Black History Month: 7 notable African American political activists who predate MLK Jr.

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, February 01, 2024

Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama, organized in 1884 for middle-class African Americans. Its ministers and congregation were active in the Civil Rights Movement. This building was built in 1922 and designed by African American architect David T. West. | Getty Images

Every February, the United States celebrates Black History Month, a time to remember the contributions of African Americans and the overall struggle for racial equality.

The observance began as "Negro History Week" in 1926, when educator Carter G. Woodson wanted to create a time to honor black contributions, selecting a week in February that included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14).

Expanding to include the entire month of February by the 1960s, President Gerald Ford designated Black History Month as a national observance in 1976.

Although remembrance of the struggle for black civil rights in the U.S. often centers on the 1960s and the movement led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., there were many African American activists and advocates whose efforts predate him.

Here's a list of seven influential African American civil rights activists whose work predates King's public career. They include prominent abolitionists, the first black member of Congress, a founding member of the NAACP and widely respected journalists.