Gallery: These Are Black Men and Women Who Changed History

History (and the present) has not been kind to Black folks. We didn’t need those basic AF elementary school lessons during Black History Month to know that. You know the ones? The ones that start February first and point out slavery for a millisecond, note Martin Luther King Jr., and then end with a peanut butter fest thanks to George Washington Carver. Most people grow up knowing like five Black people who’ve ever “mattered” from the time dawn of time to now. Huh. That’s a shame because there have been way too many important Black people who’ve gone on to change the world. Be it through their politics, athletic prowess or words—these important Black people have all played a part in changing the world.