People don’t often take the time to embrace Black History Month and to delve into the innovators and revolutionaries who made black history, including everyone from MLK to JFK. That's right, JFK. You might be thinking, “JFK? Wasn’t he white?” Yes, he was. That leads me to the biggest problem with Black History Month: people forget how influential white people have been in black history. They’ve been a part of every civil rights movement, from ending slavery to ending segregation. Even now, white people are doing their part in the fight to end police brutality #AllLivesMatter. So, in honor of Black History Month, here are the top six white people who have made black history:

1. Branch Rickey – Breaking the color barrier in baseball was a huge moment for civil rights in America. Thank goodness for Branch Rickey, the Dodgers' General Manager who had the bravery, gusto, and foresight to let Jackie Robinson play the game.

2. Paul Wexler – Singer and activist Nina Simone would have been nothing if she had not been signed by major label Colpix Records. Paul Wexler was the man behind her signing, and therefore clearly behind all of her civil rights successes.

3. Jonathon Herman and Andrea Berloff - Everyone knows that all great movies start with a great script. As the writers of Straight Outta Compton, these two civil rights trailblazers are the only Oscar Nominees from the hit film about a famous black hip hop group.

4. George Bizos – The toppling of South African apartheid was one of the greatest events in the history of black equality. This would not have been possible if lawyer George Bizos had not helped free that black guy from jail who eventually led the anti-apartheid movement.

5. Eminem – Rap music has played an enormous role in the culture of African Americans. But it took Eminem, the single greatest rapper ever to live, to popularize the genre. Bringing equality to music is what makes Eminem truly the father of rap and a brother of civil rights.

6. Joe Biden – Everyone knows Barack Obama, but few have heard of Joe Biden, the first ever Vice-President to a black person. Biden could have easily been vice president for a white candidate, but Smokin’ Joe wanted to stand up for civil rights.

Honorable Mentions: John Brown and Lyndon B Johnson. Wow, so many white people that we just couldn’t narrow it down to only six!