February is a month that we celebrate the rich history of African-Americans who have transformed our world into what we know today. To start the month off, GWU-Today has a guest post highlighting biographies of lesser-known key individuals in African-American history.
By: Rachael Meachem
1. Josephine Baker (1906-1975)
Baker is one of the first African-American women to star in a major motion picture. She helped integrate the big screen in America and was familiar with the challenges women faced in the African-American community. In an effort to seek balance, she started speaking out.
2. Eva Clayton (1934- )
Clayton was the first African-American congresswoman since 1901 for NC. The civil rights movement pushed her to be active in civic and political affairs.
3. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950)
Historian, author, journalist and founder of the African-American Historical Association. He was one of the first scholars to study African-American history.
4. Carol Moseley-Braun (1947- )
As the first African-American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Moseley-Braun tackled women’s and civil rights, and served on the Senate Finance Committee.
5. Fred Shuttlesworth (1922-2011)
While working closely with Martin Luther King Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Shuttlesworth was a Baptist minister who was a top leader during the civil rights movement.
