For a long time, black people were not represented in media and entertainment. Roles and opportunities were always passed to white counterparts. When black people were finally welcomed to the industry, there were a limited number of breaks and only a select group of black people could have those opportunities. In honor of black history month, it is important to highlight a few black creatives who are our ancestors’ wildest dreams as they defy the odds and make history.
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Elaine Welteroth
Elaine Welteroth is an American journalist, editor and New York Times best-selling author. In April 2016, Welteroth was named editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, making her only the second person of African-American heritage to hold such a title.
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Ava Duvernay
Ava Marie DuVernay is an American filmmaker and film distributor. She won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere, making her the first black woman to win the award.
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Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall is an American broadcast journalist and television talk show host. Hall was formerly a national news correspondent for NBC News, day-side anchor for MSNBC, host of the program MSNBC Live with Tamron Hall, and a co-host of Today’s Take, the third hour of Today. She currently hosts Deadline: Crime on Investigation Discovery channel.
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Marsai Martin
Marsai Martin is an American actress and producer. She is known for her role as Diane Johnson in the ABC series Black-ish. She starred in the comedy film Little, which she also executively produced. In February 2019, Martin’s Genius Productions company signed a first-look production deal with Universal, making her the youngest person to get a first-look deal at Universal.
Each of these women are breaking down barriers, setting the standard, and inspiring generations of black creatives. For so long, the voice of black people was missing and now it’s omnipresent. Many people paved the way for these women to have a chance to create, and they used their talent to work hard to succeed. As they continue to inspire the next generation of black creatives, our history, our story, and our voice will always have a platform.