In 2014, Mo’ne Davis let the world know that Little League wasn’t just for little boys. She was the first african-american girl to play in the Little League World Series, and was the first girl to earn a win and pitch a shutout in all of Little League World Series history. Mo’ne was also one of the only two girls to play in the 2014 Little League World Series, and the first Little League baseball player to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

You may know her as Little Miss Flint, the little girl who wrote a letter to Obama that moved him to visit Flint, Michigan. Mari has been a large voice in the efforts to bring attention the water crisis in Flint, both with her activism online, and the fundraisers and drives she has run in-person.

You have probably heard about Rosa Parks, but have you heard about Claudette Colvin? Claudette was actually the first black female to not give up her seat for a white person, doing so a few months prior to Rosa Parks’ more famous refusal. She was arrested and taken to jail, even though she was a minor. She was afraid of the backlash of her actions, but stood by her choice, a true activist at 15 years old.

In history class, you probably learned about Ruby Bridges. Ruby was the first black student to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary school. Although she was one of four black children participating in this history-making change, she was the only one who was doing it alone. Although she faced a lot of hate and threats by people who did not support desegregation, at six years old, she remained brave and calm, and walked into that school every day, opening the doors for so many other children who came after her.