In communities towns and cities throughout the United States, the divisiveness of marginalization, segregation, and inhumane treatment of melanated Americans broke the foundation of civil liberty upon which many believe this nation was established. Many national and regional movements are known in the recorded and much-publicized history of the struggle for humanity, yet there were many more ground warriors toiling and sweating in the trenches of small communities of color across America.

The oft unknown efforts and unheard voices of these foot soldiers contributed to the broader collective pursuit of inclusion and equity. Some of these quiet workers are underrepresented and even misrepresented in the national and local narrative. Although some voices were silenced by Jim Crow protocols and some talents and skills were regarded as demeaning, these workers kept working and waiting. Some still wait.