Five modern women who are making black history
Black History Month is rich with the accomplishments of those in history. Here are five modern figures that are continuing to add to this history.
Mari Copeny: Mari Copeny is a 12-year-old “activist, philanthropist” and hopeful future president. Copeny, a resident of Flint, Michigan advocates for the water crisis in Flint. Later, she expanded her range of advocacy by speaking out for all communities in the nation suffering from a toxic water crisis.
Marian Croak: Croak is currently the Vice President of Engineering at Google. She is credited with the development of Voice over IP, a system that has been widely adopted as a major communication service. Croak attended Princeton University and specialized in social psychology and quantitative analysis.
Gabrielle (Gabby) Douglas: Gabby Douglas is the first African-American in Olympic history to become an individual all-around champion. During the 2012 Olympic games, Douglas became the first U.S gymnast to win both the individual and all-around titles. Douglas was also named Female Athlete of the Year in 2012, the fourth gymnast to receive that honor. Later, Douglas was one of many gymnasts to come forward on her experience with Larry Nasar, advocating for sexual assault victims in the gymnastics environment.
Mari Spio: Spio is currently the head of CEEK VR, “developer of innovative content solutions and tools for distributing virtual-reality and augmented-reality experiences.” At age 16 Spio’s parents raised enough money for her to send her to the United States from Ghana. In the United States, Spio served in the Air Force and has developed technologies for global companies. According to Mari Spio’s website, Spio authored the book “It's Not Rocket Science: 7 Game-Changing Traits for Achieving Uncommon Success, “ in which she shares tips on how to move beyond comfort zones and to inspire and impact others.
Bree Newsome: Newsome is a filmmaker, musician and activist from North Carolina. Newsome is known for her famous act of civil disobedience, in which she tore down a Confederate flag from a South Carolina statehouse after a Charleston shooting. Her activism also includes her arrest for protesting voter ID laws for racial discrimination. Later, an op-ed would appear in the Washington Post, further speaking on racial issues in America.
