John — Black History Month is an opportunity to highlight Black Americans' brilliance, creativity, bravery, and achievements across centuries.

While the towering figures of our history, such as Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, W.E.B. Du Bois, Shirley Chisholm, and James Baldwin, are widely recognized, their names only hint at the profound impact Black individuals have woven into the fabric of our nation.

The list of Black icons is far too long to cover in this short email or in the shortest month of the year, but I want to highlight three lesser-known Black Philadelphia historic icons:

• Rebecca Cole (1846 - 1922) was the second-ever female Black doctor in the United States and a fierce advocate for women and the poor. In 1873, Cole founded the Women's Directory Center, which provided legal and medical services for poor women and children.


• Joyce Craig Lewis (1977 - 2014) was a Philadelphia firefighter who died while trying to save an elderly woman during a house fire. Lewis was the first female firefighter in Philadelphia to die in the line of duty. During her career, Lewis served on Engine 9, Engine 45, Ladder 21, and Engine 64 for the Philadelphia Fire Department.


• Dr. Walter P. Lomax Jr. (1932 - 2013) was a physician who opened his first South Philly medical practice in 1958, where he famously treated Martin Luther King Jr. for a respiratory infection. He went on to create six healthcare clinics and various organizations and businesses. And in 1994, he purchased the Virginia plantation where his great-grandmother and hundreds of others were once enslaved.