Remembering lesser-known figures of the Civil Rights Movement | Black History Month 2022

This Black History Month, I am using my social media platforms to showcase Black individuals – both past and present. For this list, it was very difficult to pick just eight individuals, as there are so many incredible Black figures who went on to change the course of history, however, this list showcases just a few that we don’t hear about as often as we should.

 Outside of Black History Month, each one of these incredible changemakers deserve to be celebrated and remembered for their achievements and the impact they had on the Civil Rights Movement.

Shirley Chisholm

The first Black woman to be elected to congress, and represented New York’s 12th District between 1969 – 1983. Her campaign slogan was ‘Unbought and Unbossed’.

Claudette Colvin

At age 15 refused to sit at the back of the bus, before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. She was the first woman to be detained for resistance.

Dorothy Height

The ‘Godmother of the Women’s Movement’. She was the leader of the Young Women’s Christian Association, and the president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for more than 40 years. She was one of the few women present at MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech.

Jesse Owens

A track and field athlete that set a world record in the long jump at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin – a record that went unrivaled for 25 years. He won four gold medals that year – and in 1976 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Bessie Coleman

The first licensed Black pilot in the world. A true pioneer in aviation, but not recognized until after her death. 

Jane Bolin

The first Black woman to attend Yale Law. She became the first Black female judge in the United states eight years later, and held that position for ten years.

Marsha P. Johnson

A Black, transwoman and activist, she was at the forefront of the LGBTQ movement. She was the co-founder of STAR, an organization that gave homes to homeless queer youth, and fought for equality through the Gay Liberation Front.

Ruby Bridges

At six years old, she was the first African American student to attend William Frantz Elementary in Louisiana at the height of desegregation. She is the Chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which aims to promote “the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences.”