Hey Saint Joe! As you may know, February 1st marked the first day of black history month. Black history month honors all the Africans that were brought over as slaves and the African Americans that fought for the rights that black people have in America now. People like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman are some of the most influential people that helped advance the cause of African Americans. Though they are very influential and talked about, there are still a lot of people who fought for black people’s right but don’t get as much recognition.
Malcolm X is one of the more popular black activists who aren’t talked about much outside of black communities. He was a prominent activist for the civil rights movements all the way up until his death/assassination. He was one of the first activists to speak out about black self defense. He believed that the process of gaining black Americans rights wasn’t always going to be as peaceful as MLK’s policy of non-violent protests. He also believed that black people and all people of color should be proud of their race no matter how the rest of the world sees them or feels about them.
Emmet Till is also a person that is not talked about much. He was not an activist but his death sparked the civil rights movement. Emmet Till was a 14 year old boy who was accused of flirting with a white women. Shortly after he was unfairly accused of making offensive comments,  Till was dragged out of his house, beaten severely, shot in the head, and thrown in a river. Till’s death caused outrage and spurred on the intial protests that led to civil rights reform. Black History month is celebrated for al the black people that endured years of racism.