Who is making Black history right now: The 'GMA' Inspiration List 2022
Meet the next generation of Black change-makers.
When the "GMA" Inspiration List debuted during Black History Month in 2021, prominent figures in fields such as business, entertainment, science and sports shared the names of change-makers who were making Black history in the present.
Names such as Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett, who helped develop the COVID-19 vaccine, Amanda Gorman, whose inauguration poem wowed the nation, and Stacey Abrams, who galvanized the 2020 elections with her get-out-the-vote message, were recognized for their achievements, leadership and ability to inspire.
In these ever-changing times, "GMA" is continuing the conversation and asking more figures to share who in the Black community is doing work today that inspires them.
Scroll down to see the impressive list of people working their way into the history books for our time through their passion and contributions. Plus, you can hear from the nominators in their own words why they appreciate their nominee's dedication to their cause.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw nominates Emtithal Mahmoud
I met Emtithal Mahmoud, also known as Emi, in 2018 in my role as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and was instantly captivated -- her pure talent, authenticity and infectious benevolence are extraordinary and truly merit recognition.
Emi is a World Champion Poet, former refugee and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and grew up in Philadelphia. She spends her time tirelessly advocating for refugees and disadvantaged communities around the world. Some of her incredible highlights include in 2018 when she walked 1,000 kilometers from Darfur to Khartoum, mobilizing thousands along the way, and in 2020, when she served as an independent, unaffiliated advisor to the Juba Peace Talks, creating unprecedented recommendations on civil liberties, gender equality, refugee rights and more. Emi is best known for using poetry to advocate and promote peace. She has performed powerful spoken words at global events, from music festivals and concerts, to Davos and the U.N.. Most recently, Emi attended and performed at COP26 with a poem shedding light on the human impacts of the climate crisis.
What is more, not only is Emi an activist, a changemaker and a poet, she is also a scientist who studied anthropology, and molecular cellular and developmental biology at Yale, and graduated in 2016, earning a bachelor of science and Certificate in Global Health; Emi is hoping to go back to medicine this year.
It’s rising stars like Emi who make the world a better place -- humanizing, inspiring and creating empathy everywhere she goes. I am so proud to nominate her.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is an actress who currently stars as Jane on "The Girl Before" and Ravonna Renslayer on "Loki."
Anthony Hill nominates Felicia Pride
Felicia Pride is doing culture-shifting work in multiple facets of the entertainment world. She is a film and television writer, producer, director, podcast host and founder who is already putting her stamp on the industry across the board. Felicia's production company, Honey Chile, is aimed at centering Black women 40+. She also founded The Create Daily, a resource for underrepresented storytellers to thrive.
A specific eye-opening moment for me involving her work came this season on "Grey's Anatomy." She wrote an episode dedicated to racial bias in health care. It's an episode of television that spread waves of awareness about dealing with medical formulas and their racial disparities. People of color, particularly Black women, are often overlooked in health care systems due to outdated practices and teachings. Felicia highlighted a very real current issue that showed how race is used to determine kidney function in patients. Since it's airing, changes are now being more widely implemented in eGFR standards, which is the exact issue she raised so effectively on "Grey's." Her episode undoubtedly helped spur some of these crucial industry changes that are being made in the health care community.
Anthony Hill is an actor who currently stars as Winston Ndugu on "Grey's Anatomy."
Yaya DaCosta nominates Sumayyah Franklin
I'm nominating Sumayyah Franklin of Sumi's Touch for "GMA's" Inspiration List. Sumayyah is a traditional midwife, a full-spectrum doula at a time when institutional racism in the hospital setting is being highlighted and examined.
Legislation is trying to be passed. The real work is happening on the ground. Sumayyah is making a huge impact on Black communities worldwide by leading doula trainings that teach Black women how to support one another in the birthing process, prenatal, through birth and postpartum, and in that, ushering in a new generation of beautiful Black babies that are born in safe, healthy, loving environments -- full of community, self-empowered mamas, and ancestral presence and wisdom.
So grateful to Sumayyah, thank you for being a change-maker and thank you, "GMA," for highlighting the beautiful work that she does.
