Black History Month - Poster

Enhancing and developing my Photoshop skills while researching exciting and historically prominent people of colour.

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While researching for this poster, I delved into the stories of inspiring figures in the Black History movement, both familiar and new. It was a thoughtful and informative journey that left me feeling optimistic and interested in discovering more historically significant figures and their journeys.

1. Olaudah Equiano: Born in Nigeria around 1745, Equiano published one of the earliest and most compelling arguments against slavery. His autobiography, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; or, Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself,” played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement.

2. Mary Seacole: Born in 1805 in Jamaica, Mary Seacole inherited her mother’s passion for healing. She traveled the world, gaining medical knowledge, and later volunteered as an army nurse during the Crimean War. Despite facing obstacles, she set up the British Hotel to care for sick soldiers and became known as "Mother Seacole".

3. Walter Tull: Born in 1888 in Kent, Walter Tull was the first black person to train as an officer in the British Army. He fought in World War I and made significant contributions both on and off the battlefield.

4. Toussaint Louverture: A key figure in the Haitian Revolution, Louverture led the fight for Haiti’s independence from French colonial rule in the late 18th century.

5. Sojourner Truth: An abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth is best known for her powerful speeches advocating for equality and justice.

6. Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and speaker, Douglass played a crucial role in the fight against slavery.

7. Booker T. Washington: An educator and civil rights leader, Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute and emphasized vocational education for Black Americans.

8. Ida B. Wells: A journalist, suffragist, and anti-lynching activist, Wells fearlessly exposed racial injustices and fought for equality.

9. Nelson Mandela: The iconic South African leader who played a pivotal role in ending apartheid and promoting reconciliation.

10. Haile Selassie: The last emperor of Ethiopia, Selassie was a symbol of African independence and unity.

11. Rosa Parks: 'The First Lady of Civil Rights' - Civil Rights Activist most known for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

12. Martin Luther King Jr.: Minister, activist and political philosopher who attained the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, before suffering assassination in 1968.

13. Maya Angelou: Celebrated writer, poet, and activist, defending black culture and prejudices on coming to the UK.

14. Barack Obama: First black US President.

15. Diane Abbott: In 1987, became the first black female UK MP.

16. Harriet Tubman: An American abolitionist and social activist, who, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known collectively as the Underground Railroad, saved around 70 slaves after escaping her own masters. She later served as an armed scout in the American Civil War and went on to be active in the women's suffrage movement.