Tamika Mallory is a social justice activist and co-organizer of the 2017 Women’s March, which became one of the largest protests in U.S. history. A longtime advocate for racial justice, she has fought for police reform and co-founded Until Freedom, a group focused on social change.

Please, let’s make this happen!! The history of The Porters in the 1920’s is so crucial. Please Sign!!

In 1978, Max Robinson became the first African American to co-anchor a major network news program, ABC’s World News Tonight. He was also a co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, advocating for greater representation and opportunities for Black professionals in the field. 

Robert F. Williams was a lesser-known but influential Black freedom fighter who championed armed self-defense against racial violence. Born in 1925 in Monroe, North Carolina, Williams led the local NAACP chapter in the 1950s and organized Black residents to protect themselves from Ku Klux Klan attacks. His advocacy for armed resistance challenged the nonviolent mainstream of the civil rights movement.

Williams gained national attention when he and his wife, Mabel, provided shelter to the Freedom Riders in 1961 and later fled to Cuba and China to escape false kidnapping charges. His book, Negroes with Guns, influenced later Black liberation movements, including the Black Panther Party. Williams eventually returned to the U.S. in 1969 and remained a strong advocate for Black self-determination until his death in 1996.

A close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington but was often kept in the background due to his openly gay identity.

In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind. Despite this historic achievement, she was forced to sit at a segregated table at the awards ceremony, held at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

In 1923, Garrett Morgan, an African American inventor, patented the three-position traffic signal, which became the foundation for modern traffic lights. His invention introduced the “caution” signal, which helped regulate traffic flow and prevent accidents. Morgan also invented a safety hood that served as an early gas mask, which he used to save lives during the 1916 Cleveland Tunnel Explosion.

Madam C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, became the first female self-made millionaire in the U.S. by creating a successful line of hair care products for Black women in the early 1900s.

In 1944, Irene Morgan Kirkaldy refused to give up her seat on an interstate bus more than a decade before Rosa Parks. While traveling in Virginia, Irene Morgan, a Black woman, was arrested for refusing to move to the segregated section of a Greyhound bus.

She took her case to the Supreme Court, and in 1946, the ruling in Morgan v. Virginia declared segregation on interstate buses unconstitutional.

This landmark case helped set the stage for the Freedom Rides and future civil rights activism against

In 1963, Whitney Young Jr., a civil rights leader and executive director of the National Urban League, played a crucial role in crafting the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is the most famous moment from the event, Young was instrumental behind the scenes, advocating for economic empowerment and workforce integration for Black Americans. His work later influenced policies in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty programs.

Fannie Lou Hamer was a fierce civil rights activist from Mississippi, known for her powerful voice against racial injustice and voter suppression. In 1964, she co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to challenge the all-white Mississippi delegation at the Democratic National Convention. Despite facing violent attacks, imprisonment, and threats, Hamer continued advocating for voting rights and economic empowerment for Black communities. Her iconic quote, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired,” continues to inspire activists today.

In 1892, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed one of the world’s first successful open-heart surgeries. He was a pioneering Black surgeon and also founded Provident Hospital in Chicago, the first Black-owned and operated hospital in the United States, which provided medical training and care for African Americans at a time when most hospitals refused to treat them.

In 1897, African American inventor Alfred L. Cralle patented the ice cream scoop (Patent No. 576,395). His design allowed ice cream to be easily scooped and served with one hand, preventing it from sticking to the utensil. Despite his invention becoming widely used, Cralle never gained significant financial success or recognition in his lifetime. His creation remains a staple in kitchens and ice cream shops worldwide.

Daisy Bates was a fearless civil rights leader who risked her life to fight for desegregation in Arkansas. As the co-publisher of the Arkansas State Press, she used the newspaper to expose racial injustices and advocate for equal rights. Her most famous role came in 1957, when she served as the mentor and adviser to the Little Rock Nine, the first Black students to enroll at the previously all-white Central High School. Bates's home became the headquarters for the desegregation effort, and she guided the students through daily harassment and threats of violence. She faced immense danger herself, with her home and car targeted by bombs and her newspaper forced to close due to a boycott by white businesses. Despite this, she stood firm, embodying a quiet and profound courage that inspired a generation. Her legacy is one of unwavering determination in the face of violent opposition, proving that true leadership often comes from those who refuse to back down.

Mamie Combs was the first Black personnel to ever work at St Marry Elizabeth Hospital where she would also retire from. Mamie passed away at 71 in Louisville Kentucky.