Black History Month has long been a tradition in the United States. Often, organizations and schools profile well-known Black Americans, highlighting Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman. While these are all more than worthy choices, the LGBT+ community is often left out. Let’s take a look at some of the Black LGBT+ Americans and allies who have changed the world, some of whom are still doing so.
Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha was a Black transgender woman who is credited with being one of the originators of the Stonewall Riot, the historic moment in New York City that led to the beginning of LGBT+ liberation. If your community has a Stonewall organization or a Pride event, its history ties to Ms. Johnson. She, along with Latina legend Sylvia Rivera, not only participated in the Stonewall Riot, she spent her life courageously marching in the streets of New York City, demanding visibility and acceptance for transgender people (then referred to as transvestites). Though her life was stolen from her by murderers, she remains a permanent fixture in NYC. In 2020, on what would have been Johnson’s 75th birthday, East River State Park on the Brooklyn waterfront was renamed Marsha P. Johnson State Park in her honor.
Bayard Rustin
Bayard, an adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was an American civil rights activist and the main organizer of the March on Washington, D.C. in 1963. He was also Black and gay. In addition to his work with Dr. King, Rustin was known for focusing on finding and maintaining financial support for those who were being evicted along with supporting and championing Black workers to form unions. In the 1980s he became a public advocate on behalf of gay causes, speaking at events as an activist and supporter of human rights. On November 20, 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dennis Rodman
Perhaps a controversial choice to include, basketball legend Dennis Rodman is not only regarded as one of the best rebounding forwards in NBA history, he has also used his platform as a basketball star to play with gender and the impact of gender in fashion. Rodman famously wore a wedding dress to promote his 1996 autobiography Bad As I Wanna Be, though this was just one of many times in which he wore clothing, jewelry or hairstyles that were seen as feminine. Rodman juxtaposed the femininity of these fashion choices with his masculinity as a sports star and his high-profile romantic relationships with Madonna and model Carmen Electra. Though he was often thought of as a troublemaker at the time, his gender-bending behaviors caused the NBA and many conservative sports fans to reconsider what it means to be a man, allowing many Americans to rethink their assumptions and prejudices. From 2013-2017, Rodman began being seen as a bridge between the U.S. and North Korea, providing an opportunity for both sides to work toward resolving the current nuclear standoff.
RuPaul (RuPaul Andre Charles)
A legend and a current pioneer, RuPaul (pictured at top) began his career as a drag performer, a man who wore women’s clothing to entertain audiences. In 1994, his fame allowed him to become a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics, where he raised money for AIDS charities. This led him to host his own television show, providing the public with daily insights into his life and the lives of many Black gay men. He is also outspoken about his sobriety, as he has been free from all drugs and alcohol since 1999, giving fans someone to look up to within their own struggles and recovery. In 2009, RuPaul created RuPaul’s Drag Race, a competition reality show in which drag performers compete to win prizes and notoriety. Within the fourteen seasons (so far) and numerous spinoffs throughout the world, this franchise has allowed viewers to experience and appreciate the drag performance world. For his work on RuPaul's Drag Race, he has received eleven Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most-awarded person of color in the history of the Primetime Emmys. In 2017, he was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. He has also become known for his activism in voter rights. As one in five LGBT+ adults are not registered to vote, several of the stars from RuPaul's Drag Race are acting as ambassadors for the Drag Out the Vote initiative, encouraging voter registration nationwide.
As you consider ways to honor Black History Month, you may wish to highlight any or all of these four people or to find others who have changed the world but who may not be often recognized by the general public. By seeking out new ways to learn and by sharing what you learn with others, you keep the memory and the work of so many Black activists alive.
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