Black History Month - Erased Heroes 2/27/21

Ruby Bridges(1954 - Present Day)
Born in 1954, Bridges was born the year of Brown v, Board. Still, certain exams similar to voting literacy tests were put in place to bar African Americans from attending the all-white schools. At six-years-old, Ruby and five other black children were admitted entry to the schools. Two never left their original school, three went to a different all-white elementary, and Ruby went to William Frantz Elementary School alone. Police officers lead Bridges and her mother into the school as all the white parents gathered to hurl hideous slurs and threats at her. They pulled their children out of the school and only one teacher, Barbara Henry, was willing to teach her. The two spent the majority of the year alone together. Bridges' family received tons of backlash for this, such as unemployment, eviction, and shunning, but her mother especially persevered to ensure Ruby received the education that she and her husband and their parents had been denied. By the early 1970s, when Bridges graduated, she received her diploma from a desegregated school. She became a travel agent for fifteen years before becoming a full-time mother and author. She would write about her experiences in books such as Through My Eyes and This Is My Time, later receiving the Carter G. Woodson Book Award. In 1999, she established the Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote equality through education. Nowadays, Bridges has remained a lifelong activist and is alive and well at sixty-six years old.

Black History Month - Erased Heroes 2/26/21

 

Minnie Riperton(1947-1979)

Born in 1947, Riperton grew up musically inclined. She studied music, drama and dance as a child and in her teens was the lead singer for the Chicago girl group, The Gems. Riperton was a backup sing for many artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, etc. She also sang for Rotary Connection for four years and in 1969 they performed at a Catholic Rock Mass. The height of her career was reached with her number one single, Lovin' You, the last release from her 1974 gold album, Perfect Angel. She quickly became famous for her whopping five and a half octave vocal range. In 1976, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and originally given six months to live. During this time, she continued to record and tour and went public about her diagnosis, being one of the first celebrities to do so. In 1977, she became a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society. In 1978, President Carter presented to her the American Cancer Society's Courage Award. In 1979, Riperton died of cancer at age 31.

Black History Month - Erased Heroes 2/25/21

 

Marsha P. Johnson(1945 -1992)

Born in, 1945, Johnson legally changed her name to Marsha in 1966 when she moved to New York City. Being black, gay, transgender, and poor, Marsha was very familiarized with being marginalized and dedicated her life to helping young people like her. Every now and again she would revert to the male persona of Malcolm Michaels--this served as a painfully obvious reminder to herself and those around her that she was happiest and healthiest living as Marsha. She wished to then help youth who experienced this and simply wanted to live comfortably as well. In 1969, Johnson and a few others were key figures in resisting the Stonewall Bar Raid. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, another key figure, founded STAR(Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) to help homeless LGBTQ individuals, especially the youth. Johnsons was also heavily involved in the GLF(Gay Liberation Front) and the following pride marches that started up in the 1970s. As a drag queen and just a naturally outgoing person, Johnson's outfits were often extravagant and bright. These drew the attention of Andy Warhol who photographed and immortalized her in 1975. In 1992, at age 46, her body was found in the Hudson River. It was written off as a suicide, but those close to Johnson claimed she had not been suicidal and the whole situation was heavily underreported. Still, no formal criminal investigation has been held. A monument is being built in her honor in Elizabeth, New York.