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." In honor of Black History Month, it's important to highlight the people who have had an immense impact on our world today. Here are just some of the many Black figures who have changed the world for the better.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr., otherwise known as MLK, is an accomplished civil rights activist. In 1955, King had a big role in organising Montgomery's bus boycott, which unfortunately led him to be arrested. In 1963, King protested in Birmingham, Alabama, where he organized peaceful protests that included boycotts and sit-ins. King was arrested again and while in jail he wrote the famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, King stated that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” King's fight to achieve equal rights for Black Americans earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King is well known not only for his fight for justice, but for his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. In the spring of 1968, King visited Memphis, Tennessee, to support Black sanitary workers who were on strike. It was there, sadly, on April 4, that King was assassinated. In 1983, Congress cemented King's legacy as an American icon by declaring the third Monday of every January Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks was born on August 1, 1920, in Roanoke, Virginia. On April 10, 1941, Henrietta married David "Day" Lacks. Henrietta and David had five children together. Henrietta gave birth to her last child at Johns Hopkins Hospital in November 1950, which was four and a half months before she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. In 1951, Henrietta went back to Johns Hopkins because she was experiencing pain. She was treated by Dr. Howard Jones, who discovered a large tumor on her cervix. Henrietta soon began receiving radium treatment. What Henrietta didn't know was that samples were taken from her cervix without her permission. These samples were sent to Dr. George Gey. Gey discovered that Henrietta's cells were unlike any he had ever seen. Other cells died, but Henrietta’s doubled every 20 to 24 hours. Her cells were nicknamed immortal HeLa cells. HeLa cells are used to study cancer and viruses, test new medicines, and were key in developing the polio vaccine. 

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson started high school when she was just 10 years old and college when she was just 15. In 1952, at 34 years old, she learned about jobs for Black women with mathematics and computing skills at the Langley laboratory at NASA. She and the other women worked as “human computers,” figuring out the calculations needed for spaceflight. During her time at NASA, she broke racial barriers, such as using the bathroom that was supposed to be for white women only. One of her biggest accomplishments at NASA was helping calculate the trajectory of the country’s first human spaceflight in 1961. Unlike the white male astronauts she helped launch into space, no one knew of the groundbreaking work Johnson and dozens of other Black women did for space exploration. The 2016 release of the movie Hidden Figures finally gave these women widespread recognition.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie attended the University of California in Los Angeles. Where he became the university’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Jackie served in the U.S. Army during World War II, but was honorably discharged for refusing to move to the back of a segregated military bus. In 1945, Robinson was invited to become the first African American to play with the all-white Dodgers’ farm team, the Montreal Royals. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era and took home the Rookie of the Year Award. At the end of his successful nine years as a Dodger, his record included 137 home runs, 734 runs batted in, and 197 stolen bases. In 1955, he helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win their first World Series Championship. Robinson also received the Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, and in 1962 became the first Black American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II was born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Obama first attended Occidental College in Los Angeles before transferring to Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1983. After three years of community organizing, Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School. After completing his first year, he met Michelle Robinson, his future wife. Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson were married in 1992. In 2000, Obama made his first run for the U.S. Congress, and in July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. On February 10, 2007, Obama formally announced his candidacy for President of the United States. On November 4, 2008, Obama became the first African American to be elected President. Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009.  President Obama signed the Recovery Act in February 2009. In March 2010, Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (also known as “Obamacare”).