When it comes to the leaders in Black history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman are often the first people that come to mind. Rightfully so, because these figures did play a key role in allowing Black people to have the rights that they have today. But do you know other Black history heroes like Claudette Colvin, Billie Holiday, or Lewis Latimer? If these names don’t ring a bell to you, you are not alone. These people are Black historical figures that are missing from the school curriculum. With this article, I hope to shed light on hidden historical figures that play a key role in Black history that often don’t get the recognition they deserve. Keep reading if you want to learn about five Black Americans that played a key role in Black history.
Claudette Colvin (1939-)
Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, and is currently a retired nurse aide who pioneered the civil rights movement of the 1950s. Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, there was a young girl named Claudette Colvin. On March 2, 1955, Colvin was just 15 when she was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded bus. However, her story is not as widely known as Rosa Parks because of her age. It was thought that teenagers were unreliable so she wouldn’t be a good face for the movement.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959)
Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, was born on April 7, 1915. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and music partner Lester Young, she was one of the greatest jazz singers from the 1930s to 1950s. Despite not having formal music training, she was able to develop her unique singing voice that is deeply moving and powerful due to her instinctive sense of musical structure and her immense knowledge of jazz and blues. Holiday began her career by performing at nightclubs in Harlem, where producer John Hammond heard her voice and loved it. Holiday signed a recording contract with Brunswick in 1935 and had mainstream success in labels such as Decca and Columba. Holiday’s most famous songs include “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit.”
Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928)
Lewis Howard Latimer was born on September 4, 1848. Latimer was an American inventor and draftsman widely known for his contributions to the patenting lightbulb and the telephone. In 1874, Latimer and Charles M. Brown co-patented an improved toilet system for railroad cars known as the Water Closet for Railroad Cars. In 1876, Latimer was employed by Alexander Graham Bell where he was then a draftsman and drafted the drawing that was needed to receive a patent for Bell’s telephone. As a result of Latimer’s achievements, on February 11, 1918, Latimer was the first person of color to join the Edison Pioneers. Yet, possibly due to the whitewashing of history, Latimer is not widely known today despite many of his lasting contributions.
Bessie Coleman(1892-1926)
Bessie Coleman, popularly known as “Queen Bess” and “Brave Bess,” was born on January 26, 1892, and was an early American civil aviator. Early on, Coleman knew that she had an interest in flying but in the United States flying training was not available for Black Americans, Native Americans, and women, so Coleman luckily was able to obtain sponsorship to go to a flight school in France. Coleman was the first licensed Black and Native American pilot, but despite all of this, Coleman was not recognized as a leader in aviation until after her death. By attending flight school in France in 1919 Coleman paved the way for the new generation of diverse fliers that came after her.
Ruby Bridges (1954-)
Ruby Bridges was born on September 8, 1954, and she is an American civil rights activist. Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she became the first Black American student to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary in Louisiana at the start of segregation. Bridges’ brave actions contributed to the integration of schools in the South.
I hope this list gave some insight into some important Black figures. And remember, it is important to acknowledge the achievements of these Black figures every month and not just during Black history month.
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