Yaya DaCosta is an actress who currently stars as Angela Vaughn on "Our Kind of People."
T. Murph nominates Kimberly Latrice Jones
I would like to nominate my aunt, Kimberly Latrice Jones. She’s a best-selling author, activist, director and all around Renaissance woman. Her speech, “How Can We Win,” went viral in 2020 after the tragic death of George Floyd and brought immediate attention to the lack of equality and equity in the Black community. She was a voice that was needed and necessary.
Even today, she is still fighting the good fight even while managing her extremely busy career and being an amazing mother. She is a beacon of light and a voice that will forever be heard.
Thank you for being you, Aunt Kim.
T. Murph is an actor who currently stars as Clovis on "Woke."
Britt Stewart nominates Elyse Fox
I first came across Elyse Fox on Instagram through her nonprofit organization, Sad Girls Club. After going through a hard time herself, Elyse created a safe space for her community. She is redefining and supporting mental wellness for BIPOC-identifying women all around the world through her organization.
As someone who is passionate about empowering and creating more opportunities for BIPOC youth artists, the work that Elyse is doing for health and wellness in the community continues to inspire me. Elyse has an amazing way of transparently showcasing the lives of Gen Z and millennial girls and women on her social media platforms, and how their mental health can be potentially impacted in living in today’s world. Advocacy for mental health is so needed, and I can’t wait to see what Elyse and Sad Girls Club accomplish next as they support and break stigmas in BIPOC communities worldwide.
Britt Stewart is a professional dancer who became the first Black female pro on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2020.
Trevor Jackson nominates Osei Vita
Osei Vita, also known as Mestre Axé, is someone I’ve known and looked up to since I was a child learning Capoeira, an African-Brazilian martial art that was brought over to Brazil by enslaved Africans disguised as a dance in order to practice fighting techniques for revolting.
Osei is the first non-Brazilian mestre in North America. He is based out of the Los Angeles headquarters, Capoeira Brasil LA, which is dedicated to working in the Southern California community, and serving its families with a mission to promote self-confidence, respect and tolerance through athleticism and culture.
Not only is Osei a teacher, he is also a leader. He moves the culture forward every day through the values, and lessons he instills in his students and colleagues. His class is not just about mastering acrobatic and complex maneuvers, it focuses on our history as Black people, and revolves around music and sense of culture and family. Every class taken with Osei is empowering, I always walk away feeling uplifted and enlightened. Osei is more than deserving of this nomination.
Trevor Jackson is an actor who currently stars as Aaron Jackson on "Grown-ish."
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy nominates Ceyenne Doroshow
When I first met Ceyenne, I was so surprised, because the first thing she told me was, “You know my father.” I was incarcerated with her dad, Frank “Big Black” Smith, who was a leader in the Attica Uprising in 1971. Attica was the first time that people in the United States as a whole really started paying attention to injustices in the prison system -- and the fact that prisons are not set up to be places for justice or rehabilitation. At all. But with she being his daughter, I think Ceyenne and I were destined to meet. It was at a sex work decriminalization conference in New Orleans. She would call me for advice and we got closer and she came down from New York to visit me. She started doing things in the community and I love her for that. And it’s not always easy.
But she keeps going and she has my heart for that. Being Black and being transgender, I couldn’t just go in for a job interview and get a call back. It’s still that way for most of my community. And so many of us end up in the prison system because our parents don’t want anything to do with us, can’t get a job, even the shelters won't think twice about turning away people in my community. So I’m proud of what Ceyenne is doing, helping the community avoid the traps that lead us into the system. She’s mentoring the girls and guys and nonbinary kids who are just coming up. She’s teaching them how to use their voices. Her organization, GLITS, actually bought some property that’s permanent where girls can stay and know that someone has their back, because she has the drive in her where if she sees a wrong happening to someone, she’s going to try to right it.
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is a transgender activist who runs House of GG in Little Rock, Arkansas, and executive produced the series "Trans in Trumpland."
Melanie Willingham-Jaggers nominates Rebekah Robinson
Rebekah Robinson (she/her) is a storyteller, an activist and the young Black, bold queer woman this generation needs. Rebekah is a born leader who has been inspiring and advocating for young people, especially Black LGBTQ+ youth, not only in her community, but across the globe -- and at a very young age.
