In 1942, Pearl Thompson was a student at Shaw University when she was denied a library card at a Raleigh, North Carolina public library because she was black. She was prevented from checking out a book assigned for a history class, and sent to the basement with a library staff member where she had to stay to read it.

LaTonya Taylor was told she may never walk or speak again after her estranged husband shot her in the face and chest in April of last year. "The bullet went through my heart and though my spine," she said. "They didn't think I would be able to walk, talk or feed myself." Now, she is grateful to have regained both abilities.

When Robin Emmons' brother was homeless with deteriorating mental and physical health, she decided to make a change to create a better life for him. He was consuming a lot of unhealthy, processed foods so she dug up her yard and started growing food there, which she donated to the facility where her brother lived. Since then, her backyard garden has transformed into Sow Much Good gardens, where Emmons and her team grow food that is distributed to low-income communities and sold at an on-site market.