Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

In the Music Industry, Whitney Houston is a household name who rose to fame in 1985 and went on to become one of the best-selling artists of the 1980s and ‘90s. She created incredible hits, such as “Greatest Love of All” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, as well as countless more, earning her a total of 7 Grammys. Houston was one of the first black women to win Album of the Year and Record of the Year in the same night, the only other at the time being Natalie Cole. She also became a film star, starring most famously in The Bodyguard, which broke racial barriers, as it normalized interracial relationships without specifically highlighting the race of the characters. Houston built an unforgettable career and legacy for herself, and her hard work and dedication to her craft led to broken barriers and incredible music. Harry Belafonte was another musical legend, who popularized Caribbean music, with famous songs like “Banana Boat(Day-O)” and “Jump in Line(Shake Señora)”. Belafonte was the first artist ever to sell a million copies of a single album within a year of release with his album Calypso, and then went on to become the first Black person to win an Emmy. He also acted as a close friend and activist alongside Martin Luther King Jr, using his voice and platform to advocate for Black rights. He organized many demonstrations, raised money and awareness, and personally financially contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. These two musical masters changed the industry forever and paved the way for countless Black artists to come. 
 

                                                                                Alice Ball (1892-1916) 

Within the science industry, Alice Ball was a trailblazer in her line of work. Ball was an incredibly intelligent woman who became both the first woman and the first African-American to earn a master’s degree in chemistry from the College of Hawaii. She created the first effective cure for Hansen’s Disease, or leprosy, by developing an injectable oil extract. This cure was named “The Ball Method” in honor of  Alice, who died before she was able to publish her work. Thanks to her work, thousands of people with leprosy were then able to be treated outside of exile, transforming their lives. She was so impactful on the community that February 29th, Leap Day, is celebrated in Hawaii as “Alice Ball Day”. Alice Ball broke significant racial and gender barriers in science in her career and lifetime. Another barrier breaker was Mae Jemison, who fundamentally changed history when she became the first African American woman astronaut and then became the first African American woman ever in space. The flight that changed history was the STS-47 in 1992 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Additionally, she was a brilliant thinker and helped launch many more missions, such as assisting the first black woman to land on the moon. Jemison’s pioneering space experience paved the way for many more to come. These two women broke racial and gender stereotypes as they were prominent trailblazers in a primarily white, male-dominated industry. 

Within the world of politics, Ella Baker was a famous American civil rights activist who worked for the NAACP, the most prominent civil rights organization, and is widely recognized as a key leader of the movement. She’s considered a Black hero who inspired and guided future leaders and never stopped the fight for Black rights. She was also a key part of forming the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was a group of Black college students who protested racial discrimination by organizing boycotts and demonstrations to promote non-violent action, paving the way for future students and helping to build a foundation of peace and voices for change. She emphasized the importance of individual action, claiming that “strong people don’t need strong leaders”, exemplifying self-empowerment and development of strong communities. Bayard Rustin was another extremely influential and significant activist who demonstrated nonviolent protesting while advocating for black rights, social justice, and gay rights. His most famous contribution was the fact that he was the mastermind behind the 1963 march, though at the time it was largely overlooked due to the fact that he was a gay man with controversial ideas, and Martin Luther King Jr. served as a better face of the march. Today, his contributions and ideas are being brought into the light. Just recently, in 2023, a movie was released, titled Rustin, covering his lifetime and legacy, which exemplifies the amount of impact he has had on society. Though not widely recognized for their hard work, both Baker and Rustin left a lasting impact on the world of politics.