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Spike Lee born March 20, 1957
World renowned director, Spike, realized his passion for film while attending Morehouse College. After his mother passed away, Spike spent his time watching movies and finding out which styles he liked best. His first feature film came out in 1989 and he has successfully pushed the boundaries ever since. Do the Right Thing, (1989), Malcom X (1992), BlackKKKlansman (2018). He is the youngest person to ever received an Honorary Academy Award.
John Boyega born March 1992
John began his acting career by playing a leopard in a school play. After study theater and acting in London, he exploded on to the big screen as Finn in three Star Wars movies. As well as acting John runs his own production company. He is a supporter of BLM movement and is a vocal and active advocate for the advancement of Black people across the globe.
Ankia Noni Rose born September 6, 1972. Anika began performing in school plays in high school and studied theater at Florida A&M University. She played Lorrell Robinson in the Academy Award-winning Dream Girgls (2006) and has had a successful musical career, including winning her award-winning performance in Caroline of Change. She is best known for voicing the first ever African American Disney princess: Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Zanele Muholi
born July 19, 1972
Zanele is a photography pioneer who tells the story of the life in S. Africa through the lens of Black queer and trans people’s experiences. Through their art, Zanele has been able to reach millions of people world-wide.
Ruth Batson, August 3, 1921-
October 28, 2003
Born in Boston to Jamaican immigrants, Ruth, an American civil rights activist and outspoken advocate of equal education spoke out about the desegregation of Boston Public Schools. In the early 1960s, she challenged the Boston School Committee, charging that Boston Public Schools were largely segregated. Ruth highlighted that schools with majority black student populations often had poor quality facilities when compared to the facilities at schools with majority white student enrollment.
More recently, Batson had directed the revitalized Museum of African American History in Beacon Hill, stepping down in 1990.
Her financial support for medical students at Boston University School of Medicine, the school, under the leadership of Dr. Aram Chobanian, established the Ruth Batson Scholarship in 1997. Since that time, the school has awarded more than US$500,000 in scholarships to 40 Boston University minority medical students, including four MD and PhD students. Each year, Batson visited the medical center to have lunch with the Batson Scholars, hear their life's stories and share her experiences, especially with the health care system in America
Toni Morrison born February 18, 1931
August 5, 2019
Toni published her first book, the Bluest Eye, when she was 30.n She went on to write Sula, Beloved and even books for children. Her stories explore, gender, love, colorism, and community. Toni was the first African American woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature and was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mae Jemison born October 17, 1956
Mae attended Cornell Medical School and served in the Peace Corps medical officer in Liberia and Sierra Leone. She also worked on research projects including the development of Hepatitis-B vaccine. When she returned to the US, she studied engineering and applied to NASA. She was selected for the astronaut program in 1987 and became the first Black woman to travel in space.
Faith Ringgold
born October 8, 1930
Faith is one of the most respected artist of her generation. Some of her most well-known works are soft sculptures and masks inspired by African art. She experiments with quilting, painting and she has gone on to write and illustrate award winning books..
Angela Davis born,
January 26, 1944
Today, her activism is more relevant than ever.
Angela grew up in a racially charged area of Birmingham Alabama, nicknamed “Dynamite Hill. She was determined to help end racial violence and eventually joined the Black Panther Party. Her political ties led her to lose her position as a college professor and she eventually took UCLA to court to get her back. She since has devoted her career to education and advocacy.
Jean-Michel Basquiat born Dec 22, 1960 died Aug 12, 1988.
He immersed himself in the New York City graffiti scene in the 1970’s. Influenced by street art, he combined drawing and painting with to make political statements. He became friends with fellow artist Any Warhol and the pair created art together in the 1980’s. Jean passed away when he was just 27, but his influence continues to today.
A pioneering journalist and anti-lynching crusader who fought racial injustice through investigative reporting.
“In 1883, Wells boarded a train on her way to her teaching job near Memphis. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 had been overturned by the Supreme Court, and post-Civil War Reconstruction had ended several years earlier. Wells had a first-class ticket for the “ladies car,” but the conductor asked her to move to the “smoking car,” where Black passengers sat. Wells refused.” What ensued was similar to what is happening in 2026; she was yanked, pulled, pushed, and removed from the train.
What’s happening on the streets of America is as old as the country itself. It is individuals, Americans like Ida B. Wells, and many more, who continue to stand up to White supremacy, capitalism, and hate.
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Octavia (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction and speculative fiction writer who won several awards for her works, including Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards. Read More>
Kwame Alexander
Poet, author of That’s the Honey, sees the power of poetry. Follow him on Instagramww.instagram.com/kwamealexander/
Celebrating Black Americans every day, but especially the month of February.
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“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– No Name in the Street
ACLU NOTICE TO ICE AND FEDERAL AGENTS: ANYONE ON US SOIL HAS THE RIGHT UNDER THE 1st 2nd, 4th and 5th AMENDMENTS:
I do not consent to entering a home with a warrant signed by a federal judge, not an administrative warrant
I am exercising my 4th Amendment right to refuse entry without a valid search warrant signed by a judge.
I am exercising my 5th Amendment right to remain silent. I will not answer any questions or sign documents without a lawyer present.
I am exercising my 1st Amendment right to assemble peacefully to protest.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
Working with and educating immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector to help build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people
FOR MORE INFO VISIT: www.ilrc.org/
Kara Walker
born Nov 26, 1969
An artist from time of childhood, she inherited her father’s talent and passion for storytelling. She told stories through her works of art. Her famous mural of silhouettes cut from black paper at the Drawing Centre in New York City. From there, she explored all sorts of artistic mediums including paint and film. She is one of the most respected artistic voice on race and racism
2024 Black History Month
Celebrating Black Americans Past + Present
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– No Name in the Street