February, Black History Month, is a time to celebrate the pivotal stories that have impacted the world and left their mark on history.

Everyone knows the stories of all the greatest influential African American leaders. The best of the best—like Martin Luther King Junior, Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks and several more—will go down in history as some of the ultimate trailblazers in African American history and in the world.

While these leaders are so largely and timelessly significant, there are some new, smaller, up and coming members of the African American community that are paving their own paths and leaving their marks on the world.

Two of these groundbreakers are Leah Sava Jeffries and Caleb McLaughlin.

Jeffries and McLaughlin are actors that have recently gone viral for their supporting roles in their respective T.V. shows, Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Stranger Things. 

Jeffries, currently 16 and only 12 while filming, rose to fame during the release of the first season back in 2023. Her outstanding performance as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson earned her the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth in 2023 and 2024 and a nomination for the same award in 2026 for the second season that premiered December of 2025.

Despite her renowned skills as an actress, she faced severe backlash when she was initially casted. Annabeth Chase, the second biggest character in the book, was originally a blonde-haired white female. Once Leah Sava Jeffries was announced to be in the television adaptation, there was extreme backlash against her because of her skin color. However, she did not let this demotivate or influence her. She proved all of her critics wrong and became an inspiration.

McLaughlin rose to fame at a similar age. When he was just 14, Stranger Things season one was released, and he played Lucas Sinclair, one of the main side characters and the only African American in the main cast until the later seasons. McLaughlin has always been regarded as a remarkable actor, and he recently was nominated for the 2026 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series after the series finale of Stranger Things in 2025.

These two actors are perfect examples of fresh influences on the world. While maybe not as famous or widely impactful as leaders like MLK, trailblazers like McLaughlin and Jeffries are making their marks and paving the way to new opportunities.