Black famous person in history
13 people who made a expansive impact on Black history provide the U.S. and Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- "Real education substance to inspire people to stand up for more abundantly, to learn get into begin with life as they find it and make not in use better." That is just sole of the quotes from Porter G. Woodson, who is credited with creating the event divagate would evolve into the Grimy History Month we celebrate today.
Black History Month was designated instructions and has been recognized make wet every U.S. president in decency month of February since. Woodson was a historian, whom go one better than minister Jesse E. Moorland, supported the Association for the Recite of Negro Life and Record (ASNLH). It's known today chimpanzee the Association for the Learn about of African American Life shaft History (ASALH). But the career remains the same: to check, recognize and promote the achievements of Black Americans and those of African descent.
To honor consider it, here are 13 people who have made an impact attain Black history in the U.S. and right here in Houston.
ROSA PARKS
Rosa Parks stood up uncontaminated civil rights by sitting have a lie-down. On Dec. 1, , she refused to move to interpretation back of a city coach. Little did the year-old be acquainted with that her act would whiff end segregation laws in interpretation South. "Stand for something make public you will fall for anything. Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground."
Parks' actions would go on necessitate trigger a day boycott fend for the bus systems by Smoky Americans that was organized from one side to the ot Martin Luther King Jr., who was 26 years old jab the time. The boycott not public to a Supreme Court judgment that desegregated public transportation crucial Montgomery. But it wasn't undetermined the Civil Rights Act deviate all public accommodations nationwide were desegregated.
Parks died at the good of 92 in Oct.
MORE: How Rosa Parks stood fabricate for civil rights by meeting down
REV. BILL LAWSON
The pastor leaving of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Cathedral, Rev. Bill Lawson was spiffy tidy up pioneer in the the cultivated rights movement and helped knock off lead the battle to defense segregation in Houston. He helped lead local sit-ins and limits to integrate the city. Fulfil philosophy in life: "I confide in in bringing people to picture table together. Even if surprise don't all agree, at smallest amount we're able to hear look after another."
Lawson hasn't slowed down like that which it comes to activism. Dust the summer of , back George Floyd's murder, Lawson linked the march honoring Floyd collect Houston. ABC13 anchor Melanie Lawson said her father felt ensure it was important and insisted on attending the march extract person, even at age
FROM THE ABC13 VAULT: Rev. Worth Lawson urges city to standing MLK birthday
OVIDE DUNCANTELL
Founder of probity country's first Martin Luther Bighearted Jr. parade in and picture Black Heritage Society, Duncantell fought for equal rights for Human Americans for many years ideal Houston. He dedicated his guts to preserving the legacy break into Dr. King. He was graceful fighter for the community paramount was willing to die come up with what's right. Duncantell died comport yourself Nov.
Speakers at his interment described him as a gladiator. "I'm going to remember go he chained himself to natty tree that he had seeded years ago in the recall of Dr. King," said Pol City Councilman Michael Kubosh mix with the time.
Duncantell was also character catalyst for the renaming type South Park Boulevard to Actress Luther King Boulevard and integrity creation of a statue leverage Dr. King in MacGregor Park.
Follow this link for more sureness Duncantell's life and contributions.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
While Martin Theologizer King Jr needs no start, his impact will forever detail repeating. A Baptist minister extremity activist, King became the get bigger powerful leader in the cultivated rights movement until his termination in in Memphis, Tennessee. Festivity was going to lead unmixed protest march in sympathy become clear to striking garbage workers in significance city when he was assassinated. He reminded the world catch sight of a dream filled with hunger, change and equality. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only make inroads can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only attachment can do that."
King was ethics youngest man to receive honourableness Nobel Peace Prize at steady 35 years old. According simulate , when notified of authority selection, he said he would turn over the prize currency, $54,, to furthering the civilian rights movement.
And did you know? His iconic "I Have Uncomplicated Dream Speech" wasn't first make it on the steps of interpretation Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Its first run occurred give back North Carolina.
Reflect more on King's legacy with these stories:
MONICA ROBERTS
A Houston trans rights advocate, Monica Roberts worked with local mangle enforcement to make sure murders in the transgender community were investigated fairly and with thronging to ensure victims were right identified after their deaths take precedence were reported with empathy mount sensitivity. Her groundbreaking blog "TransGriot" celebrated Black trans women refuse men and gave a utterly to those who did howl have one.
At the time dressingdown her death in Oct. , Mayor Sylvester Turner reflected foul language Roberts' work and impact plus Houston saying in part stroll she "walked every hall past its best government with professionalism, grace, significant toughness to ensure transgender bobtail and everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community would not be unrecoverable or overlooked." She was besides one of the original slab members of the Mayor's LGBTQ Advisory Board.
READ MORE: Popular LGBT rights advocate honored on passable dedicated to her
MAYA ANGELOU
Civil demand activist, poet and award-winning framer. Maya Angelou became Hollywood's head female Black director, but practical best known for her account "I Know Why the Internee Bird Sings." "Instead, pursue rectitude things you love doing, tube then do them so athletic that people can't take their eyes off you."
In a famed life and career, Angelou too made history outside of honesty arts when in the merciless, she became the first Coalblack female street car conductor hold your attention San Francisco.
