Black History Month (BHM) is the time of year when we celebrate the achievements of black people throughout history. This special month is held once every year and it was first established in the United States in 1970. BHM is usually celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, whereas it is observed by the United Kingdom, Ireland and The Netherlands in October.
Outstanding Contributions of Black People
We tend to be constantly reminded that black people were once slaves and that we were treated horribly by white slave masters. But that is not the only thing we have to show for ourselves. Many people of African and Caribbean descent made outstanding contributions to society and the world throughout history.
Mary Seacole (1805-1881)
Mary Seacole was born and raised in Jamaica and then moved to England in 1854. During that time British soldiers were fighting in the Crimean War (1853-1856). She sought permission from the War Office to go help the wounded soldiers who were fighting in the war, but they would not allow her to go. So Ms Seacole raised the money herself and travelled to Balaclava, Ukraine where she looked after British soldiers who had been injured.
Dr Martin Luther King, Jr (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was an American Christian minister and activist who led a peaceful march on Washington in 1963 to promote the civil and economic rights of African Americans. He stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech calling for the end to racism. Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1964, for fighting racial inequality through nonviolent action.
Nelson Mandela (8 July 1918 – 5 December 2013)
Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first black president. Before he became president, he was arrested and spent 27 years in prison in 1964 for fighting for the civil rights of black people and taking part in demonstrations, which were often very violent, to end apartheid in South Africa.
Apartheid was an unfair system in which it was illegal for black people to use the same things or go to the same places as white people. Black people weren’t even allowed to vote. In South Africa, white people had access to better schools and better hospitals.
Nelson Mandela was famous for promoting equality and forgiveness. In 1993, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end apartheid. He was considered one of the greatest leaders in history.
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson
These three women were African American mathematicians who worked for NASA in 1949. These women worked as human computers to help solve problems for engineers at NASA. The workplace was segregated, meaning that black women were separated from white people and were kept in the background. But these three women worked hard to overcome discrimination and racial segregation to achieve success in mathematics, science and engineering.
Bob Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981)
Robert Nesta Marley, better known as Bob Marley, was a singer, songwriter and musician from Jamaica. He was considered to be one of the pioneers of reggae music and was one of the best-selling music artists of all time, in which he sold over 75 million records worldwide. Bob Marley’s contributions to the music industry led to the increased popularity of Jamaican music on a global scale.
Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919)
Madam C.J. Walker was an American businesswoman, activist and philanthropist. She was the first female self-made millionaire in the America. She made her fortune by starting a business marketing cosmetics and hair care products for black women.
There are many more black people who made outstanding contributions throughout history which are too numerous to mention in this blog post. But we must also include influential black people such as Oprah Winfrey who is North America’s first black multi-billionaire and who is considered to be the greatest black philanthropist in American history and the one of the most influential women in the world.
Barack Obama was the first African American president of the United States, Serena Williams is considered to be the greatest player of all time in women’s tennis, and Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers in the world. So let us continue to remember and celebrate the accomplishments of black people for Black History Month and beyond.
We as black people are smart, strong, creative, talented, and determined. We have the potential to be just as great as the people mentioned in this post. Hopefully, this will inspire you to work towards achieving your dreams and goals, not allowing anyone to stand in your way or hold you back because of the color of your skin.
