Black History Month (U)

A futurist poet, artist, and astronaut-explorer, Dr. Sian Leo Proctor shares her extraordinary story of breaking barriers and reaching for the stars.

Dr. Sian Leo Proctor is a visionary artist, futurist, and explorer who made history as the first artist officially selected to go to space with the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission—also becoming the first African-American woman to pilot a spaceship. 

<p>As a passionate leader in the global fight against inequity, injustice, hate crimes, and all forms of pain Arndrea Waters King has worked tirelessly on behalf of those who have been marginalized by helping them find — and collectively use — their voices for change.</p><p>Early in her career, Arndrea had the unique opportunity to be mentored by Dr. C.T. Vivian, a lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

<p>Yolanda Renee King has passionately addressed mass gatherings in protests against gun violence, homelessness and inhumane treatment of refugees seeking asylum on the U.S. southern border. She also cares deeply about environmental injustice and protecting our planet. </p><p>When she met with President Obama in the Oval Office at the tender age of 4, Yolanda Renee asked him, “Mr.

<p>A renowned cultural critic who coined the term “Know-Your-Place Aggression,” Koritha Mitchell created the C19 Podcast episode, <em>The N-Word in the Classroom: Just Say No!</em> </p><p>In 2013, Koritha published <em>Love in Action: Noting Similarities Between Lynching Then and Anti-LGBT Violence Now</em>. She found that what lynching and anti-LGBT violence most have in common is the targeted group’s success.

<p>Jessamyn Stanley is an award winning yoga instructor, founder of The Underbelly, and author of <em>Every Body Yoga</em> and <em>Yoke</em>. She empowers her audience of 500k+ to break down barriers: both those that society has set and that they have set for themselves. </p><p>Jessamyn&#39;s work in the wellness space centers around being in community and creating space for students to restore and honor their authentic selves.

<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">Anika Collier Navaroli is an award-winning journalist and lawyer.

<p>Tyler James Williams is the 2023 Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Comedy or Drama for his role of ‘Gregory Eddie’ in the hit award-winning series <em>Abbott Elementary.</em></p><p>After hitting it off with Quinta Brunson on <em>A Black Lady Sketch Show</em>, she specifically wrote the Abbott Elementary substitute teacher character with Williams in mind.

<p>Sherrilyn Ifill is a civil rights lawyer and scholar. From 2013-2022, she served as the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. She recently served as a Ford Foundation Fellow and as the Klinsky Visiting Professor for Leadership & Progress at Howard Law School.

<p>Autumn Rose *Miskweminanocsqua (Raspberry Star Woman)* Williams was born and raised on the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, New York. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and a Minor in Business.

<p>Dr. Bernice Albertine King is the youngest daughter to the late civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. She was five years old when her father was assassinated in 1968. </p><p>King answered the call to ministry at the age of seventeen when she gave an address advocating against the South African apartheid to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In 1985 and again in 1986, she was arrested with her siblings while protesting against apartheid.