February is one of my favorite months of the year. Maybe because it is my birthday month... but also because it also happens to be Black History Month. Although Black Culture is, and should, be celebrated 24/7, it’s nice to have a reflection and recognition. The older I get, the prouder of I become of my culture as I see the shift in society with being active for people of color. This is an amazing time to be alive. We all know the great Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr, and Barack Obama -- so let me introduce you to some modern-day activist and influencers of black culture.

1. Yara Shahidi

She is an actress and activist, best known for the spin-off show of "Black-ish," "Grown-ish" and being the voice of young adults. She attends Harvard University and has formed an organization called Yara’s Club. This organization informs high school students on social issues and how they can help their community. She worked with Michelle Obama in the Let Girls Learn education initiative and signed to a model agency in hopes of spreading diversity. She is continuously fighting for social issues through rallies, events, and her social media. She gives the definition that millennials are involved in socio-political movements and care about making a difference.

2. Jesse Williams

Williams is best known for his role in "Greys Anatomy;" he has used that big platform to spread awareness of social issues in the POC community. He is the youngest board of director for The Advancement Project, a civil rights advocacy group. He has been on screen and written articles for stations like CNN. He is a producer for a website platform called Question Bridge: Black Males. This website focuses on diversity and the representation of the black male identity. He is very vocal on social media. He has credibility as he went to university and received degrees in African American Studies and Film & Media Arts.

3. DeRay Mckesson

Around the Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner cases, all I saw was DeRay Mckesson advocating on Twitter and on news stations. He started his activism with “Mapping Police Violence,” which gathered data on police killings towards civilians. He then created Campaign Zero, which was a ten-point policy list for police reform. He has been in the front line of protests for cities like Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Charleston, South Carolina. To this day he is still advocating for LGBTQ and the black community.

4. Ciara Taylor

An amazing woman, Taylor is one of the founders of Dream Defenders: a platform for student movements. This organization was created after the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The group focuses on police brutality, gender identity, and religious freedom.

5. Samuel Sinyangwe

Samuel Sinyangwe has also worked with DeRay Mckesson in “Mapping Police Violence” and Campaign Zero. He is from Orlando, Florida and graduated at Stanford University with interests in race and politics. He has been featured on CNN, The Huffington Post, MSNBC and other platforms. He uses social media and other platforms to spread awareness about issues that are important to him.