Black History Month Great Black Person #4 of 28:

Black History Month Great Black Person #4 of 28:
Gabby Douglas

I love the Olympics. It's an event that combines two of my very favorite things: sports and screaming "USA! USA!" Of course, both sports and patriotic chants are more fun when you're winning. Enter Gabby Douglas. Despite standing only 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighing less than the gold medals she would eventually win, Gabby shined on the Olympic stage, becoming the first black woman to win the individual all-around title in gymnastics. Throw in another gold medal from the team competition and Gabby is one of the most decorated athletes from the London Games. Despite this unparalleled (or is it uneven?) success, including being named AP Female Athlete of the Year for 2012, young Miss Douglas has managed to remain grounded and humble... a refreshing alternative to the egotism of certain other Olympic champions. (Cough cough, Usain Bolt.) So on behalf of the good ol' US of A and Black History Month enthusiasts everywhere, thank you Gabby Douglas... even McKayla is impressed.

Black History Month Great Black Person #3 of 28

Black History Month Great Black Person #3 of 28:
The Two Girls Who Used To Be In Destiny's Child

Long before Beyonce, Kelly, and Michelle performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, there were two other Destiny's Children who had the club Jumpin' Jumpin'. LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett (pictured in the middle above) were both members of the hit R&B group through the release of their first two albums. Unfortunately, between the second and third albums, LaTavia and LeToya were treated more like Destiny's Stepchildren as they were forced to leave the group after trying to assert themselves as Independent Women. This turned out to be quite the Bug A Boo as the group added Michelle Williams to replace LaTavia and LeToya and Destiny's Child never LaLooked back. No need to feel bad for the ladies though... both LaTavia and LeToya have two Grammys and have enjoyed post-Destiny's Child success in music, TV, film, and modeling. So thank you, forgotten members of Destiny's Child, for all you did with and without Beyonce... it's my pleasure to Say Your Name, Say Your Name today.

Black History Month Great Black Person #2 of 28

Black History Month Great Black Person #2 of 28:
The Mighty Ducks

The Mighty Ducks series was one of my favorites as a kid. I embraced the rag-tag group of lovable losers as they bonded together to take the pee-wee hockey world by storm. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate the Mighty Ducks in another way... as the most progressive hockey team to ever take the ice! You see, the NHL is comprised of less than 5% minorities. That's right, often times the puck is the only thing you'll see on the ice that's black. The Mighty Ducks roster, on the other hand, consisted of a staggering 34% minorities, including three black players; three and a half if you count mixed race Bash Brother Dean Portman... and oh, I do. Whether it was pretending you were Jesse Hall leading the Oreo Line to victory or trying to copy Russ Tyler's devastating knucklepuck, the Mighty Ducks gave young, hockey-loving black kids (all ten of them) someone to admire. So thanks Mighty Ducks series, you taught America (and those jerks from Iceland) a valuable lesson: whether you're black, white, or whatever color you may be... ducks fly together!