Notable Black Americans who helped change the world
We're highlighting trailblazing African Americans during Black History Month.
From activists to entertainers to record-breaking athletes to a postal worker, we are shining a spotlight on the contributions of influential Black Americans as we celebrate Black History Month.
Maya Angelou | Poet | 1928-2014
Arthur Ashe | Tennis Player | 1943-1993
Ashe's resume includes three Grand Slam titles and the title of the first Black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only Black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. In July 1979, Ashe suffered a heart attack while holding a tennis clinic in New York. His high profile drew attention to his condition, specifically to the hereditary aspect of heart disease. In 1992, Ashe was diagnosed with HIV; he and his doctors believed he contracted the virus from blood transfusions he received during his second heart surgery. After Ashe went public with his illness, he founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS, working to raise awareness about the disease and advocated teaching safe sex education. On June 20, 1993, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.
James Baldwin | American novelist | 1924-1987
Baldwin was an American novelist, playwright and activist, most notably known for "Notes of a Native Son", "The Fire Next Time" and "The Devil Find's Work". One of his novels, If Beale Street Could Talk, was adapted into an Academy Award-winning dramatic film in 2018.
"It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have."
Ruby Bridges | Civil Rights Activist | 1954-present
Kobe Bryant | NBA star, humanitarian| 1978-2020
