Black Trailblazers Throughout History
The contributions and accomplishments of Black trailblazers throughout history have shaped the world we live in today. From technologists to scientists, and social justice activists, these individuals have overcome obstacles and made groundbreaking achievements that continue to inspire generations. In this feature, we highlight Black trailblazers throughout history whose impact on society is immeasurable.
Influential Black Trailblazers
Joy Buolamwini
Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and poet who utilizes research and art to showcase the social impacts of artificial intelligence. In 2016, Buolamwini founded the Algorithmic Justice League to create a world with more equitable technology. A year later, she wrote her MIT master’s thesis revealing racial and gender biases in AI from big tech companies, including Microsoft and IBM. In 2020, these companies stopped selling facial recognition technology to law enforcement in the United States. In Coded Bias, Joy highlights the threats of A.I. on democracy and human rights in various countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong.
Joy is a Rhodes Scholar and Fulbright Fellow who has been named to noteworthy lists, such as Forbes 30 under 30, Time Next 100, and Bloomberg50. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology plus graduate degrees from Oxford University and MIT.
Haben Girma
Haben Girma is the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School and is currently a human rights lawyer advocating for disability rights. Former American president Barack Obama named Girma a White House Champion of Change. Additionally, she is named as one of the people on the Time100 Talks Forbes 30 under 30 list.
Furthermore, she wrote her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, which highlights her incredible journey from growing up with her family in Asmara, Eritrea to becoming a refugee due to the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia and becoming the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. Seeing disability as a tool to innovate, she created a text-to-braille communication system as a way to help connect with people.
Jehron Petty
Jehron W. Petty is the founder and CEO of ColorStack, which is a nonprofit that provides academic support, career development, and community-building opportunities to increase the retention and success of Black, Latinx, and Native American students in Computer Science and related fields. As of November 30, 2020, ColorStack connected more than 1,000 students from various universities.
ColorStack developed from Petty’s work as an undergraduate student at Cornell University where he was one of the co-presidents of Underrepresented Minorities in Computing at Cornell (UMRC). At UMRC, Petty supported and inspired students of color in computing by mentoring other students. After graduating from Cornell University in 2020, Jehron Petty gave up his opportunity to work as a product manager at Google to start up his nonprofit, ColorStack, as he states that he is a mentor at heart.
Stephen Wiltshire
Stephen Wiltshire is a British architectural artist who is famous for drawing lifelike, accurate depictions of cities, streets, and skylines after observing them for a brief period of time. In addition, Wiltshire draws portraits of close friends and celebrities in a private sketchbook. Starting in primary school (i.e., The American equivalent is elementary school.), Stephen drew caricatures of his teachers and has since created many caricatures as a way to document his trips abroad. His drawings are popular around the world and are currently held in numerous art collections and museums in places like New York, Mexico City, Rome, Tokyo, Frankfurt, London, and Dubai.
As a child, he was unable to relate to others and was mute. At three years old, he was diagnosed with autism. At five years old, Stephen started drawing as a pastime and communicated through drawings of animals and buildings, which showcased a masterful perspective and innate artistry.
At Queensmill School, instructors encouraged him to speak by taking away his art supplies for a short period of time so he would ask for them. Eventually, he uttered his first word, which was paper. By the age of nine, Stephen learned how to fully speak. Since then, Stephen continues to draw every day, travels around the world, and showcases exhibitions in every continent with record attendances.
Final Thoughts on Black Trailblazers
The impact of these Black trailblazers is insurmountable, and their contributions have made a lasting impact on society. Their stories serve as a reminder of the perseverance, courage, and resilience necessary to effect change and inspire future generations to continue their work. These trailblazers serve as a testament to the power of individual action and the importance of representation in shaping our world.
Did you come across this article doing research on this assignment? Need a little extra help with fleshing out your essay? Connect with an UPchieve tutor today!