Black History Month Figures

Charity Adams-Earley: Ashley Acee

Charity Adams is best known for pioneering the Women’s Army Corp (WAC). She was the highest-ranking black woman officer during World War II, the first African American woman to become an officer in WAC, and commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only predominantly black WAC unit to serve overseas. Born on December 5, 1918, in Kittrell, North Carolina, Adams grew up the oldest of four children. Her parents, Eugene and Charity Nash Adams, strongly believed in good education, explaining her impressive instructional history. She started school as a second grader and graduated high school two years early as valedictorian of her class. She went on to attend Wilberforce University where she majored in mathematics, Latin, and physics. Her legacy most iconically resides in her work with the “Six Triple Eight,” where they cleared over 17 million pieces of backlogged mail in three months when given a six-month deadline. The inspiring story of the 6888th Battalion is told in the Tyler Perry Netflix Drama, “The Six Triple Eight.” Adams-Earley actively fought against segregation and opened doors of opportunity for African American women in the military. She died on January 13, 2002 in Dayton, Ohio.

Christian D. Menefee: Leann Vergara

Christian D. Menefee was elected in 2020 at 32 years old to serve as Harris County (Texas)’s youngest and is the first African-American county attorney. Menefee was born in Houston, Texas and, as the first from his family to attend college, graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Washington University School of Law. He had defeated Vince Ryan during the March 2020 Texas Democratic Primary Election, while winning the November 2020 General Election before officially taking office in January 2021. Menefee used to practice business litigation, commercial litigation, and bankruptcy matters on state and federal levels but also represented clients in private practice against a discriminatory immigrant ban. He heavily focused on pro bono work, which is working for free to the benefit of a community, as well as advising immigrant families at Bush Intercontinental Airport during the “Muslim ban”. We wish him luck as he continues to serve as county lawyer in our nation’s 3rd largest county.

Ruby Nell Bridges Hall: Khoi Crow

Currently, an American Civil Rights activist located in New Orleans, Mrs. Bridges was the first African American child to attend a formerly white-only elementary school. She was born in Mississippi and moved to New Orleans when she was four. She attended a segregated kindergarten before moving to William Frantz Elementary School, which was recently desegregated. Only one teacher, Barbara Henry, was willing to teach her, as others refused to. She had to be escorted in and out of school due to threats against her, was only able to eat food she brought from home, and was not allowed to participate in recess. The Story of Ruby Bridges was a book written by her child psychiatrist Robert Coles, and the money made from the book went to fund her school supplies and to help her family. She now lives in New Orleans with her husband and her four sons, as of 2004. 

Marielle Franco: Molly Mickel

Marielle Franco, born in Rio de Janeiro, was a Brazilian politician and human rights activist. She was born into poverty but carved a path of her own. Franco grew up in the favelas, an extremely impoverished community in Brazil that had one of the lowest life expectancies in Rio. Despite her background, she attended university and earned her master’s degree in Social Sciences. Franco then went on to be elected as a member of the city council in Rio and gained overwhelming support. Growing up in poverty, Franco strongly advocated for the rights of people living in the favelas as well as for black, feminist, reproductive, and LGBTQ communities. Marielle Franco was incredibly influential, she defended her beliefs and fought for change. In 2018 Franco was assassinated. Her strong stance against militia made her a problem in the eyes of some people. Although she is no longer here today, her powerful legacy lives on. She inspired many during her lifetime and lives on as an inspiration to many Brazilians today.

Dorothy Height: Neha Chakilam

Dorothy Height was born on March 24, 1912, in Richmond, Virginia. Height was both an African American civil rights activist and a women’s rights activist. Throughout high school, Height remained active socially and politically, advocating for equal rights and fighting against injustice. She used her ability as a skillful speaker to win a college scholarship through a speaking competition. She later applied to New York University, where she earned a degree in education and psychology. She actively addressed issues against unemployment and drugs. This brought attention to the public, especially to young people. Height later became an important figure in the civil rights movement and worked with other notable figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and A. Philip Randolph. She stood close to King when he was delivering his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Later in 1971, she focused on her contributions as a women’s rights activist and helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus with Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and Shirley Chisholm. Through her work, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. She passed away in Washington D.C. on April 20, 2010. 

