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The 1st of February marks the start of Black History Month, a time in which people around the world honor the achievements and history of African-Americans as well as other Black communities in places such as the UK. In light of this commemoration, here are 3 African-American figures throughout history; people we shouldn’t simply honor during February, but celebrate and remember in our day-to-day lives and education as well.
- Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American transgender woman, drag queen, and LGBTQ+ rights activist. Both a motherly icon and highly successful drag queen among the LGBTQ+ community in New York, she not only helped LGBTQ+ youth facing homelessness or difficulty but also toured with the Hot Peaches as a drag queen. Marsha, who was said to be outspoken and kind, was at the forefront of the Stonewall Uprising and later helped found the STAR House, a shelter for gay and trans youth, in 1970. Read more about Marsha here.
- Madam C.J. Walker
Today, Madam C.J. Walker is popularly known as the first female African-American millionaire in the United States; however, her life didn’t originally start out that way. Orphaned at 7 and widowed at 20, she started out as a washerwoman, sales agent, then cook, throughout which she experimented with hair-care formulas and learnt chemistry. With this, she created a line of highly-successful hair products for African-American hair which would launch her into fame as an entrepreneur icon. Outside of her business empire, however, she has also contributed as a philanthropist and political activist. Read more about Madam C.J. Walker here.
- Bayard Rustin
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 is a household name for many in America; sadly, one of its most crucial organisers, Bayard Rustin, isn’t. A close advisor of Martin Luther King Jr. and a highly influential force behind the civil rights movement, he was the forefront organizer of countless protests from the 1940s through the 1960s. Despite being a crucial figure of the civil rights movement, it is said that Rustin is oftentimes overlooked because he was an openly-gay man with former ties to the Communist Party during a time when many would not accept him for it. Read more about Bayard Rustin here.
