Black History is American History…PERIOD
Honoring the Legacy and Amplifying the Black Communicators Who Shape the Culture Every Day
Every February, the same question finds its way into boardrooms and brand meetings: “What are we doing for Black History Month this year?”
This year, we’re celebrating 100 years since Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week—a grassroots initiative that would eventually evolve into Black History Month.
Black voices have shaped every part of American life, like music, media, policy, pop culture, public health, and more. Yet in today’s climate, we’re watching our contributions be silenced, our presence erased, and our labor discarded.
We’re seeing it play out in real time.
In December 2025, Teen Vogue laid off nearly its entire editorial staff, including several Black women whose work helped redefine the publication’s relevance and voice. These were the same storytellers who brought authenticity, youth advocacy, and cultural depth to the brand—only to be quietly let go. The optics speak for themselves.
And it’s not just media.
According to the November 2025 Jobs Report, nearly 600,000 Black women have been pushed out of the workforce since 2020.
In marketing, PR, and creative industries, the data reveals that:
Only 7% of professionals in marketing and advertising identify as Black
At the executive level, that number drops to 5.4%
In creative roles across media, design, and brand strategy, Black professionals make up less than 8%, yet shape 100% of the culture
Black consumers drive over $1.6 trillion in annual spending and shape trends across every major category
So please stop asking what to post for Black History Month and start asking:
Who are we partnering with?
Who are we investing in?
Who are we listening to?
Because visibility is not equity, and equity is not optional.
So Who’s Really Doing the Work?
If you’re serious about honoring Black history—and not just marketing around it—start with the creatives and communicators who’ve been leading the work long before the brief hit your inbox.
Here’s a growing list of some of my favorite industry leaders who are actively shaping culture, storytelling, and strategy that hould be on your radar all year long.
A social media strategist and creatorpreneur with 12+ years in marketing; she’s built a magnetic presence on LinkedIn with tens of thousands of followers and tens of thousands of engagements—turning authentic content into real business results and paid partnerships that have generated $40K+ in brand deal revenue and helped her scale to an estimated $250K in creator-driven income from LinkedIn and related streams. Powell champions community, creativity, and underrepresented voices while helping brands and creators engage audiences meaningfully.
A corporate communications leader who has led integrated comms and PR campaigns across consumer, entertainment, tech, and real estate—working with Fortune 500 brands including The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Walgreens, Ulta Beauty, and MillerCoors. She’s also the creator of Pulse & Perspective, a newsletter offering sharp insight on culture, leadership, and modern communications.
A writer, editor, and creative director whose work has appeared in the New York Times, EBONY, CNN, Food & Wine, Esquire, The Root, and more. Alex is the founder of Get Some Joy, a creative wellness agency using storytelling, resources, and live experiences to support mental and emotional well-being—especially for Black and LGBTQ communities.
An internal communications strategist, speaker, and industry leader known for dropping practical, high-impact insights on LinkedIn. With 15+ years of experience, Regine has built and scaled global IC functions at Visa, Adobe, PayPal, and Couchbase—helping organizations treat internal communications as a strategic growth driver, not a service desk.
A Gen Z PR powerhouse, Damaryan Benton is an LA-based account executive, brand strategist, and community builder. Currently at Anomaly, he crafts culturally resonant campaigns for Starbucks, with prior client experience including Foot Locker, PayPal, and Google Maps. He’s also the founder of The PR Habitat, a digital-first community serving 15,000+ Gen Z communicators by creating access, connection, and visibility in an often isolating industry.
A creative communications leader and passionate writer spotlighting culture-defining moments across music, fashion, and entertainment. Jamisha has contributed to Dallas Observer, Vibe, The Source, JET, and BlackAmericaWeb.com, and is the founder and host of It Must Be Another Podcast—a platform elevating conversations at the intersection of culture, media, and storytelling.
