No one’s only Black in February, a woman in March, or Jewish American in May. But artificial as it may seem, the history month model reminds us how people have succeeded not only because of their heritage, but sometimes despite discrimination against it.
This year, as in past, the Worthy 100 honors a wide variety of pioneers, which includes a large contingent of Black and African Americans. From Pinky Coles’s invigoration of vegan cuisine in the U.S. to Sir Lewis Hamilton’s domination of Grand Prix racing internationally, these individuals are changing the narrative in their fields and inspiring others to do the same. Black Worthy 100 honorees have also contributed to positive change in AI, economic development, environmental protection, STEM education, community revival, and more.
Here are just a few highlights:
Wawa Gatheru’s Black Girl Environmentalist organization is empowering Black girls and women to contribute to the climate movement.
Artis Stevens has built partnerships with organizations across the U.S. to strengthen Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship programs.
Kate Kallot is applying AI and data science to help countries across Africa better understand and develop their agricultural and mineral resources equitably.
Lewis Hamilton’s Mission 44 charitable foundation is supporting science, tech, engineering and math (STEM) education in underserved UK communities.
Hip Hop titan “Killer Mike” Render is challenging Americans to elevate public discourse and promote free speech—even if they don’t like what some people have to say.
Pinky Cole has made a plant-based diet hip with her Slutty Vegan restaurant chain and has invested the profits in education and housing assistance.
Peruse all the Worthy 100 honorees from this year.
