These Are The Bold, Black Leaders On ESSENCE’s Inaugural ‘Black Futures Now’ List

ESSENCE is announcing its inaugural ‘Black Futures Now’ campaign during Black History Month, which honors a select group of Black activists and advocates fighting for a bold, beautiful Black future now.

We don’t have to just turn to the past to celebrate people making history and working for liberation in our communities. With the rise of censorship, targeted attacks against Black people speaking up for human rights, and erasure of Black stories, we aim to amplify the people who forge ahead. These honorees work in racial and economic justice with a progressive and radical lens, pushing back against entrenched institutions with courage.

The campaign kicked off with a microsite, where you can learn all about the honorees and a social media launch, which will be followed by video interviews that will be shared on ESSENCE socials and ESSENCE.com for the remainder of the month.

Meet these bold Black leaders and learn more about them here.

Academia- Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly

Activism- Maisie Brown

Activism- Angela Ferrell-Zabala

Activism- Alicia Garza

Elected Officials- Charles Barron

Elected Officials- Inez Barron

Entertainment- Erika Alexander

Entertainment- Kendrick Sampson

Law- Alphonso David

Law- Mawuli Davis

Media- Marc Lamont Hill