Yes, it’s Black History Month. And although we celebrate all year round, TLC will never pass up an opportunity to put Black girl magic and Black boy joy into the spotlight. So in honor of the Black history that is still being made today and the people pushing their community forward, here are some people that are so deserving of recognition. 

Mickey Guyton

If you’re not familiar with her name yet, just wait because she’s bursting onto the world stage as we speak. Mickey Guyton has been making history as a black female artist in country music for a while. In 2011, she was the first black female country artist signed to a major record label. She then made history at the 63rd Grammy Awards by being the first Black solo female artist to earn a nomination in a country music category with her song “Black Like Me.” Also, in 2021, she hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards and was the first black woman ever to do so. 

Kari Fulton

Kari Fulton is an award-winning environmental and climate justice advocate and educator. She has been a driving force in bringing the issues of Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Stability to the forefront and sparking conversations and activism within the Black community. Kari has also traveled across the United States, South America, Latin America, and Europe speaking and attending International Environmental Conferences. Since 2007, she has worked as a campaign coordinator, environmental justice community organizer, program developer, and is now the Frontline Policy Coordinator for the Climate Justice Alliance. She’s also been featured in BET, Essence Magazine, Teen Vogue, and CGTN America. 

Tim Fielder

Tim Fielder has come to change the game as a digital illustrator, concept designer, cartoonist, and animator. His multimedia company, Dieselfunk, specializes in telling narrative stories in the sequential, app, and virtual formats. He is also known for his graphic novel Matty’s Rocket and his educated talks on Afrofuturism. 

Ariell Johnson 

Ariell is being praised for being the first Black woman in history to open and operate her comic shop on America's east coast. Located in North Philadelphia, Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse is a hybrid comic book store and coffee shop that prides itself on its commitment to representation, inclusion, and diversity. They sell comics and toys, games, magazines, apparel, and baked goods. It’s the perfect place to nerd out any day of the week.

Sekou Cooke

Sekou Cooke is an architect, curator, researcher, and urban designer in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the Director of the Master of Urban Design program at UNC Charlotte, and the 2021/2022 Nasir Jones HipHop Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. His research centers around the impact of hip-hop culture on the built environment and also the reverse. Sekou’s 2018 exhibition, Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture, illustrated those ideas in an artistic yet impactful way.