February 2019 Birthdays

Alice Walker
February 9, 1944 - Present

The Pulitzer Prize winning author behind the world renowned book The Color Purple (1982) that told the story of an African American woman dealing with the issues of both racism and patriarchal culture within African American communities. She started her career as an activist at Spelman College where she met her mentor Howard Zinn who is best known for his activism during the Civil Rights movement. Through her capacity as an author she became a leader in the Black Arts movement. Walker has dedicate her life to boast social justice and activism through both her writings and time. 

​Molly Burke
February 8, 1994 - Present

A social media activist for people with disabilities, Bruke is best known for her motivational speeches that she has held in collaboration with Malala Yousafzai, Demi Lovato, and Martin Luther King III to name a few. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of four, life became difficult for her and with time her vision began to fade to almost nothing. Through her trials she became a motivational speaker for people with disabilities. In 2009, she was the torch bearer for the Winter Paralympic Games. Currently, Burke is focused on posting YouTube videos on dealing with her condition in her day to day life and of course motivational work. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwf9TcLyS5KDoLRLjke41Hg              

Frederick Douglass
​February 1, 1818 - February 20, 1895

Douglass is a historical figure that is often explored in history classes in grade school and onward for his autobiography on his own life from slavery to freedom. It is an important firsthand account of slavery during the waning years of slavery in America. He pushed himself to learn to read and once he had safely escaped his bondage in 1830 (after several attempts) he became an activist for abolition and for both black and women's rights to vote. However, he did argue that black Americans should be granted the vote before women, since slavery was the key issue during his time. In this capacity, Douglass lived his life to aid in the end of oppression of black Americans and to end other oppressions.