Max Robinson: Gianna Marie Montesclaros

Max Robinson was a trailblazing journalist who became the first African American to anchor a major network news program. Born on May 1, 1939, Robinson grew up in segregated America, where his parents instilled in him the importance of education and perseverance. Excelling academically and showing an early talent for public speaking, he pursued journalism, breaking racial barriers as the first African American anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight in 1978. His commitment to highlighting racial injustice and giving a voice to marginalized communities left a lasting impact on the media industry, inspiring many Black journalists to follow in his footsteps. Tragically, Robinson passed away on December 20, 1988, from complications related to AIDS, a disease that carried a heavy stigma at the time. His legacy continues to inspire progress and representation in journalism.

Barack Obama: Sophia SanMartin

Barack Obama, born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a significant political figure as the 44th President of the United States as well as the first African American person to be elected for this position. He began his education at Occidental College in Los Angeles before transferring to Columbia University, where he graduated in 1983. Later, he earned a degree in law from Harvard Law School, becoming the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review. After receiving his degree, Obama moved to Chicago where he became more involved with the Democratic Party. Before becoming president he worked as a community organizer in Chicago, a civil rights attorney, and a professor, teaching constitutional law. The political aspect of his career started in the Illinois State Senate and continued into the U.S. Senate. Then, in 2008, Obama was elected president, campaigning on hope and change for our country. As president, he put into effect important policies such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), worked to fix the economy during the Great Recession, focused on clean energy, and more. His election and leadership were major steps toward racial equality, inspiring people all around the world.

Serena Williams: Kaitlin McLaughlin

Born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, Serena Jameka Williams was raised in Compton, California. Williams started playing tennis at a young age under the coaching and guidance of their father, Richard Williams. Though she faced many challenges in her career, including having limited resources, racial bias, criticism, and the pressure to break into a predominantly white sport, Williams became a professional at fourteen years old, and her career continued to gain momentum. With twenty-three Grand Slam singles titles (winning all four major championships in a singles tournament) and fourteen Grand Slam doubles titles (winning all four major championships in a doubles tournament), her accomplishments show her dominance in the sport. She has held the world No. 1 ranking for six years, giving everyone proof of her consistency and skill in tennis. Williams has inspired a new generation of players and excellence while striving for entrepreneurial success and philanthropic efforts. Through Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm, she has donated to companies led by women of color and supported education and community movements. Williams is a role model for everyone and continuously inspires others to dream big with everything she does. 

Henrietta Lacks: Michelle Chambers

Henrietta Lacks was an African-American mother of five who is the source of one of the most important cell lines in medical history. On August 1, 1920, Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke, Virginia. After giving birth to her last child in 1951, Lacks complained of a “knot” in her stomach and was referred to Johns Hopkins, the only hospital at the time that would treat black patients in her area. Doctors diagnosed Lacks with cervical cancer, and a sample of cells from a biopsy of a mass on Lacks’ cervix was sent to cancer researcher Dr. George Gey. Dr. Gey had been collecting cells from different patients for his research in the cancer and virus fields. Until then, cells cultured for studies hadn’t survived long enough to perform tests on the same sample. However, Lacks’ cells were unlike any others and could survive for longer periods by replicating themselves. Although she unfortunately passed away a few months after the diagnosis, her legacy lives on through the remarkable impact her cells have had on the world. Gey began sharing the cells, and the first immortalized human cell line revolutionized biomedical sciences. The HeLa cell line has been used to study the effects of treatments on cancer cells, research the human genome, and develop polio and COVID-19 vaccines. No recognition was officially received by the family until 1996, and Lacks’ story highlights the importance of informed consent in the healthcare system. 

Kamala Harris: Samantha Verlaque

   Kamala Devi Harris, born October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, has achieved numerous historic milestones as an African American woman. She attended the historically Black institution, Howard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and went on to get her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. Harris began her legal career in the Alameda County District attorney’s office, and in 2003, was elected as the district attorney of San Francisco. She was both the first woman and the first African American to hold this position. In 2010, she was elected as California’s Attorney General, again being the first African American woman in that position. In 2016, she was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing California, where she advocated for criminal justice reform, healthcare improvements, and immigration policy changes. In 2021, she once again made history by being elected as Vice President of the United States, under President Joe Biden, becoming the first African American woman to hold this position. This past year, 2024, Harris secured the Democratic nomination for president and led an impressive campaign. While she did not win, her political career is far from over, and it is without a doubt that she will continue to push boundaries in modern-day politics. 

