25 Birthdays to Celebrate During Black History Month

LANGSTON HUGHES, AWARD WINNING POET AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST,  2/01

JAMES P. JOHNSON, PIONEERING PIANIST AND COMPOSER IN THE EARLY DAYS OF JAZZ, 02/01

ROSA PARKS, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, 2/04

TRAYVON MARTIN, 2/05

HENRY “HANK” AARON, RECORD-BREAKING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER, 2/05

BOB MARLEY BEST SELLING ALBUM WINNER, 2/06

CHRIS ROCK, EMMY AND GRAMMY AWARD WINNER, 2/07 

SANDRA BLAND, 2/7

ALICE WALKER, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING POET, 2/09

YARA SHAHIDI, NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNING ACTRESS, 2/10

JAMES WEST, INVENTOR OF THE CONTEMPORARY MICROPHONE, 2/10

LEONTYNE PRICE, AWARD-WINNING OPERATIC SOPRANO, 2/10

JACQUELINE WOODSON, NEWBERY MEDAL WINNING AUTHOR, 2/12

FREDERICK DOUGLAS, ABOLITIONIST, JOURNALIST, & A KEY FIGURE IN THE ANTI-SLAVERY MOVEMENT, 2/14

DANAI GURIRA, ACTRESS AND TONY-NOMINATED PLAYWRIGHT, 2/14

MAHERSHALA ALI  ACADEMY AWARD WINNING ACTOR, 2/16

LEVAR BURTON, AWARD-WINNING TV PERSONALITY AND HOST OF READING RAINBOW, 2/16

MICHAEL JORDAN CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING BASKETBALL PLAYER, 02/17

TONI MORRISON, EDITOR AND PULITZER-WINNING AUTHOR, 2/18

AUDRE LORDE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD WINNING POET AND FEMINIST, 2/18

TREVOR NOAH, AUTHOR, COMEDIAN, AND EMMY-WINNING TV PRESENTER, 2/20

SIDNEY POITIER, GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATED ACTOR, 2/20

NINA SIMONE, LEGENDARY JAZZ SINGER AND ACTIVIST, 2/21

W.E.B. DUBOIS. CO-FOUNDER OF NAACP AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, 2/23

MARIAN ANDERSON, GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SINGER, 2/27