Black philosophers have been important figures in the African American community for centuries. They have helped to shape the culture and worldview of the black community and offer important perspectives on a variety of topics. Teaching about black philosophers year-round can provide students with a more comprehensive and diverse understanding of the history of the black community.

Michael Burroughs, a philosopher of ethics at California State University, Bakersfield has worked extensively on getting people, including students and teachers, engaged in philosophy. Burroughs has written extensively on the topic.

Bell Hooks was known as a child who “talked back,” or stood up to adults, as she later explained in a famous essay. Born in 1944, Bell Hooks was a contemporary philosopher who had written extensively on topics such as gender, race, class, and culture.

Alain LeRoy Locke was a philosopher who wrote on topics such as epistemology and metaphysics. He was also the first African American to receive a PhD in philosophy from Yale University. He is known as the Father of Harlem Renaissance.

Sojourner Truth. Throughout her childhood and early adulthood, she was bought and sold as a slave multiple times. She pursued gospel teaching and spoke up against inequality and oppression.