They made Black history while adding some joy to the struggle. These three legends found joy in hobbies to keep going and in helping others to find their way.
Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, didn’t always play by the rules. Throughout his life, Marshall had a reputation as a prankster. When he was a kid, his teacher thought she could get him to behave by making him read the Constitution. And we know how that turned out.
Mary McLeod Bethune was one of the most influential Black women in the U.S. government, and her hobby reflected her strength. Bethune would collect walking sticks from men she admired, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. To her, these walking sticks symbolized refinement and leadership. This next legend also had a most unlikely hobby.
Despite his tough-guy exterior, Muhammad Ali loved art. His father, a muralist and sign painter, instilled this love in him. Ali would paint and draw throughout his life, even taking lessons from sports artist LeRoy Neiman, who became a lifelong friend.
Our hobbies are essential to our liberation. We cannot rise from anger alone. Joy sparked the flames of change in these Black legends. How can we use our hobbies to do the same?