Stickers of NHCJE’s eight new additions to the Icon Series, illustrated by Matthew Lambert.
The New Hampshire Center for Justice & Equity (NHCJE) is celebrating this season of appreciation by honoring the leaders whose courage, solidarity, and truth-telling continue to guide our ongoing work toward a more just and inclusive New Hampshire.
Through the Icon Series, NHCJE celebrates individuals who have laid the foundation for our journey toward justice and equity. Their stories of resilience and hope call us to act boldly in our own communities, especially in challenging times. These are the eight 2025 Icons:
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells stands out as a fearless historical figure from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An investigative journalist, suffragist, and founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), she refused to stay silent in the face of terror, challenging racial violence and the structures that sustained it. Her most notable work is the anti-lynching book A Red Record, where she documented lynchings and related statistical data, exposing their brutality and baseless justifications.
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass is known for being one of the most influential abolitionists, orators, writers, and reformers of the 19th century. His life embodied the struggle for liberation, the belief in education as a pathway to empowerment, and the conviction that reporting the truth could dismantle oppression. Through his writings, activism, and public service, he transformed the fight for abolition into a broader vision of human rights.
“We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future.”
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer was a fearless civil rights leader whose voice rose from the cotton fields of Mississippi to the national stage. She was a powerful advocate for voting rights, economic justice, and Black political representation. As a co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, she exposed racial violence and voter suppression. Through grassroots organizing Hamer fought for dignity, self-determination, and equality.
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
bell hooks
bell hooks was a trailblazing writer, feminist, and cultural critic whose work transformed how we think about race, gender, class, and love. She dedicated her life to making complex ideas about oppression accessible to everyone. Author of around 40 books, her award-winning work challenged systems of domination and called for a world rooted in care, community, and justice. As a teacher and theorist, she believed education should be a liberating act. Her legacy is a guiding light for equity, love, and social transformation.
“What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe.”
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was a freedom fighter, political leader, and global symbol of resilience whose lifelong struggle against apartheid reshaped the moral landscape of the 20th century. From his early activism with the African National Congress to his 27 years of incarceration and his historic presidency, Mandela championed equality, reconciliation, and human dignity. His leadership transformed South Africa’s path toward democracy and inspired movements for justice around the world.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, often referred to as RBG, transformed the American legal landscape through her work as a lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and champion for gender equality. From co-founding the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project to serving 27 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, she dedicated her life to ensuring equal protection under the law. Known for her sharp intellect, strategic advocacy, and powerful dissents, Ginsburg embodied justice in the legal system.
“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois was a sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, and one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. As a scholar and co-founder of the NAACP, Du Bois exposed the structural roots of racism and challenged America to live up to its democratic ideals. Through his research, writing, and advocacy, he helped shape the modern civil rights movement and inspired generations to continue the strive for equality.
“It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year.”
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist whose refusal to relinquish her seat on a segregated bus in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott and ignited the broader Civil Rights Movement in the United States. A dedicated member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), she worked for years as an activist, advocate, and educator committed to desegregation, racial justice, dignity, and opportunity for all.
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”
Facing Today’s Challenges Together
The changemakers we honor through our 2025 Icon Series teach us that change begins with a belief in something larger than ourselves, generative action, collective courage, persistence and perseverance. As we navigate an era of increased polarization and uncertainty, NHCJE continues to work toward a vibrant, flourishing, just, and equitable New Hampshire, where every person can belong.
Support on Giving Tuesday
This Giving Tuesday— December 2nd, 2025— we invite all Granite Staters to join us in advancing that vision. By contributing to NHCJE, donors directly support efforts that make equity tangible across the Granite State.
Your support enables us to:
Address threats to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in New Hampshire’s public schools and beyond,
Research and share data about New Hampshire’s changing demographics, languages spoken, and economic profiles,
Create learning and convening opportunities for social and economic justice organizations across the Granite State,
Offer mentorships and internships to New Hampshire students, nurturing the next generation of leaders.
To make a gift:
View the Full Icon Series:
