By Rianna Morgan and Sasha Weintraub
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and honor the achievements of African and Black people, and to commemorate their history. It has been officially celebrated every February in the United States and Canada since 1976, and this year, in 2026, we celebrate the 100th year of Black History tributes.
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, a historian, author, and journalist, established Negro History Week. It was celebrated during the second week of February to align with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). Woodson aimed to promote the history and achievements of African Americans and extend the study of Black history. Then, in the 1940s, Black people in West Virginia began celebrating Negro History Week for the full month of February, calling it Negro History Month. It caught on and in 1976, Negro History Week officially became Black History Month. Ever since the 1970s, each U.S. president has endorsed this annual celebration.
Key figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are very well known today and deserve all of their recognition. However, we have also overlooked many other Black figures; those who aren’t household names or textbook stalwarts. They, too, deserve to be honored and recognized, not only during Black History Month, but year-round as well.
Madam C.J. Walker was the first female self-made millionaire, due to her line of hair care products specialized for Black women. She was born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867 on a plantation. By her 30s, Walker developed a scalp disorder, which caused her to lose hair quickly. She created a treatment for it, which she called the "Walker system." that involved scalp care, lotions, and iron combs. About 10 years later, she invented a custom pomade, which was extremely successful. The success of her pomade led to the expansion of her brand, which has now been turned into the brand MADAM; made to honor her and her legacy.
Max Robinson, another overlooked Black figure, was a journalist and the first African American man to anchor a nightly network newscast. He was also the first African American to anchor a local news program in Washington, D.C. His first journalism job started and ended in 1959, at a Portsmouth television station in Virginia that selected him over a group of all-white applicants. However, producers projected an image of the station's logo to cover his face while he read the news. The day after he presented the news without the logo, he was fired. Later at WRC-TV, he won awards for coverage of race riots and a documentary on life in poor urban areas.
Ethel Waters was the very first African American to star in her own television show and to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She was a blues singer and actress, and after singing in a local nightclub, she was asked to join the Braxton and Nugent Vaudeville Troupe. She sang “St. Louis Blues,” sparking her rise to fame. Waters became the first African American woman to integrate Broadway when she was awarded a starring role in the Broadway musical As Thousands Cheer. She became one of the highest paid actresses on Broadway, and also had a full career in film and television.
Althea Gibson was a professional tennis player and golfer. She was the first African American to compete in the U.S. National Championships and one of the first Black athletes to play international tennis. Gibson was born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina. At the age of three, she and her family moved to Harlem in New York City, NY. Growing up, Gibson loved sports, but disliked school. By the age of eighteen, she had dropped out of high school. While out of school, she learned to play tennis on the streets, but later met Buddy Walker, who introduced her to The Cosmopolitan Club, a private tennis club for Black people. At the club, she met Fred Johnson, the coach, who taught her how to play properly, and under the American Tennis Association (ATA), she began her career as a tennis player. After years of playing tennis, her success earned her a scholarship for basketball and tennis to Florida A&M. In 1955, Gibson received her BA at the age of twenty seven. In 1950, Gibson first appeared in the U.S. Nationals, later winning them in 1957 and 1958. By 1959, Gibson turned professional and started touring with the Harlem Globetrotters. During the 1960s, Althea Gibson started learning to play golf, and in 1964, she became the first African American woman to be a member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). By 1968, Gibson stopped competing and became a professional tennis teacher. On September 28, 2003, Gibson died at the age of 76. Her story is an important achievement in sports and African American history.