Portraits of Black History Month

With so many faces and characters in the 1871 community, it's no wonder you'll never get the same answer twice to a question. For Black History Month, we spent some time with our members and asked them: What African American entrepreneur, innovator or inventor inspires you?

Our photographer Gregory Rothstein and Social Media Associate Lewis McKinney recorded their responses, and the result was a diverse and thoughtful set of answers. If you're not already following along, check our Instagram and Facebook for our month's worth of Black History Month conversations with members, and see their responses below.

 

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're asking our community to tell us about the African American entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors that inspire them. "She was born on a plantation and an orphan by the age of 7, but by the time of her death she was an innovator, entrepreneur, philanthropist that became a self-made millionaire by super-serving the black community. When they talk about black women being the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, there should be no surprise. It's on the shoulders of Madame C.J. Walker that we as black entrepreneurs stand." Jason Edgecombe of @EX3Labs

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 3, 2017 at 11:43am PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth When asked who is my favorite African American entrepreneur, Star Cunningham immediately comes to mind. I had once heard of her awhile ago because she’s one of the few African-American women who has been able to raise capital for her startup, 4D Healthware. I finally met her one day at a Black Girls Code event and was inspired by her journey and her advice. She is caring, charismatic and truly all about sharing information you need to succeed. We were instant friends. I love how she stresses the importance of building relationships as well as your backbone. And she is always willing to give back and share her stories and experiences with aspiring girls and women in STEM.

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 6, 2017 at 11:58am PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "Your career is what you're paid for, your calling is what you're made for; and for half a century, @repjohnlewis has been a tireless advocate on behalf of Civil Rights in America. The son of a sharecropper, he fought through adversity - becoming a leader during the Civil Rights Movement, and then as a leader in the United States Congress." - Mark Vargas, President of Licentiam (an #IHCC cohort member)

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 7, 2017 at 2:16pm PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "Maya Angelou is a woman who proved that when life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, you show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile. She changed the landscape of the literary, political and cultural world, and her legacy will forever resonate with people around the world from all nations.” Teddi Weigel, 1871 Events Associate

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 10, 2017 at 9:31am PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "As a young comic nerd growing up it wasn't very often that I found myself represented in the series that I would read. Dwayne McDuffie and his company Milestone Comics came into my life during a formative time where I needed to see myself not just as a background character but also as a hero. Dwayne showed me that I have a space at whatever table I choose to sit at, and that lesson has stayed with me." #comics #inclusion #chicago

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 13, 2017 at 12:46pm PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "To me, the Obamas mean rising in the face of adversity and continuing to take the high road despite such. They remind me about the endless possibilities that are at my fingertips and the hard work necessary to reach them. They represent hope for a better future and a future where my children will be able to see people who look like them doing amazing things, not because people like them are not doing amazing things already, but because they are being noticed and celebrated by the world." Stella Ashaolu, Founder & CEO of WeSolv

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 14, 2017 at 12:27pm PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox, is the first Black American woman leader of a Fortune 500 company. She's one of my favorite business people because she overcame a lot of adversity to accomplish greatness. She was raised by a single mother in the low-income projects of New York and received her masters in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University. She was able to accomplish so much by hard work, great education and speaking her mind." @zakkates, Founder of Simple Edge

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 15, 2017 at 1:13pm PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "Michelle Alexander - author of "The New Jim Crow" -is a woman that uses her creativity and intellect to expand societal awareness and benefit those that cannot speak for themselves. The US represents 4% of the global population and 22% of the global prisoner population. One in 15 black men are in prison, vs 1 of 106 of white men. Disparities in sentencing judgements and non violent drug offenses drive this disparity. And from our rising awareness, we must take action as a country to reverse this wrong." @mbracemore, Founder of NorthStar Insights (@northstarpatients)

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 16, 2017 at 1:51pm PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth “Here’s the thing, I discovered #Prince after his death. My mother handed me an original “Purple Rain” on vinyl and said just listen to it. I spent a recent 2016 evening with the windows open letting the first chords of “The Beautiful Ones” echo out from my Lakeview apartment. The guitars, the vocals, the synths, all of these sounds blended together into arguably one of the greatest listening experiences I’ve ever had with music. I can understand why he paved the way for many artists in the 1980’s. He wasn’t only a musician, he was an icon whose legacy will live well beyond history." Gregory Rothstein, 1871 Photographer

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 20, 2017 at 1:55pm PST

 

#BlackHistoryMonth "Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 - November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and advisor to presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American community. After being emancipated, he helped raise money to help educate the black youth all throughout the south. His work helped blacks achieve higher education as well as better understanding of the U.S. legal system. Washington’s contributions to African American advancement, such as his programs for rural extension work and his help in the development of the National Negro Business League, are numerous and so too are his accolades. He was the first African-American to be featured on a United States postal stamp in 1940, and on a coin--the Booker T. Washington" Veronica Rodriguez, 1871 Manager of Programming

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 22, 2017 at 12:30pm PST

 

#blackhistorymonth: As an 8th grader, reading about black activists in the 1960's was fascinating to me. It wasn't until I saw how strongly black women could influence their communities that I realized just HOW fascinating. Angela Davis was a game changer. Her selfless desire to fight against social norms like the prison system, racism and gender norms has inspired thousands from all walks of life. Her free spirit and intuition encouraged me as a young black girl to educate myself, challenge others and change the world. She continues to teach us why black history is part of everyone's history. Labeling her as just an activist isn't enough--she's a hero. My hero." Khadijah McGill, Administrative Assistant at 1871.

A post shared by 1871 Chicago (@1871chicago) on Feb 24, 2017 at 3:24pm PST