Learn (below) about a few lesser known Black innovators / leaders whose passion and accomplishments have inspired our world:
STEM
George Edward Alcorn Jr. – Physicist best known for his invention of an X-ray spectrometer used to analyze distant galaxies
Katherine Johnson – Physicist and mathematician who calculated the exact trajectories necessary for Apollo 11 to land on the moon
Inventors
Marie Van Brittan Brown – Inventor of the first home security system, which was the precursor to modern CCTV
Frederick McKinley Jones – Inventor with 64 patents, best known for the invention of refrigeration system used to transport food and blood during World War II
Business
Madam C.J. Walker – Entrepreneur, philanthropist and first woman (of any race) to become a self-made millionaire in the United States
Arlan Hamilton – Founder of Backstage Capital, a fund that invests in “underestimated founders” defined as women, People of Color, LGBTQ+ community
Diplomacy
Ralph Bunche – American political scientist & first Black person to win the Noble Peace Prize for his role mediating a cease-fire between Arabs and Israelis in 1948
John Lewis – Former US Representative and Civil Rights activist
Literature
Ta-Nehisi Coates – Author and journalist writing at the intersection of sociology, politics, and economics
Michelle Alexander – Acclaimed civil rights lawyer and author of the New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Fashion
Telfar Clemens – Designer of Telfar, a luxury fashion brand prioritizing accessibility through its Bag Security Program
Kerby Jean-Raymond – Pyer Moss Founder and Creative Director engaging with social issues on the runway