Black History Month is a time meant to focus on the accomplishments made by Black people in the past. While it lasts all of February now, it actually started as “Negro History Week” according to History.com. Black History Month was finally recognized by President Ford in 1976, and ever since then, the month of February has been attributed to African Americans and their heritage.
There are many Black heroes that this month focuses on, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. These are two astounding people, but many other Black people, who did not get as much love, were also very important throughout history. Althea Gibson is an example of one of these underappreciated figures.
Gibson was a woman who played tennis during a time when sports were still segregated. Gibson, however, pushed through those challenges and, in 1957, became “…the first Black champion in the 80-year history of Wimbledon, receiving the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II” (CNN.com). Gibson helped pave the way for future black tennis players, including Venus and Serena Williams.
Another lesser-known African American historical figure is Gordon Parks. Parks was the first African American photographer on the staff of Life magazine, as well as the first-ever Black studio film writer and director (Oprahdaily.com). While he is not as recognizable as someone like Malcolm X to most people, he also contributed to the push towards more opportunities for Black people in America.
These are just a couple of lesser-known African American historical figures, though. There are plenty more. These people, and people like them, influenced music, fashion, sports, technology, and more. One very famous black musician, for example, is Louis Armstrong.
Armstrong was a vocalist and, most notably, a trumpet player. His music, full of jazzy improvised solos, changed the way many musicians viewed jazz music. Armstrong is possibly one of, if not the, most famous trumpet player who has ever lived. He not only greatly helped shape jazz music into what it is today, but he also made very popular songs, such as La Vie En Rose and What a Wonderful World.
Ann Lowe is another famous Black historical figure. She was a fashion designer in the twentieth century who “…had been designing couture-quality gowns for America’s most prominent… —including Jacqueline Kennedy… —for decades, [but] she remained virtually unknown to the wider public” (Winterthur.org). While Lowe was not credited for her fashion while she was a designer, she helped influence the fashion industry as a whole.
African American figures, such as the ones mentioned above, are celebrated in many ways by many people throughout America, especially during this month. Some people decide to focus more on African American stories during this month by going to museums or watching African American movies, while others do whatever they can to learn about their basic history. Regardless of what someone does, however, it is good to keep in mind that many of these historical figures paved the way for African Americans today.
