Not on this list: Maxine Waters, Al Sharpton, Barack Obama, and most of those in Congress.
30 Black Historical Figures to Celebrate During Black History Month (parade.com)
"Every Black History Month, pioneers in African American history are often mentioned like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Harriet Tubman. They are revered and in the spotlight because they are on stamps, calendars, and even quoted in political speeches. But what about the other unsung Black history heroes that have opened doors, fought for freedoms, and even invented techniques used in healthcare today?
" All of the pioneers should be celebrated and mentioned, so we’re shining a light on 30 Black Americans that have flown under the radar and deserve to be celebrated for their bravery, accomplishments, and contributions to the civil rights movement, the arts, politics, technology, and much more.
"Heroes like Ella Baker, Claudette Colvin, Gordon Parks, and Bayard Rustin are celebrated in this list as they’ve made way for many of today’s innovators to shine in the present. " . . .
. . ."Ethel Waters
Waters first entered the entertainment business in the 1920s as a blues singer, before making history. Waters was the first to integrate Broadway appearing in Irving Berlin’s As Thousands Cheer and eventually became the highest-paid performer on Broadway. In addition to becoming the first African American to star in her own television variety show in 1939, The Ethel Waters Show. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film Pinky in 1950. Also in 1950, Waters was the first Black actress to star in a television series, Beulah, which aired on ABC. In 1962, she became the first African American woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by a Leading Lady for the show Route 66.