From the medical industry to Entertainment, Fashion, or STEM; this awareness goes beyond legislation — and is emulated by those who are doing the work not only in politics but creating intersectionality within their own field. It creates diversity, rather than ambiguity. We are creating the reflection for the next generation, setting the precedent for the future, and expanding the reach for our predecessors. This needs to be acknowledged. We’re the reflection of the new generation. Juneteenth reminds us to pay homage in remembrance and reverence of our ancestors. It allows us to take a step back to observe the energy, emotion, and passion that has been given in the name of what we can, will, and have been becoming for the last 400 years. Pushing the narrative, our agency, and our truth.
We push people to look past the title activist as the distinguishing factor to participate in the Black liberation movement. Yes, we need them but just as we need nurses who understand the Black body, Black Scientists that study our true nature, Black educators who can not only relate but empathize with the youth they are guiding, and Black Business owners that push black financial equity, or historians that are able to document and retrieve our truth untainted.
When an environment is placed under black light, you can see everything in its totality, the scars but also purity that aren’t obvious under the sun. These individuals are those that thrive in this space. We’re shining a black light on the ones who have stepped up to the plate and are making strides in visibility, equity, agency, and expansion. These 19 passion-fueled individuals have tracked the term activism and assimilated it with their own zeal - entangling the true meaning of the word into their own lifestyle. This list is a PSA and acknowledgment of tangible Black autonomy.