Mark E. Dean: Jaden Nakamura

Mark E. Dean is an American inventor known for developing the ISA bus and for his contributions to the one-gigahertz computer processor chip. Born in 1957, Dean excelled in school from an early age. In first grade, he was already tutoring kids in his town in trigonometry, and by middle school he knew he wanted to be an engineer. In 1980, he joined IBM and rapidly moved through the ranks as an engineering mastermind, holding 40 patents in his lifetime. This includes three of the nine patents for the IBM personal computer released in 1981. His technology quickly became the industry standard, and as one of the first mass-marketed PCs, it helped to give way to the technological age we know today. He went on to receive a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1992, before returning to IBM to continue his mission of making stronger computers, accessible to everyone.

In 1997, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and received the Black Engineer of the Year President's Award. After retiring in 2013, he became a professor to share his wisdom at the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s School of Engineering. He continues to be a role model for young African Americans interested in STEM. In Dean’s words, “A lot of kids growing up today aren’t told that you can be whatever you want to be. There may be obstacles, but there are no limits.”

Kendrick Lamar: Lila Onori

Kendrick Lamar is a 20-time Grammy award-winning rapper from Compton, California most notably recognized for hits like “Humble” and “Not Like Us.” Beyond musical achievements, like being a 21-week chart-topper with “Not Like Us,” Lamar also garnered a mass of attention from his infamous feud with Drake last year. After J. Cole dropped his song “First Person Shooter” where he named himself, Drake, and Kendrick, as the “big three.” Kendrick, wanting to distance himself from the other two, hopped on famed producer Metro Boomin’s track, “Like That,” where he denounces the two with, "the big three … it's just big me," while also throwing in a few lines about Drake and his character. Drake did not take to this aggression well and dropped the distrack, “Push Ups” which was followed quickly by a rebuttal from Kendrick that went on back and forth for several weeks ending in a total of nine songs. 

While the beef is yet to be squashed, the attention on Kendrick has shown people that “Not Like Us” couldn’t be a more fitting title for the artist because Lamar is simply not like the rest. One thing that sets Kendrick apart from the competition in the rap game, even going so far as to earn him a Pulitzer prize, is his incredible lyricism skills. In a genre oversaturated with sexual, violent, or money-focused lyrics, Lamar instead chooses to focus on the things in life that truly mean something to him. His lyrics and performance often focus and shed light on his life in Compton as well as on the way he is viewed because of where he comes from. In his song “Swimming Pools(Drank)” he talks about alcoholism in his family and what impact that has had on him. He shows his deep-meaning musical abilities in performance too, notably at the most recent Super Bowl half-time mere days ago where he highlighted the black experience in America with heavy political under-tones dispersed throughout. 

Maya Angelou: Tali Cooper

Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. Before becoming a famous American author, Angelou worked as a cook, waitress, singer, dancer, teacher, editor, and more. She dropped out of school in 1942 to become the first African-American female car conductor in San Francisco. 1955 began her tour of Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess. Angelou recorded her first album, Calypso Lady, about two years later. Moving to New York brought her position at the Harlem Writers Guild and a couple of Off-Broadway performances. 1960 was the year she moved to Cairo, Egypt, and edited The Arab Observer, then in 1961 Angelou moved to Ghana and taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. Secondly, she was a feature editor for The African Review and wrote for The Ghanaian Times. Angelou published her award-winning novel, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” in 1969, and about three years later, her film “Georgia, Georgia” was released. Angelou wrote the screenplay of this movie and was the first ever African American woman to write her own script. Following the release of the film and many others, Angelou won several Grammy Awards and various medals. Tying together her incredible life story and timeline of achievements, Angelou sent her last tweet:  “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God,” just 5 days before she passed away in her home on May 28, 2014. 

Harriet Tubman: Mahlani Tanap

Harriet Tubman was born in 1822 in Maryland, where she was forced to work as a slave on a plantation. At around 29 years old, Harriet escaped to the North, where slavery was illegal. Although already free, Tubman made many trips back to the South to help others in their escape. She became one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad, a connection of safehouses for slaves on their way to the North. Over about 10 years, Harriet made 13 dangerous trips back to the South, helping around 70 people escape to freedom. Tubman used disguises, singing codes, and secret signals to avoid capture. People called her “Moses,” because like the biblical figure, she led people to freedom. During the Civil War, when the North and South were fighting over slavery, Tubman also helped the Union Army. She worked as a nurse, and later as a spy, gaining information to help the Union win battles. After the war, Harriet Tubman spent her life fighting for women's rights and equal treatment for all people, even though she faced many struggles. Harriet Tubman died on March 10, 1913, at 91 in Auburn, New York, where she had lived for many years after the Civil War. 

