Black History Month is the time of year when everyone remembers the past and pays homage to the unsung heroes. We honor the Civil Rights Movement with inspirational quotes and photos, or share historic tidbits and facts about the artists, innovators, and inventors whom history has ignored or forgotten. Over my lifetime, this has been as wonderful as it is frustrating. The difficulty with having such a focus on the inspirations of the past is that, for some of them, hindsight is what made them heroes, and there is little acknowledgment of that. We are now inspired by their words and action that got them harassed, jailed, or killed. Many people mean well, and post their favorite inspirational quotes from Black heroes. Others are content to just let it happen, “like” the Black history fact comments on social media and then turn the calendar to a new month, forgetting all about it until the following year. Nevertheless, remembering Black history is important, and there are myriad historical figures from Harriet Tubman to Ruby Bridges who have inspired and continue to inspire us today.

When asked to write about the Black Americans who inspire me, I had a million ideas. I love deep diving into little-known stories and histories of people to bring them to full understanding. I love trivia, and I adore Black art and the contributions that Black artists have made to society. I also wanted to perhaps feature someone not everyone has heard about. I thought of local heroes, like Glennette Tilley Turner, a historian of the Underground Railroad in DuPage County who also happened to be my beloved second-grade teacher, and the first Black teacher (of three) that I ever had. Then I thought: Who is doing the work that still needs doing today? Who is inspiring the ongoing movement that the children of tomorrow can look back on? Who here now possesses the attitudes and fortitudes of our past heroes? Who are the change agents today that are doing what our predecessors did?

I started thinking about the books I’ve delved into over the last few years. I started thinking about the wonderful Black feminist literature I’ve been devouring by people like Roxanne Gay (Bad Feminist), Austin Channing Brown (I’m Still Here), and Mikki Kendall (Hood Feminism). I was thinking about the writers and podcasters like Luvvie Ajayi Jones, who create spaces for Black excellence and joy to be shared. I was thinking about modern-day activists like Tarana Burke, Stacey Abrams, and DeRay McKesson. I also thought about just … us. My friends. My family. My community. My generation. I’ve heard it said that being Black is political by nature. We are doing the work by just being present, being Black, and being unapologetic about it. We are a movement of our own existence.

We are the most inspiring people this Black History Month to me. All of us. Whether we are starting businesses, creating art, or simply trying to get by. We are running for office…and winning. We are running businesses and non-profits. We are living in cities and suburbs. We are going to college and entering trades. We are volunteering and climbing the corporate ladder. We are shattering glass ceilings and expectations. We are creating space and taking up space.

Being Black and present is a statement. A mood. We are out here. We are doing the work every day to change our lives and pave a better way just by being present. We are demanding change with our voices and our votes. We are not deterred. We are proud. We are teachers. We are entertainers. We are caregivers. We are thought leaders. We are CEOs and Vice Presidents. We are Black History, and we are Black Present. Our ancestors marched so we could fly. We are inspiration, and we matter.