Throughout history, some major events have gone overlooked and stay that way to this day. During Black History Month, names like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X come up repeatedly. However, this is not always beneficial, as it glosses over all of the other Black Americans who accomplished great things. From being the first Black man to sign an NFL contract to the first Black female on a Senate committee, there are a ton of Black Americans who often get forgotten and are not recognized for the impact that they made on the U.S. and Black community.
Annie Malone - Madam CJ Walker is commonly known for creating one of the most successful businesses in Black hair care products, however someone who constantly goes overlooked is Annie Malone. Malone was born on Aug. 9, 1869, in Merryville, Illinois. Due to constant sickness, she rarely ever made it to school and was unable to graduate. During this time, however, she discovered her love and skill for chemistry and went on to create a safe product for black women to use for straightening their hair. Oftentimes, the chemicals in Black hair care products had mass amounts of chemicals making it unsafe for consistent use. By 1927, she was a multi-millionaire and one of the most successful Black women of her time.
Edward Bouchet - Edward Bouchet was born Sep.15, 1852. He not only was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. but also the sixth person of any race ever to receive a Ph.D. in Physics. He started at Hopkins Grammar School, graduated first in his class, and later went on to Yale. While attending Yale, he became the first-ever Black person to be nominated into Phi Beta Kappa and graduated sixth out of 124 other class members. Due to his skin color, he was unable to attain most university positions and ended up working for the Institute of Colored Youth (ICY) for 26 years as a teacher. A shift in academic studies from science to industrial education ended up with Bouchet's job being taken from him, so in return, he taught around the country at various locations.
Phillis Wheatley - Philis Wheatley, born on May 8, 1632 in West Africa went on to become one of the most well-known Black poets in the U.S. She was taken from her home in West Africa at 7 years old and enslaved by John Wheatly who housed and educated her. She was extremely talented and by the time 16 months had passed after her arrival, she was able to read the bible, Latin classics, and British literature. She released her first poem in 1767 and three years later her poem “An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of the Celebrated Divine George Whitefield” really set off her career. She died in 1778 during childbirth, but before her passing, she had released 28 poems.
Rebecca Lee - Born in 1831, Rebecca Lee grew up in Pennsylvania. During that time she was raised by her aunt who often took time to take care of sick neighbors. Seeing this as a child sparks her love for helping those around her. Now she is most notable for becoming the first-ever Black woman to receive a medical degree. During the early 1950s, she started attending nursing school in Massachusetts. After doing so, she was accepted into the New England Female Medical College (NEFMC) a few years later. In 1964, she graduated and went on to become the first Black female doctor. The start of her career was in Richmond, Virginia preceding the civil war, where she took care of formerly enslaved people.
Ethel Waters - On Oct. 31, 1896, a star was born. Ethel Waters paved the way for the Black actors and musicians of her time. At 13, she started working as a chambermaid in a Philadelphia hotel, where she sang in public for the very first time. By 17, she had started advertising herself under “Sweet Mama Stringbean” and singing professionally in Baltimore. Her first acting performance was at the plantation club and was what led her to Broadway. She even reached a point in her career where she was able to perform with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, two famous Black jazz musicians.
Gordon Parks - Born Nov. 30, 1912, Gordan Parks was one of the best photographers of his time. He was able to capture serious issues amongst the Black community and other forms of injustice. He started as just a kid who loved photography and eventually turned into an extremely influential freelance photographer. He received a position at the FSA in Washington DC and later in the office of war information. A project that showed off his skills was his piece on the Harlem gang leader and earned him a spot on the life magazine staff being the first-ever Black man to do so. His photos can be found in multiple publications and solo exhibitions.
Barbra Jordan - Born Feb. 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas. She received her BA from Texas Southern University in law. After graduating, she took the Massachusetts and Texas bar exams and eventually settled in Houston to begin her practice. In 1966, she ran for the Texas Senate and won against an opposing white candidate. She was the first-ever Black woman to be appointed to that committee and quickly made her place there. She was eventually given the position of president of the Texas senate, exclaiming to her opponent an iconic line “what can I say? Black is beautiful.” She constantly fought for what was right and was proud of it despite the backlash she faced.
Kenny Washington - When talking about the most influential Black athletes, a lot of the time Jackie Robinson is the center of the conversation. However, someone severely underrated is Kenny Washington, the first Black man to sign an NFL contract. Born Aug. 31, 1918 in Los Angeles, he got his big start at the University of California as a single-wing tailback. At the time, only a few had played on integrated teams in the south. After being skipped over during the first part of his career, he was eventually signed by the Los Angeles Rams with his roommate Woody Strode. He completed three seasons with the Rams and retired in 1948. In 1956, he was inducted into the NFL hall of fame and his jersey retired to UCLA. His getting signed by the Rams was a big deal because he was not only the first Black man to get signed to the NFL, it ended a 12-year ban on Black people from the league.