February is Black History Month, making it the perfect time to celebrate the inspirational people who have helped shape our history but who may not always be widely recognized in white-focused history lessons.
From civil rights activists and important political voices to artists and athletes, these ten aspirational individuals are brilliant role models for everyone to look up to — no matter what month it is!
The Human Rights Activists
Sojourner Truth was born in New York in around 1797, and she was sold as a slave for $100 when she was just nine years old. She finally escaped to freedom in 1826 and soon became a leading figure in the fight to abolish slavery. In 1851 she delivered her famous “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention, and during the American Civil War she advised Abraham Lincoln on his Emancipation Proclamation. Her activism for civil rights, voting rights, prison reform, and women’s rights make Truth a continuing icon of intersectional feminism.
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