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Black History Month 2023

Black History Month 2023 at Joseph Leckie Academy

Black women have been at the heart of social justice movements throughout history, courageously battling oppression and advocating for change. However, their accomplishments have frequently been neglected or forgotten. Black History Month 2023 offers a significant opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding achievements of black women by focusing on honouring the matriarchs of movements and saluting our sisters.

1. Kamala Harris, First black woman to be vice-president.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ael9kZ0_chM&si=VwGsM3uJ3quS2MBu

2. Cocoa Girl, first UK black girls magazine

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-dd-AYSoR24&si=m2WRumQNx1dde9Kx

3. Fay Allen: Britain's first ever black policewoman

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CJ5f-DBZJDM&si=bGkeHCYbKZs-R8Lf

4. Emma Clarke: UK’s first black female footballer

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQfml-PnhH8&si=4iYYZfy4BmZGdGDM

5. Jessikah Inaba: UK's first blind, black, female barrister .

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jWPVdrWgCfM&si=BJO9KBUtAHCBjkNa

6. Judge Ketanji Brown to be first black woman appointed to US Supreme Court

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kkDN03CmPF4&si=bx6qJwlSgl08CmTW 

7. Marsai Martin youngest person to serve as an executive producer on a major Hollywood film 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=A9h7iLJEYvU&si=CFabprPnpAGhlbDp

8. Michelle Obama, first black woman to be First Lady of the United States

https://youtube.com/watch?v=VxW5D5VPg_0&si=E4G0MYkqt496Us6y

9. Dr Shirley Jackson, physicist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKAgAdHaJw0

10. Madame C.J. Walker: The First Black Millionairess

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mfB1VRE7s7E&si=1QGOyDHtGwIxZATG

11. Harriet Tubman, leader of the Underground railroad.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fn-mKoA4odI&si=S2Lv0Hqavb3RxeLj

12. Barbara Walker, artist.

https://artuk.org/discover/stories/celebrating-black-british-artists-in-public-collections

13. Katherine Johnson, NASA mathematician

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xDaEIWN6lqc&si=3X9vEwujneHJG6KZ

14. Mary McLeod Bethune: Fighting for Equality in the Classroom and Beyond.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9uVeYrQmmLs&feature=shared

15. Sojourner Truth, Fierce Warrior for Social Justice

https://youtube.com/watch?v=S6q8ojdzW30&feature=shared

16. Shirley Chisholm: First black female to run for president

https://youtube.com/watch?v=x9DhKfB9C7A&feature=shared

17. Ida B. Wells, Journalist and Anti-Lynching activist

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wYjKHLZllSQ&feature=shared

18. Story of Ballerina Llanchie Stevenson

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RvHQofpLAzY&si=5kFbZbRnfQ0-nykq

19. Nneka Akudolu: The sixth, black, female QC in the UK 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wJt93HUaAyc&si=uGVwHKpKHZ7OAmJQ

20. Bernadine Evaristo, writer. 

https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/bernardine-evaristo

21. Yvonne Conolly: Britain's first black Headteacher

https://youtube.com/watch?v=WBeZigeTL4g&si=U47ofKDfkCPKB8cB

22. Bessie Coleman, first black female pilot

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/bessie-coleman

23. The Ivory Bangle Lady 400AD

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yUNP1IGDJi0&si=OhnOu7fQAfDuo2iE

24. Simone Biles: American four-time Olympic champion.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/gymnastics/66045761

25. Windrush Pioneer: Dame Jocelyn Barrow

https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/bhm-firsts/windrush-pioneer-dame-jocelyn-barrow/

26. Introducing: Baroness Doreen Lawrence – Finding the Inner Strength

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TOYGYqMiH8Y&si=Fj-Ov88AMOhSgi9Z

27. Nicola Adams. Olympic gold medal-winning boxer

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KPcOBFcqBT0&si=HkektYcj-lWSm7pa

28. Olivette Otele, first black female professor in the UK

https://www.concordia.ca/graduation-convocation/honorary-doctorates/spring-2022/otele.html

29. Mary Prince: first black woman to publish her autobiography

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7MYJ4SPg-F8&feature=shared

30. Lilian Bader: one of the first Black women to join the British armed forces.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6JfypN4ijDw&si=vWOBkjoy_CVIInMn

31. Olive Morris: political activist

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZfcEepuEjHY&feature=shared

Digging deeper: Remember to check out our dedicated space in the library

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