During Black History Month each year, we collectively turn our attention to brave and accomplished Black figures, everyone from Harriett Tubman to Dr. Martin Luther King and beyond.
It's of course very valuable to lift up and remember such inspiring figures as Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglas, Shirley Chisholm, Jackie Robinson, Langston Hughes and others.
But it's also safe.
Their heroism is decades old and their oppressors are long gone.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/muterkelly-oronike-odeleye_n_60074a54c5b6ffcab9685e10?e18
What about CURRENT Black heroes? They should not be overlooked.
We're talking about Tarana Burke, the founder of #MeToo Movement, who recently explained, "The stakes are higher in a lot of instances for us than they are for a lot of other women... that creates a dynamic where you have women of color who have to think a little bit differently about what it means for them to come forward in cases of sexual harassment."
And Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas who spoke out against Dr. Larry Nassar and USA gymnastics.
And R. Kelly's victims, including Faith Rodgers, Andrea Kelly (Drea), Tracey Sampson and Tiffany Hawkins (who sued him back in 1996).
https://time.com/5546990/r-kelly-timeline
"The stakes are higher in a lot of instances for us than they are for a lot of other women," said Tarana Burke, a black activist who founded the #MeToo movement on Twitter in 2006 to raise awareness around sexual violence. "That creates a dynamic where you have women of color who have to think a little bit differently about what it means for them to come forward in cases of sexual harassment."
We could obviously go on and on. The heroic - and recent - actions of these brave Black women, and others, should be recognized, not just in February, but forever.