For Black History Month 2019, we’ve selected 31 figures for celebration on each day of the month – check out these icons!
1st October: Carmen Munroe (b. 1932) is a British-Guyanese actress who, as well as being a force on the West End stage, is perhaps best known for her role as matriarch Shirley in UK sitcom Desmond’s from 1989 to 1994.
2nd October: On September 12, 1992, American astronaut Mae Jemison (b. 1956) became the first black woman to enter space!
3rd October: Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) was a pioneer of Black haircare in the US, and was considered the wealthiest African-American businesswoman.
4th October: Angela Davis (b. 1944) is a philosopher, writer, speaker and an educator, whose passion and courage drove her fight for equality during the US Civil Rights Movement.
5th October: Katherine Dunham (1909-2006), aka ‘the queen of black dance’, had one of the most successful dance careers in African-American and European theatre.
6th October: Nichelle Nichols (b. 1932) became a role model for black actresses everywhere for her role as Uhura in the Star Trek series during the 1960s – the show’s first Black castmate.
7th October: W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was a Ghanaian-American historian and civil rights activist – and became the first Black person to earn a PhD at Harvard University in 1895.
8th October: After hearing stories about the harmful history of his ancestors, Nelson Mandela (1924-2013) aspired to make his own contribution to reinforcing equality, peace and harmony throughout society. He spent 27 years in South African prison, and emerged as a figure known worldwide for his commitment to equality.
9th October: Despite intense industry racism, Raven Wilkinson’s (1935-2018) love for dance and perseverance led to her becoming the first black woman to dance for major dance companies.
10th October: As Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (b. 1938) is often called ‘Liberia’s Iron Lady’ – yet, she remains a lifelong promoter of peace and justice.
11th October: Rapper, entrepreneur, activist and family man, Nipsey Hussle (1985-2019) aspired towards the betterment of Black and brown people’s lives with investments in education and real estate, as well as providing job opportunities in his LA community.
12th October: Cited as the godmother of Afro-futurism, Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) was the first black woman to write a Science Fiction book based on black characters.
13th October: Actress, broadcaster, writer and politician Floella Benjamin (b. 1949) is a part of many British people’s childhoods for her presenting work on programmes such as Play School and Play Away, and her classic memoir Coming to England.
14th October: Euzhan Palcy (b. 1958) is a film director, writer and producer from Martinique – and in 1989 became the first Black woman director of a film produced by a major Hollywood studio, with A Dry White Season.
15th October: John Singleton (1968-2019) was a film director and screenwriter, best known for directing Boyz n the Hood, and becoming the youngest person to ever be nominated for a Best Director Oscar at age 24.
16th October: Effervescent Cuban singer Celia Cruz (1925-2003) was one of the most popular and successful Latin artists of the 20th century, with hit songs such as ‘Guantanamera’ and ‘La vida es un carnaval’.
17th October: Footballer Walter Tull (1888-1918) was the first Black outfield player at the highest level for Tottenham Hotspur, Northampton Town and Clapton, before hanging up his boots to serve in WWI, and was the first Black person to serve as an officer in the British army.
18th October: Neil Kenlock (b. 1950) is a Jamaican-born photographer who documented the Black experience in the UK, famously photographing the British Black Panthers in Brixton during the 1970s and 80s. Later, he co-founded Choice FM, the only station at the time devoted to playing music of Black origin.
19th October: Not only is he regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in history (81 Formula One Grand Prix wins to date!), but Lewis Hamilton (b. 1985) is also the first and only driver of Black heritage to compete in a Formula One championship.
20th October: Track and field athlete Christine Ohuruogu (b. 1984) is an Olympic gold (2008) and silver (2012) medalist, as well as a double World Champion in the 400m race.
21st October: Pioneering rapper Wiley (b. 1979) has a career spanning over 20 years and gained his title as the Godfather of Grime for forging an entire genre that provided a platform for Black British music.
22nd October: British author Malorie Blackman (b. 1962) has written over 60 books in her impressive career, including the Noughts and Crosses series – and was Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015.
23rd October: Benjamin Zephaniah (b. 1958) defied the odds by becoming a successful writer and poet after leaving school at age 13 without the ability to read or write. For over 30 years, his works have touched generations of readers.
24th October: US tennis player Althea Gibson (1927-2003) was the first Black woman to compete at Wimbledon in 1951, and the first Black player to win a Grand Slam.
25th October: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was an LGBT activist that stood at the forefront of New York City’s gay liberation movement for almost 25 years, and was a key figure of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.
26th October: Sir Trevor McDonald (b. 1939) is a Trinidadian-British broadcaster and journalist best known for his work at ITN, and was knighted in 1999 for his services.
27th October: Grace Nichols (b. 1950) is a Guyanese poet, who moved to the UK ink 1977 and won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize from her first collection, I is a Long-Memoried Woman, in 1983.
28th October: Tina Turner (b. 1939) is pioneer of the rock and roll genre and, with over 200 million records sold worldwide, is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.
29th October: Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is known for being one of the most influential authors of Harlem Renaissance, and her seminal novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.
30th October: Marvin Gaye’s (1939-1984) discography can speak for itself – but the soul singer is still played today for hits such as ‘What’s Going On?’, ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’, and ‘Sexual Healing’.
31st October: No Black History Month list is complete without a tribute to Mary Seacole (1805-1881), the British-Jamaican nurse who, during the Crimean War, set up the ‘British Hotel’ behind the frontlines and provided aid and comfort to wounded soldiers.
Words by Bethel Levien, Emmanuella Ngimbi and Nicole Vassell
