As we wrap-up our #StandCelebratesBHM posts, we hope that you’ve learned as much about some of the incredible Black Americans who have shaped our country as we have! Scroll down to see the individuals we highlighted this year and links to more information about their lives and contributions.

However, telling the stories of 28 figures doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Black history in the United States. That’s why we challenge you and your child to continue seeking out history that is often left out of conventional textbooks. Check out some of our suggestions for celebrating Black history year round!

• Read books by Black authors: Learn about Black authors and their stories at Reading Rockets.
• Watch movies & documentaries about Black history: Visit PBS for their list of the “Ten ‘Must Watch’ Black History Documentaries.”
• Visit a museum that highlights Black history in your region: Take a trip to the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center or the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library
• Test your knowledge and learn something new: Take one of PBS’ quizzes on Black history.

Thanks for learning with us this February and for the rest of the year!

1. Robert Sengstacke Abbott (Newspaper publisher & editor)
2. Maya Angelou (Poet, educator, & civil rights activist)
3. Katherine Johnson (NASA mathematician)
4. Marian Wright Edelman (Children’s rights activist & founder of the Children’s Defense Fund)
5. Bayard Rustin (Civil & gay rights activist)
6. Madame C.J. Walker (Entrepreneur & philanthropist)
7. Shirley Chisholm (Politician & educator)
8. Elvin Caldwell (Politician & businessman)
9. Alvin Ailey (Dancer & choreographer
10. Angela Davis (Political activist & intellectual)
11. Dr. Justina Ford (Doctor)
12. Marsha P. Johnson (Activist & drag performer)
13. Septima Poinsette Clark (Educator & activist)
14. Frederick Douglass (Abolitionist, orator, & writer)
15. Rachel B. Noel (Educator & civil rights leader)
16. Dr. Charles Drew (Surgeon)
17. Evie Dennis (Educator & advocate)
18. James Baldwin (Author & social critic)
19. Gordon Parks (Photographer, writer, & film director)
20. Clara Brown (Community leader & philanthropist)
21. General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. (Commander of the Tuskegee Airmen)
22. Mary Jackson (Mathematician & aerospace engineer)
23. Wilma Webb (Former Colorado legislator & former First Lady of Denver)
24. Ta-Nehisi Coates (Author & journalist)
25. Sidney Poitier (Actor, director, & diplomat)
26. Janet Mock (Writer & transgender rights activist)
27. Dr. Cornel West (Philosopher, author, & activist)
28. Dr. Mary Frances Berry (Legal historian, academic, social justice activist)