Cultural Spotlight

Ibram X. Kendi

• Renowned speaker
• New York Times #1 bestselling author
• Named to Times 100 Most Influential People of 2020
• Contributing editor for the Atlantic
• Director for Bostom University's Center for Antiracist Research

Katherine Johnson Biography (NASA)

• Astrophysicist and mathematician
• Helped launch the first use of digital computers at NASA
• Helped NASA put a person in orbit and put a man on the moon
• Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Paved the way for Black women in STEM

Carter G. Woodson History (NAACP)

• Author, editor, publisher, historian
• Founded and became president of Associated Publishers
• Founded Association for the Study of African American Life and History
• Pioneered the celebration of "Negro History Week" which later expanded to become Black History Month

Segundo Blas (Guampedia)

• Master woodcarver
• Known for his three-dimensional storyboards of Chamarro themes and canoe models
• Received the Maga'lahi Award for Lifetime Cultural Achievements

Charlene E. Lizama (Facebook)

• Bay Area crochet artist originally from Yigo, Guam
• Creator of "Guamie Dollies"
• Inspired by her daughters and keeping a connection with her roots, she uses her creativity to share Guam's history, culture, and traditions through storytelling with a cute flair

Lucia Fernandez Torres (Guampedia)

• Master weaver in traditional folk art style
• Learned to weave at the age of eight from her mother and grandmother
• Her trademark became Pandanus weaving of traditional miniature items
• One of her many notable displays of work was 150 baskets presented to Pope John Paul II's visit to Guam

Agueda Iglesias Johnston (Guampedia)

• Educator and community leader
• Began teaching at 16 years old
• Founded the Guam Girl Scouts
• Founding member of the Guam Women's Club
• Founding member of the Guam Fine Arts and Historical Society
• Established Liberation Day
• Inducted into the Guam Educators Hall of Fame

Kaohly Her (YWCA Minneapolis)

• Currently serves Minnesota House of Representatives
• Member of Asian pacific caucus
• Authored multiple bills including legislation to increase funding for English language learners

Yuri Kochiyama (NPR)

• After the bombing of Peral Harbor, she was sent to a concentration camp which opened her eyes to governmental abuses
• Her friendship with Malcolm X radicalized her activism
• Dedicated her life to advocacy of civil rights for marginalized groups

Patsy Mink (Women's History)

• Founded the Oahu Young Democrats in 1954
• The first Japanese-American woman to practice law in Hawaii
• First Asian-American woman to serve in Congress (1964)
• One of the authors and sponsors of Title IX, which in 2002 was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act