In honor of Black History Month, our class came up with a list of Black history-makers who we admire.
Poitier, who passed away at age 94 last month, was a Bahmanian-American actor and the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor for the 1963 film, Lilies of the Field. His many important performances include the role of Walter Lee Younger in both the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun, along with starring roles in To Sir, With Love, In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. He is most well-known for bringing dignity to dramatic characters, but he was also a skilled comedic performer. His legacy lives on as more and more black actors are gaining recognition.
Etta James
An R&B singer with a beautiful voice, she lived from 1938 to 2012. She is most well known for her stirring rendition of "At Last." She was inducted into the Rock and ROll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Christopher Paul Curtis
An American children's book author, Curtis won the Newberry Medal for Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963. His books feature historical events in Black history as seen through the eyes of children. Though written for children, his novels are also enjoyable for adults.
Barack Obama
Our first Black President, Obama was Commander in Chief for two terms, from 2009 to 2017. He was born in Hawaii and rose quickly in politics as a community organizer and later U.S. Senator in Chicago, Illinois. His presidency is known for the passage of the Affordable Healthcare Act and the recovery from The Great Recession (2007-2009). He is also known for being married to Michelle Obama, a smart and classy lady.
Claudette Colvin
Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, 15 year old Claudette Colvin Did it first. While Parks became a civil rights icon, Colvin was branded a troublemaker and became an outcast. Speaking of the experience, she said, "History had me glued to the seat. Harriet Tubman's hands were pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth's hands were pushing down on the other shoulder. I was paralyzed between these two women, I couldn't move.
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