Rebekah led her high school’s GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) and collaborated with her local GLSEN chapter to provide leadership development for fellow classmates and revamping an LGBTQ-inclusive sex-ed curriculum. Rebekah took her advocacy nationally, working alongside fellow queer students across the country as experts of their lived experiences as a member of GLSEN’s National Student Council. Rebekah’s voice continues to inspire young queer students as GLSEN’s first-ever Senior Advisor for Student Voices on the Board of Directors, serving to fight for affirming and inclusive K-12 environments for fellow LGBTQ students and educators. Rebekah’s passions for language, travel, education, sports, social justice and journalism are rooted in her advocacy and a reminder that a strong Black voice for change knows no bounds.
Rebekah is making Black history no matter what language she is speaking, where she is traveling and who she is speaking to. In this moment, she is a master’s candidate at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and co-hosts and co-produces the "Dis Place" podcast for Black Futures Now Toronto, which explores Black and queer geography in Toronto, Ontario. Her audio storytelling voice has covered Black artists and international LGBTQ issues. Rebekah is an inspiration to me and serves as a voice of intersectionality for young, Black, queer students in search of support and affirmation.
Melanie Willingham-Jaggers is the first Black, nonbinary executive director of GLSEN.
Blair Imani nominates Kahlil Greene
Kahlil Greene, known online as the Gen Z Historian, is changing the way history education happens. Breathing new life into an ancient field with upbeat charisma and well-researched lessons.
To see a young person like Kahlil publicly confronting subjects like critical race theory, historical atrocities and more during a time when there are open discussions about curtailing the discussions of these topics in classrooms, is nothing short of inspiring. With an infectious smile, unrelenting wit, and talent for concise and incisive responses, Kahlil makes learning history engaging and exciting. He is also a recent graduate from Yale University, where he served as the student body president.
In addition to having graduated over the course of an unprecedented pandemic, he used his time at Yale to improve conditions for students as it relates to race and class. He led efforts that changed conditions not only for students on his campus but across the country.
Blair Imani is an award-winning educator, historian, influencer, semi-retired organizer, public speaker and the author of "Read This to Get Smarter."
Dr. Leandris Liburd nominates Locola Hayes
Black history is being made by an unsung s/hero named Locola Hayes, MBA, who serves as the Management Official and Chief Strategy Advisor in the Office of Science at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Locola is a major, but humble influencer; she is spearheading transformative change to achieve equity across the agency, but never expects personal recognition. Locola has played a seminal role in the creation of CDC’s first national health equity science and intervention strategy. The health equity strategy, known as CORE, has the commitment of the entire agency and consists of 159 health equity goals reflecting CDC’s broad public health portfolio. When fully implemented, CORE has the potential to disrupt longstanding patterns of health inequities experienced by communities of color and other groups that have been marginalized and systematically limited in their opportunities to attain their best health.
Braced with a sense of urgency to seize a unique moment in history, Locola has been steadfast in her efforts to mobilize the needed resources, technical expertise, and partnerships -- putting in place equitable and inclusive solutions. For example, she spearheaded the establishment of a Health Equity Science Fellowship for CDC scientists wanting to increase their knowledge and ability to conduct health equity science. Without this fellowship, CDC would not have the capacity it needs to move a bold and comprehensive health equity plan forward.
Drawing upon her global public health work in Uganda and West Africa, Locola executes at a high level of management operations to leverage CDC’s scientific workforce to pursue health equity and eliminate largely preventable health disparities. Her work through CORE is a truly historic initiative that will prevent excess deaths and disease in communities of color; its implementation and success would not be possible without the tireless contributions of Locola Hayes. Locola is deserving of national recognition for the role she is playing to ensure African Americans have a just and fair opportunity to be healthy. Every day, she takes actions that demonstrate her influence as a global champion for health equity.
Dr. Leandris Liburd is the associate director for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.
Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts nominates Octavia Raheem
Octavia is the author of "Pause, Rest, Be: Stillness Practices for Courage During Times of Change" as well as the book, "Gather." Octavia's writing invites her readers into a quiet contemplative place of inquiry, reflection and deeper self-love, much like she does in her yoga classes, workshops, immersions and retreats.
