Celebrating Black History Month. President Barack Obama & his wife, Michelle Obama Our current president has spent his 1st year in office facing a variety of challenges including record unemployment, health care reform, a struggling economy, ending our involvement in two overseas wars, & much more. Michelle Obama has spent countless hours working with a variety of charitable organizations while establishing herself as a well respected woman to millions here in the U.S., but around the world as well. Medgar Evers Born in 1925, Mr. Evers was a civil rights activist from Mississippi. In 1962, Evers was instrumental in desegregating the University Of Mississippi, a process which took more than 8 years to complete. In June 1963, Evers was shot & eventually died . . . just hours after then President John F. Kennedy gave an important nationally televised speech that supported civil rights. He was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery where he received full military honors. Michael Jackson The King of Pop entertained millions of fans around the world as a member of the Jackson 5 & as a solo artist. He won 15 Grammys & 26 American Music Awards while also being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on 2 separate occasions. His memorial service was watched by more than a billion people worldwide. Michael Jackson was a pop culture icon whose influence is still displayed everyday in a variety of ways around the world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a prominent leader in the civil rights movement starting in the mid 1950's. His hard work & spirit led to the "March On Washington" in 1963, where Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, raising public consciousness of the civil rights movement. In 1964, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation & discrimination through civil disobedience & other non-violent means. At the time of his death in 1968, Dr. King had refocused his efforts on ending poverty & opposing the Vietnam War. He was posthumously awarded the Presidental Medal Of Freedom in 1977 & a Congressional Medal Of Honor in 2004. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in his honor in 1986 as well. Harriet Tubman She was born as Araminta Ross in 1822 & married John Tubman in 1844. Changing her first name to Harriet soon after her marriage, Mrs. Tubman fought numerous illnesses while escaping slavery in 1849. Soon after, Tubman began a series of missions to help release her family & more than 70 others while using a network of anti-slavery activists & safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, Tubman worked as a Union nurse & then became an scout & spy. After the war, she retired to upstate New York to care for her parents while working on the women's suffrage movement. Jackie Robinson Robinson became the first African-American major league baseball player in the modern era when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, bringing an end to racial segregation. His character & unquestionable talent made him a respected individual both on & off the field, which contributed to the Civil Rights Movements. Jackie played in 6 World Series during his 10 year career, including winning a World Series ring in 1955. Robinson also played in 6 All Star games & won the Rookie Of The Year award in 1947 along with the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1949. Jackie was later inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1962 & his uniform number 42 was retired among all major league teams in 1997. In recognition of his efforts both on & off the field, Robinson was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom & the Congressional Gold Medal after his passing in 1972. Rosa Parks Parks is known as "Mother Of The Modern Day Civil Rights Movement". On December 1st, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama.she famously refused to give up her seat on a bus to a caucasian passenger. Parks wasn't the first person to do so, but her actions caused the Montgomery Bus Boycott.a year long protest that financially crippled the town & helped end racial segregation on public transit services. Parks later moved to Michigan, spending almost 25 years working as a secretary to a U.S. state representative & also received numerous honors for her civil rights work. Langston Hughes Was born James Mercer Langston Hughes in February 1902.was an American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, & columnist. Hughes helped create jazz poetry, but is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance. Most of his writings championed racial consciousness as a source of inspiration for other African American artists. Hughes received many honors after his death in 1967 including the creation of the Langston Hughes Middle School in Reston, Virginia in 1979. Thurgood Marshall Marshall became the first African American to serve as a judge on the Supreme Court. Marshall was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967, after his victory in arguing "Brown vs. Board Of Education" before the Supreme Court. Marshall also served as chief counsel for the NAACP from 1940 thru the late 1950's. He was a part of numerous important Supreme Court cases, focusing mainly on an individual's rights.during his 24 yrs. As a judge. After his death in 1993, his personal papers & notes were given to the Library Of Congress & they've been used by scholars, journalists, & the general public in a variety of ways ever since. George Washington Carver George Washington Carver was a scientist, educator, & inventor whose greatest contribution was his research & promotion of using peanuts & sweet potatoes as an alternative crop for economically challenged farmers. Carver also contributed to the improvement of racial relations & mentoring children. During his era, Carver was considered to be defining example of how hard work, a positive attitude, & a good education could benefit a person's overall life. Malcolm X Born Malcolm Little in May of 1925, he developed into a powerful public speaker & human rights activist before his death in 1965. While in prison during the late 40's, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation Of Islam until his very public separation from the organization in 1964. Malcolm X often spoke of self-pride & self-reliance while becoming one of the most powerful African Americans in history. Sidney Poitier In 1963, he became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier as one of the 25 Greatest Male Stars of All Time. Poitier has also been a director, author, & diplomat. In 2002, he received an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in "recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist & human being". In August 2009, Poitier also received a Presidential Medal Of Freedom . . . our country's highest civilian honor.