Jesse Owens: Kian De Alwis

Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913. He was an American track and field athlete who inspired countless children across the world to chase their dreams. At the 1936 Olympic Games, held in Berlin, he was able to win four gold medals. These achievements are not only symbols of his athleticism, but they show how a young boy with a passion for running can truly make it so far. He was the youngest of ten siblings and, when he was nine, moved to Cleveland, Ohio. As a child, he worked after school to help provide for his family, which resulted in early morning training. He has nothing but praise and gratitude for his junior high school track coach, Charles Riley, who allowed Owens to improve himself on the track at Fairmount Junior High School. Unfortunately, he was a heavy smoker and passed away from lung cancer on March 31, 1980. His legacy still carries on today as his story motivates young athletes today. 

Jordan Peele: Alexia Armienta 

As a writer and director Jordan Peele has reimagined horror and thriller, by focusing on Black narratives and issues of racism, social inequality and identity in his productions. His debut film, Get Out (2017), became a cultural phenomenon, earning critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay—a historic win for Peele as the first Black writer to receive the honor. Films such as Us (2019) and Nope (2022) led to his continuing renown as a visionary storyteller who shook stereotypes and gave a voice to the black experience.

Beyond film, Peele co-created the Emmy-winning sketch comedy series Key Peele, which showcased his sharp wit and ability to satirize race relations with humor and insight. As a pioneer of the entertainment industry in Hollywood, Jordan Peele continues to influence the next generation, demonstrating the impact that the art of storytelling can have to evoke reflection and conversations. 

Octavia Butler: Nishika

Octavia Butler was a trailblazing writer best known for transforming the world of science fiction. Butler was born on June 22, 1947, in Pasadena, California. Although Pasadena was not officially segregated, Butler and her mother, who only had the opportunity to attend school for 3 years and worked as a maid, faced many barriers. Butler’s mother did her best to give her daughter all of the opportunities she had not been afforded, including giving Butler her first library card. Butler struggled in school due to her dyslexia, which was perceived as an unwillingness to work by her teachers, but she found solace in her local public library, where she could read books that actually interested her. 

Her love for reading motivated her to begin writing stories, one of which she submitted to a science fiction magazine at age 13. Soon after, Butler decided that she wanted to be a professional writer. Nine years later, she graduated from Pasadena City College but continued to take classes at Cal State LA and UCLA, simply because she loved to learn. After taking a class with a science fiction writer, she attended a science fiction writers workshop, by the end of which she had sold two stories. However, she struggled to get any subsequent stories published until the manuscript of her book The Patternmaster was published. 

In total, Butler published 11 books and became the first and only science fiction writer to earn the MacArthur Genius Grant, along with winning many other prestigious writing awards. Butler passed away in 2006, but her work paved the way for generations of African-American authors to show that everyone belongs in science fiction. 

Bessie Coleman: Conner Chinn

Bessie Coleman has been both an inspiration for African Americans and women, as she became the first American woman to obtain an international pilot’s license. Born in 1892, Coleman was raised by her mother of African descent and her father of Native American descent. She became a part of The Great Migration, where African-Americans left Jim Crow states for better jobs and less discrimination. Coleman ultimately ended up as a manicurist at the Burnham School of Beauty Culture. However, she was not satisfied and applied to almost every aviation school in America, but was denied because of her race and gender. Still chasing her dream, Coleman moved to France and enrolled in their most famous flight school The Ecole d’Aviation des Frères Caudron at Le Crotoy in 1920. There she studied for ten months, learning the basics of aviation and how to do stunt tricks. After an additional seven months, Coleman tested and passed for a license from the famous Federation Aeronautique Internationale, which gave recipients the ability to fly anywhere in the world. She was the first American regardless of race or gender to receive such an honor. A year later, Coleman came back to America and traveled across the country performing in stunt shows and encouraging other African-Americans to learn aviation. Her lifelong dream was to create a flight school for African Americans. She advocated for desegregation and the end of racial discrimination. However, in 1926, she died during a freak accident while flying over and scouting for jump sites that would be used during stunt shows. Her death came as a shock to her supporters and a funeral was held in Chicago with thousands of people attending it as tribute. Although she died at the age of 34, her determination and strength inspired the generations of African Americans to come.