Black History Month is a time that should be celebrated heavily, regardless of your skin color. The month of February highlights multiple icons who dedicated their lives to the advancement of African Americans and our unique culture.

Names like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Jesse Owens, and Gwendolyn Brooks are just a few of the thousands of black people who decided they had bigger shoes to fill in life. In these shoes, each step was taken to advance not only black culture but also the advancement of society as a whole.

Without the historical black movements, such as the freeing of slaves, the March on Washington, and other monumental events, the world would not be the innovative, successful, and creative place we know it to be.

While these names and events are more associated with the history recorded decades ago, society has continued to keep their names alive.

Someone in today’s society who constantly advocates for the advancement of African-Americans is Kyrie Irving.

For those unfamiliar with Irving, he is a National Basketball Association champion and the current point guard for the Brooklyn Nets. Irving is most known for his gift of controlling the basketball as if it were on a string. He is also known for his acrobatic style of play as an undersized guard.

Despite his excellence on the court, Irving’s off-court actions are what define his character the most.

During the 2022-23 season, Irving has donated to several charities, providing a large amount of funding to great causes. Sports Illustrated writer Chris Milholen reported that Irving donated over $300,000 to multiple charities within a couple of weeks.

Irving not only donated to global causes but several local fundraisers that want to raise awareness on any acts of injustice. One of those fundraisers included an instance of police brutality in Mississippi against a young African American.

“The Nets guard’s other most recent donation came on Dec. 20, when he gifted $50,000 to the GoFundMe for Jaheim McMillan, a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police in Mississippi on Oct. 6,” stated Milholen.

I connected with this personally, being a fellow Black Mississippian who has barely seen a glimpse of what my future holds.

Irving has also contributed to the success of students who attend Historically Black Colleges. Destiny Thompson, a Howard University student, created a GoFundMe to raise $6,000, so she could continue her education. Irving quietly responded with $22,000, which more than doubled her expectations.

Reading this article has truly strengthened my respect for Irving since I relate to Destiny closely, being an HBCU student who has encountered financial issues. This donation was one of many others that pushed for the advancement of successful African-Americans.

Irving’s impact on black culture might not be of the same magnitude as Martin Luther King Jr., but his efforts to inspire change while using his platform should not go unnoticed.