https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Jackson

Kara Jackson is from Oak Park, Illinois and attended Oak Park River Forest High School, where she participated in spoken word.^[1][2][3] Jackson also participated in a jazz ensemble at Merit School of Music, and was the Youth Poet Laureate of Chicago in 2018.^[4][5][6] She performed at the Louder Than a Bomb 2018 finals and was selected by Patricia Smith for the Literary Award.^[4][5][7] In 2019, she was named the United States National Youth Poet Laureate from after submitting an essay on poetry and democracy.^[8][9][10] In the same year, she published a chapbook of poetry, Bloodstone Cowboy.^[11][12] She studied English at Smith College, graduating in 2023.^[13][14] Her work has appeared in Poetry, Frontier Poetry, Rookie Mag, Nimrod Literary Journal, The Lily, and Saint Heron.^[15]

https://www.pahmusa.org/

PAHMUSA (The Pan African Historical Museum USA) is a hidden gem. It was founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood. Her mission to help preserve the local history of  African Americans continued today. Executive Director Sam Bradley and his team continue building on the foundation Ms. Hood established by offering educational, performing arts, and socially relevant programming for the immediate and surrounding community. Visitors from all over the world are drawn to the exhibitions and programming offered weekly. PAHMUSA Museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays from Noon to 4 PM and Saturdays by appointment. It is located at 1500 Main Street in Springfield. Contact PAHMUSA by calling  (413) 779-5571 or visit them online at www.pahmusa.org. 

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226124818/tiny-desk-concert-blk-odyssy

The BLK ODYSSY aesthetic ignites all of the human senses and it’s impossible to nail down exactly what type of music he makes after one, two or even three listens. When he arrived at NPR headquarters, Juwan Elcock, aka BLK ODYSSY, pulled out a lifelike severed human head made of silicone and placed it on the Desk. It’s the same head seen in the hands of a woman on the cover of his latest album, DIAMONDS & FREAKS, a project that depicts love and lust as addictive vices.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/phillis-wheatley

Phillis Wheatley Peters was one of the best-known poets in pre-19th century America

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/22/1226047324/uche-blackstock-legacy-racism-medicine

Following in her mom’s footsteps, a doctor fights to make medicine more inclusive

https://www.theblacklegacyproject.org/about

The Black Legacy Project is a musical celebration of Black history to advance racial solidarity, equity, and belonging.

https://social-innovation.hitachi/en/article/colors-oussouby-sacko/

Japan’s first university head from Africa on Multiculturalism and Creating an Inclusive Workplace

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2024/01/14/1224059925/martin-luther-king-day-legacy

For decades, everyone and their mother has tried to get a piece of that sweet, sweet MLK Pie, from car companies to banks to pop stars to politicians (no matter their actual politics).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marla_Gibbs#Biography

Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Bradley; June 14, 1931)^[1] is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer and television producer whose career spans seven decades.