The 5 Most Fascinating Black History Month Leaders We Learned About

Learning new information about powerful leaders is an act of peacebuilding, and Black History Month provides us with a rich opportunity to learn about black leaders who may not get their due in history books. While there is much work to be done to work for racial equity, Black History Month reminds us that appreciating the accomplishments of influential black leaders gives us energy to continue that work. We shared the information on Urban Intellectuals’ Black History Flashcards to highlight a leader or historical event each day in February.

As we transition into March, Women’s History Month, we’re looking back at five fascinating black women leaders we enjoyed learning about. 

1. Bessie Coleman
American civil aviator, known as “Queen Bess” (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926)

• First woman of African-American and Native-American descent to hold a pilot license.
• In 1921, she received her international pilot license in France because no flight school in America would train a woman of color.
• Her goals were to expose her people to the world of aviation. She desired to inspire children to get involved in the flight industry.
• In 1926, she fell to her death while practicing for one of her famous stunt shows. Evidence later indicated her plane may have been tampered with.
• Inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006.

​2. Claudette Colvin
Pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement (September 5, 1939 – present)

• Nine months before Rosa Parks (on March 2, 1955) and at 15 years-old, Colvin refused to move from her seat on a Montgomery-bound segregated bus. She was dragged off the bus, handcuffed, and taken to an adult jail cell.
• Colvin is not a much-celebrated figure in the Civil Rights Movement; many believe this is because she was perceived to have a darker skin tone and because she was pregnant.
• Colvin had a child born out of wedlock at the age of 16.
• On February 1, 1956, Colvin served as the star witness alongside other four plaintiffs in the Browder v. Gayle case.
• The landmark federal case, chaired by a three-judge panel, ended the history of segregation on public transportation in Alabama and other states.

​3. Ida B. Wells
Journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, and feminist (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) 

• A leader of the Civil Rights Movement; active in women’s suffrage and rights.
• In 1887, she sued the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad company for $500 and won, but had her case overturned by the Tennessee Supreme Court. She bought a portion of a Memphis newspaper, the Free Speech and Headlight, and used it as a platform to champion African American civil rights.
• Co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.
• Documented lynching in the United States in the 1890s; wrote that it was often used in the South as a way to control or punish Black people who competed with whites.

4. Madam C.J. Walker
Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political/social activist (December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919)

• First Black female self-made millionaire in America.
• World’s most successful female entrepreneur of her time, and one of the most successful African-Americans.
• Made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of beauty and hair products for Black women.
• Made financial donations to numerous organizations and became a patron of the arts.

​5. Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi
Creators of Black Lives Matter

• Organizers, freedom fighters, and justice seekers.
• Creators of Black Lives Matter, a chapter-based national organization that was formed in 2013 to improve the lives of African Americans and rebuild the Black Nationalist Movement.
• Garza co-founded BLM with Cullors and Tometi as a call to action after an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin, was killed and his murderer went free.

​All of these women have made invaluable contributions to the advancement of racial equity in the United States, work that proves to be more important than ever in these times of political turmoil and violence. We celebrate their accomplishments, and will continue to appreciate the work of women leaders in March.