Octavia has revolutionized the way we think about rest and the connection to liberation. She has dedicated her life to rest in a way that can truly transform both the individual and collective. Octavia prioritized the rest and well-being for some of the most vulnerable populations during the pandemic by virtually hosting her groundbreaking retreat, Starshine & Clay, a safe and brave space for women of color to prioritize rest and self-care.
She is a proud wife and mother who is committed to herself, family and community being well, rested and free. She uses and shares the tools that support her own sense of wellness, freedom and expansion in the world: restorative yoga, writing, meditation and yoga nidra to guide you toward living your best life!
Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts is a Peloton yoga teacher and the founder of Red Clay Yoga, a nonprofit organization that brings yoga to diverse communities.
Dawn Davis nominates Angel Gregorio
Angel Gregorio is the visionary woman behind The Spice Suite, a popular spice shop in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington D.C. Angel sells unique hand-blended spices, condiments and cookware, which she travels the world to source -- and are perfect for the home cook looking to add depth of flavor to their weeknight dishes.
I love the authentic way Angel came into this business: Inspired by a gift of delicious and aromatic Kuwaiti spices, she set out on a journey to discover the world of small-batch seasonings. Having smelled and tasted the richness and quality of fresh spices and oils, she decided to open a shop and (literally and metaphorically) bring the world’s flavors to her friends and neighbors. Six years later, she continues to satisfy and inspire her customers with unique blends such as seafood/crab seasoning, a peach sriracha-flavored honey and strawberry almond-flavored vanilla. We wrote about her in our entrepreneurs package.
More, I love how she uses her success to support others. Every month, she allows other entrepreneurs to use her space as a pop-up. And during the height of the 2020 pandemic, she partnered with DC or Nothing to distribute over 80,000 pounds of food by organizing pop-ups throughout D.C. that provided access to bread, cheese and produce to the food insecure.
Dawn Davis is editor in chief of Bon Appétit.
Rōze Traore nominates Tony Hillery
Tony is the founder and executive director of Harlem Grown, an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability and nutrition. Founded in 2011, Harlem Grown operates local urban farms, increases access to and knowledge of healthy food for Harlem residents, and provides garden-based development programs to Harlem youth.
Tony is an inspiration to me personally and to the entire community he serves. His approach to ending the circle of poverty through healthy food makes a huge impact on the lives of New Yorkers daily.
It would be my honor to nominate Tony for the GMA Inspiration List!
Rōze Traore is a globally renowned fine-dining chef, an alum of Eleven Madison Park, model and advocate for communities facing food insecurity.
Aurora James nominates Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson of Blk & Bold
Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson have done something incredible with Blk & Bold. As the first nationally distributed Black-owned coffee brand, Cezar and Johnson are combining purpose with quality products -- making their rising success no surprise. From partnerships with major companies like Ben & Jerry’s and the NBA, Blk & Bold’s approach to business is what sets them apart.
As a Black entrepreneur myself, I know first-hand how challenging it can be to meet demand while simultaneously giving back to your community. Cezar and Johnson’s commitment to their social impact model is exactly why they are making waves across the industry. Not only do they dedicate 5% of Blk & Bold’s profits to initiatives that help youth in need, but they have already donated more than $40,000 to community organizations.
Cezar and Johnson are shining examples of change-makers, and I’m proud to nominate them to GMA’s Inspiration List.
Aurora James is the founder of Fifteen Percent Pledge and the fashion label Brother Vellies.
Sharon Chuter nominates Taja Riley
I am nominating Taja Riley for the "Good Morning America" Inspiration List. She is a change-maker because she stands alone challenging huge organizations for more equity.
Most don’t know that a lot of the dancers and artists do not get paid. Not only for their performance but also for the rehearsals. Some of these rehearsals could take up to nine hours or more. Taja has stood on her own, advocating and fighting for others to make sure there is equity and equality in these environments. And for this, she is my change-maker of the year.
Sharon Chuter is the owner of UOMA Beauty and Pull Up For Change.
The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of ABC News.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."
Related Stories
ABC News Live