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Demi Youngblood
Staff Writer
During the annual month-long celebration of figures in black history, emphasis is placed on all of the hard work these black leaders put in to help create a better society for African-Americans. Unfortunately, as these leaders are acknowledged, some hidden and unknown figures who also deserve acknowledgement go unnoticed. The Blue & White Flash recognizes some of these individuals.
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was an openly gay human rights activist that nonviolently fought for rights of the black community. Rustin was born on March 17, 1912 in West Chester, Pa. He was a key advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. and was one of the lead organizers for the 1963 March on Washington where the “I Have a Dream” speech was given. This march paved the way for the passage of key civil rights legislation. Rustin’s open sexual orientation caused many people to shun him in the community. He was arrested multiple times, but Rustin never stopped fighting for equality until he died at 75 in 1987.
Claudette Colvin
Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin. She was born on Sept. 5, 1939 in Birmingham, Ala. On March 2, 1955, Colvin got on a bus after spending a long day at her high school, Booker T. Washington High School. She sat as the whites only section filled up. The bus driver demanded for her and two other students to stand, Colvin refused to get up.
Two cops roughly arrested and beat her. She went to court in May of 1955. Two of her charges were dropped: breaking the segregation law and disturbing the but she was convicted of assaulting the officers that arrested her.
Many individuals in her community decided to stop taking the bus because of this. Colvin still had that charge on her record until 2021 until she was able to get it expunged. She is now 84 years old and a retired nurse aide.
Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray
Pauli Murray was the first of many things, but somehow many do not know much about her. Murray was the first in her class at Howard University Law school. She was also the only woman. She was also the first African-American to earn a JSD from Yale Law School.
Murray was also the first African-American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. While she attended Howard University, she participated in many protests that would help desegregate public facilities. After graduating in 1945, Paulli accepted the job of deputy attorney general for the state of California. She was once again the first to hold such a title.
Hiram Revels
Hiram Revels became the first African-American to serve in the U.S congress. He was born Sept. 27, 1827 in Fayetteville, N.C. He was born a free man and attended schools taught by free black women.
The state of Mississippi is where he did most of his work. From 1870- 1871, he filled a vacant seat in the United States Senate. He represented the state of Mississippi during Reconstruction. Upon his completion of his senate term, he decided to reign as the first president of Alcorn State University, formerly known as Alcorn A&M College.
This was just a small look at some of the prominent figures in black history. The Flash challenges its readers to educate themselves on these hidden figures to fully understand who helped open the doors and create better opportunities for the black community.
Information for this article was collected from…
https://bestlifeonline.com/civil-rights-leaders/
https://rosaparksbiography.org/bio/claudette-colvin/
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/rustin-bayard
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/senate-stories/First-African-American-Senator.htm
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