Students laud icons for Black History Month

Throughout history and in the present day, black icons have emerged in every generation to convey a message of success and pride to society.

“In terms of icons we always mention, you can have icons for every aspect of black life,” said Nathaniel Norment, junior chair of the African-American Studies department.

In honor of Black History Month, students shared the icons – past and present – who have influenced and shaped their lives today.

Now
“Lupe Fiasco, because he tells the truth about things going on in the black community through one of our greatest outlets, which is rap music,” said freshman undeclared major Cammille Powell. “He doesn’t rap about stereotypical things just to sell records, and he’s not judgmental of other rappers who do. He just lets listeners know that we shouldn’t conform to what we think and what the media has made us think is cool.”

Then
“Martin Luther King, Jr. would be my icon of the past because he practiced non-violence and equality for all,” Powell said. “He wasn’t just pro-black. He was pro-everybody.”

Now
“Common, because his hip-hop is conscious, and he’s one of the only emcees who stays to the meaning of hip hop, which was to uplift black people,” said sophomore African-American Studies and biology double major Tyrina Newkirk.

Then
“Kwame Toure, who was the leader of SNIC [Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee], was important in the spreading of the ideology of black power to students,” Newkirk said. “[And] Malcolm X because he gave black people an identity with black power and made them proud to be black.”

Now
“Bob Johnson,” said sophomore communications major Brandon Duhart. “He started [TV network] BET and he’s the [nation’s] first black billionaire. He’s significant for the fact he shows how far [blacks] can come along.”

Then
“I would say Quincy Jones because he did a lot for black music we listen to now,” Duhart said. “He’s responsible for a lot of big artists.”

Now
“Cornel West,” said freshman marketing major Tavare Brown. West is an African-American studies professor at Princeton University. “He today often speaks of race,” Brown said.

Then
“W.E.B. DuBois, because his thoughts on the state of black people were revolutionary,” Brown said. “He helped influence people of the future.”

Now
“My grandmother, Flora Sloan, because she’s been through racism, and she has so much wisdom she could give to me,” said freshman dance major Bridgette Renee Duncan. “Her family was forced to change their name. She was a really strong woman who fought for what she believed in.”

Then
“Angela Davis, not just because she was a part of the Black Panthers, but she stood up for what she believed in and fought for social justice,” Duncan said.

Now
“Today, [Sen. Barack] Obama has to be one,” Norment said. “I hate to say Oprah, but she is an icon.”

Then
“You can’t mention Booker T. Washington without mentioning W.E.B. DuBois,” Norment said. “You can’t mention Dr. King without mentioning Malcolm X. You can’t mention Frederick Douglass without mentioning Ida B. Wells. In terms of longevity and cultural continuity, these are icons that we always have to mention. There are so many icons that [Black History Month] should be a daily celebration.”

Now
“Tracy Chapman,” said freshman film and psychology double major Jordan Allen. “She’s a musician from the ‘80s, but she’s still doing things now. Her music is honest, genuine.”

Then
“My grandfather was white,”     Allen said. “He fought in Vietnam War. He married a black woman in the 1960s. That was very controversial. He went through a lot. He stood up to a Chicago police officer who was going to shoot my grandmother. He went to jail overnight. He really overcame inter-racial couples and helped change ideals about them.”

Now
“Dwayne Wade,” said junior risk management and finance major Zenebe Bent. “He went down to New Orleans. He was handing out survivor kits and donated a couple of houses.”

Then
“Marcus Garvey,” Bent said. “He did a lot for black people, especially in Jamaica, and also in the U.S. He tried to get people to move back to the motherland.”

Then
“Phillis Wheatley,” said senior communications major Denise Dantzler. “She was a published poet at 14, and since I’m a writer, she’s always been an inspiration to me. She overcame obstacles. She defeated racism and spoke against injustice through her poetry.”

Now
“Will Smith,” said freshman kinesiology major Antonio McKay. “He was born in West Philly, and look at him now. He does a lot for the community. His raps are positive. He doesn’t promote anything negative. He takes the role of an ideal black male.”

Then
“My father, that’s my hero,” McKay said. “He’s a positive male role model.”

Keisha Frazier can be reached at keisha.frazier@temple.edu.