Polly Morgan (taxidermist): For Sorrow, 2007
Polly Morgan is a London-based British artist who uses taxidermy to create works of art. “For Sorrow” features a taxidermied bird, specifically a pigeon, positioned in a way that evokes themes of loss and mourning, reflecting Morgan’s unique approach to taxidermy as an art form that challenges traditional perceptions of death and decay.
Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi are the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. They initiated this movement in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who was charged with the murder of Trayvon Martin. Their work has significantly influenced discussions around race, social justice, and activism globally. The movement has sparked widespread activism and dialogue about systemic racism and police violence against Black individuals. It has also led to various campaigns aimed at promoting economic security and community safety for people of color.
Adeline de Monseignat: Playscape, 2025
Adeline de Monseignat is a Dutch-Monegasque contemporary visual artist who lives and works between London and Mexico City. Made from natural materials such as recycled fur, soil, textiles, glass and marble, her sculptures and installations show an interest in mythology, anthropology and psychology, especially the Uncanny.
Nandipha Mntambo: Emabutfo, 2009
Nandipha Mntambo is a South African artist who has become famous for her sculptures, videos and photographs that focus on human female body and identity by using natural, organic materials. Her art style has been self described as eclectic and androgynous. She is best known for her cowhide sculptures that connects the human form to nature.
Billie Holiday was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly influenced by jazz instrumentalists, inspired a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Holiday was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.
Olia Mishchenko: Block Magazine illustration
Olia Mishchenko is a Canadian artist known for her intricate drawings that depict imaginary architectural constructions and urban public spaces. Her work often explores themes of space and perception, contributing to contemporary discussions in art and architecture. Mischenko was born in Kiev. In 1997 she and emigrated to Canada. In 2015 her work was included in the exhibit “The Ukrainian Diaspora: Women Artists 1908–2015” at the Ukrainian Museum in New York.
Anna Filosofova was a Russian feminist and activist of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially concerned with the plight of serfs, Filosofova became a feminist in the late 1850s after joining the salon of Maria Trubnikova, who educated her on the subject. Alongside Trubnikova and Nadezhda Stasova, Filosofova was one of the earliest leaders of the Russian women’s movement. Together, the three friends and allies were referred to as the “triumvirate”. They founded and led several charitable organizations designed to promote women’s cultural and economic independence, such as the Society for Cheap Lodgings and Other Benefits for the Citizens of St. Petersburg. Filosofova served as the president of that organization for several years.
Nicole Miller is an artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Miller uses film and installations to explore the transformative capabilities of the moving image to reconstruct interpretations of self and culture. Her videos focus on the interplay between preconception and reality in terms of African American identity. The result of her work transforms into a powerful storytelling tool wielded for the possible reconstitution of lost histories and identities.
Laura X is a women’s rights advocate. Laura X changed her name in 1962 to Laura Shaw Murra, which remains her legal name. She took the name Laura X on September 17, 1969, to symbolize her rejection of men’s legal ownership of women and the anonymity of women’s history, which she said was stolen from women and girls. She declared that, like Malcolm X, “I don’t want to have my owner’s name, either.”
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family’s band the Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving member. During her time in the group, she recorded the hit singles “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again”. In 1969, Staples released her self-titled debut solo album.
Oseola McCarty was a local washerwoman in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who became The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) most famous benefactor. McCarty drew global attention after it was announced in July 1995 that she had established a trust through which at her death, a portion of her life’s savings would be left to the university to provide scholarships for deserving students in need of financial assistance. The amount was estimated at $150,000, a surprising amount given her low-paid occupation.
Michelle Obama is an American attorney and author who served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 as the wife of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. Obama campaigned for her husband’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. She was the first African-American woman to serve as first lady. As first lady, Obama worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. She has written four books, including her New York Times best-selling memoir Becoming (2018) and The Light We Carry (2022).
Clarice Phelps is an American nuclear chemist researching the processing of radioactive transuranic elements at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). She was part of ORNL’s team that collaborated with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research to discover tennessine (element 117). The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recognizes her as the first African American woman to be involved with the discovery of a chemical element.