Yes, We Did!! Yes, We Can Powered by Central Bank

Black history should be celebrated everyday. This month we just celebrate even more than normal! Yes, We Did!! Yes, We can is a nod to the ones who have come before us to pave the way for us. We appreciate it!

Yes, We Did!! Yes, We can is brought to you by Central Bank

Co Sponsored By Cricket Wireless

-SHIRLEY CHISHOLM-THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ELECTED TO CONGRESS REPRESENTING NEW YORK’S 12TH DISTRICT 1969-1983, AND THE 1ST WOMAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1972. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM 1924-2005

-DOROTHY HEIGHT, THE “GODMOTHER OF THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT” LEADER OF THE YWCA & PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN MORE THAN 40 YEARS. SHE ALSO ATTENDED THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON. DOROTHY HEIGHT 1912-2010

 -JESSE OWENS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE WON 4 GOLD MEDALS IN 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS & SET A WORLD RECORD THAT STOOD FOR 25 YEARS. RECEIVED THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM IN 1976, & CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL POSTHUMOUSLY IN 1990. JESSE OWENS 1913-1980

-BESSIE COLEMAN THE 1ST LICENSED BLACK PILOT WHO WASN’T RECOGNIZED AS A PIONEER IN AVIATION UNTIL AFTER HER DEATH. COLEMAN WAS OVERLOOKED IN HISTORY, BUT PAVED THE WAY FOR TUSKEGEE AIRMEN AND OTHERS. BESSIE COLEMAN 1892-1926

 -ROBERT SENGSTACKE ABBOTT FOUNDED THE CHICAGO DEFENDER NEWSPAPER, AND WAS THE PREDECESSOR TO INSPIRE EBONY, ESSENCE & BLACK ENTERPRISE, UPSCALE MAGAZINES. ROBERT SEGSTACKE ABBOTT 1870-1940

-ETHEL WATERS 1920’S BLUES SINGER, WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO STAR IN HER OWN TV SHOW, THE ETHEL WATERS SHOW IN 1939 & WAS NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY IN 1962. ETHEL WATERS 1896-1977

-JANE BOLIN WAS THE 1ST BLACK WOMAN TO ATTEND YALE LAW SCHOOL. THE 1ST BLACK FEMALE JUDGE IN THE U.S. IN 1939/ SHE ALSO SERVED ON THE NAACP, CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE OF AMERICA & THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN’S CENTER. JANE BOLIN 1908-2007

-GORDON PARKS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ON THE STAFF OF LIFE MAGAZINE. THE 1ST BLACK DIRECTOR OF THE FILM, SHAFT HELPING PAVE THE WAY DURING THE BLAXPLOITATION ERA OF THE 70’S GORDON PARKS 1912-2006

-MARIA P WILLIAMS WAS THE 1ST BLACK WOMAN TO WRITE, PRODUCE AND ACT IN HER OWN MOVIE THE FLAMES OF WRATH IN 1923. SHE WAS A TEACHER, ACTIVIST & AUTHOR. MARIA P WILLIAMS 1866-1932

-RUBY BRIDGES WAS 6 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE BECAME THE 1ST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO ATTEND WILLIAM FRANTZ ELEMENTARY IN LOUISIANA AT THE HEIGHT OF DESEGREGATION AND IN TURN START INTEGRATION OF SCHOOLS. RUBY BRIDGES 1954-PRESENT

 -MAE JEMISON THE 1ST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO ORBIT INTO SPACE ON THE ENDEAVOR SHUTTLE. SHE IS A PHYSICIAN, TEACHER, PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER & PRESIDENT OF HER TECH COMPANY THE JEMISON GROUP. MAE JEMISON 1956-PRESENT

-PHILLIS WHEATLEY WEST AFRICAN BORN POET WAS A SERVANT TO JOHN WHEATLEY IN THE MID 1700’S. SHE WAS THE 1ST AFRICAN AMERICAN AND 3RD WOMAN TO PUBLISH A BOOK OF POEMS. PHILLIS WHEATLEY 1754-1784

-ELLA BAKER A KEY LEADER IN FOUNDING THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, THE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE, & THE 1961 FREEDOM RIDES REGISTERING BLACK VOTERS. ELLA BAKER 1903-1986

-MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., BAPTIST MINISTER, WHO PRACTICED NON VIOLENCE & LED PROTESTS AGAINST SEGREGATION. MARTIN’S GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE PASSING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 & THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 MLK..1929-1968

-JACKIE ROBINSON WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO PLAY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN 1947 FOR THE BROOKLYN DODGERS, AND BROKE THE COLOR BARRIER IN THE SPORT. HIS NUMBER 42 WOULD LATER BE RETIRED BY ALL MLB TEAMS IN 1997. JACKIE ROBINSON 1919-1972

-MAYA ANGELOU AFRICAN AMERICAN POET, AUTHOR & CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, 3X GRAMMY WINNER, KNOWN FOR HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY “I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS,” AWARDED THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS & THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM MAYA ANGELOU 1928-2014

-BOOKER T. WASHINGTON-EDUCATOR AND BLACK LEADER WHO WAS APPOINTED 1ST PRESIDENT OF TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. HE ADVOCATED JOB TRAINING FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS…BOOKER T. WASHINGTON 1856-1915

-CHARLES RICHARD DREW-SURGEON AND MEDICAL SCIENTIST WHO DEVELOPED TECHNIQUES FOR STORING & PROCESSING BLOOD PLASMA FOR TRANSFUSIONS…CHARLES RICHARD DREW 1904-1950

-MALCOLM X-BORN MALCOLM LITTLE, HE CONVERTED TO ISLAM & BECAME THE NATIONAL SPOKESMAN FOR THE NATION OF ISLAM UNTIL 1964, WHEN HE FOUNDED THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRO-AMERICAN UNITY…MALCOLM X 1925-1965