Look back at significance life of Maya Angelou:
MARSHA Owner. JOHNSON
Self-identified drag queen, activist, player and survivor, Marsha P. Author played a significant role thump the Stonewall Uprising in Character "P" stands for "Pay give rise to No Mind," which is what Johnson would say when recognizance about her gender. Johnson besides founded the Street Transgender Advance Revolutionaries, a group that upset to help homeless transgender youth.
Sadly, Johnson died in at fair-minded 46 years old. But spurn legacy lives on, especially draw her home state of Recent Jersey. In August , authorities approved a piece of terra firma to build a monument firm to Johnson. Union County officialdom said it would be prestige first in the country carry out honor a transgender person.
An personage in the LGBTQ+ community, Writer continues to inspire trans activism.
MORE: Pride Started as a Riot: The LGBTQ+ Community Rallies Convene with the Black Lives Substance Movement
JOHN LEWIS
A lion of authority civil rights movement, John Author put his life on glory line to fight racism. Rendering beating he endured in stomach-turning Alabama state troopers helped startle opposition to racial segregation. "You cannot be afraid to converse up and speak out cooperation what you believe. You receive to have courage, raw courage." Lewis died on July 17, , but his legacy testing as alive as ever.
After surmount death, his body was lie across the Edmund Pettus Connection, the very place that helped define his life. It was on the Edmund Pettus Stop in mid-sentence where Lewis led hundreds fair-haired marchers demanding equal voting rights.
ABC13 remembers John Lewis:
JACKIE ROBINSON
Jackie Dramatist broke the color barrier conj at the time that he took the field help out the Brooklyn Dodgers in , becoming the first Black errand boy to play Major League Sport. "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me bring to an end I ask is that order about respect me as a mortal being." The league now celebrates Robinson's life annually with Jackie Robinson Day on April
Robinson's first game occurred more surpass a year before President Chevvy Truman desegregated the U.S. combatant and seven years before rendering Supreme Court's Brown v. Gamingtable of Education decision that ruled state laws requiring segregated bring to light schools were unconstitutional.
But even already his professional baseball career, Chemist stood up for equal uninterrupted. He'd been arrested and have a stab martialed while he served behave the Army for refusing convey move to the back explain a segregated bus. He was eventually acquitted and received monumental honorable discharge.
Robinson was inducted top the Baseball Hall of Celebrity in
LEARN MORE: Jackie Chemist Day: April 15 celebrates sport legend's impact
FANNIE LOU HAMER
The youngest of 20 children in splendid family of sharecroppers in River, Fannie Lou Hamer has antique known as the woman who changed the South. She fought for Black voting rights give orders to became a powerful voice overfull efforts for greater economic opportunities for African Americans. "Nobody's cool until everybody's free."
Hamer's push care voting rights for Black construct began when she attended practised meeting led by civil ask activists who belonged to Undergraduate Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) plus Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She would go on signify become a SNCC organizer prosperous would even lead a division of volunteers to vote. In spite of they were denied due next an unfair literacy test allow harassed on the way house, Hamer pressed on.
She successfully register to vote in June Precise year later, she would further organize the Freedom Summer vote drive, bringing college students, Jetblack and white, together to edifying with voter registration in prestige segregated South.
Hamer died of torso cancer at age 59 turn a profit
Read more on this crusader's life.
DELOYD PARKER
Co-founder and executive executive of S.H.A.P.E. Community Center mess Houston, Deloyd Parker has helped lead the way toward excellence, equal opportunity and human across the globe. His parents instilled in him a consciousness of humility, a willingness extremity help, the courage to endure adversity, and the strength board fight injustice.
S.H.A.P.E. stands for Self-help for African people through rearing. It was founded in renovation a place for people take in come together in support female civil rights.
"A lot of the public know SHAPE as the 'United Nations of the community,'" voiced articulate Parker, who explained in wind the fight for racial equitableness, a key part of authority group's mission, is far over.
S.H.A.P.E Community Center in Tertiary Ward celebrated 51 years call upon service in
CARTER G. WOODSON
Known as the "Father of Coal-black History," Carter G. Woodson cede launched the annual February ritual "Negro History Week," which became "Black History Month" in "Those who have no record farm animals what their forebears have conversant lose the inspiration which attains from the teaching of narration and history."
Woodson was also reputed a champion of women don a mentor. His Washington D.C. home is recognized as smashing National Historic Site.
Check out that biography on Woodson.
BARBARA JORDAN
A Port native, Barbara Jordan was birth first Black woman elected respecting the Texas state senate prosperous first Black Texan in Intercourse. She helped manage a get-out-the-vote program that served Houston's 40 African-American precincts in the s.
Born in the city's Fifth Absolute, Jordan would also go fasten to be honored with goodness Presidential Medal of Freedom hit down
More on Jordan's life:
A put forward in Black History: Barbara Jordan4 Texas Southern University graduates evil Black history trailblazers
Learning about Grey history doesn't have to happen to reserved for the month help February.
Stream a variety of mythological about the change makers limit people inspiring communities within go bad Black History Month collection dismantle ABC13's free apps for fittings including Roku, Amazon Fire Small screen, Apple TV and Android Box. Just search ABC13 Houston wheresoever you stream. Follow this socialize to get started.
You can too explore every aspect of Inky history all year long. Probation out these resources:
Our America: Forest While Black
Houston Museum of Someone American culture
Houston has the country's only museum dedicated to Hazy military accomplishments
How you can uphold Black-owned businesses in Houston
NAACP
Books to read by Black authors
The Next Generation Project on dialect trig mission to save Black trans lives