[imagesource: TIME]

TIME has been compiling and publishing their list of the top 100 most influential people annually for almost 20 years now, but this year was a little different.

It was a year of multiple crises, all over the world, all at once, from hurricanes to mass protests, and of course, the pandemic.

2020 hasn’t been kind, and the list reflects this.

While it usually features, for the most part, heads of state, CEOs, and major entertainers, 2020’s list also features lesser-known figures who have risen to the forefront amidst the chaos.

While we won’t be covering the full list, which you can check out here, we will be looking at some of the key figures in each of the five categories, starting with:

PIONEERS

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion became a platinum-selling artist with the viral hit ‘Hot Girl Summer’ and multiple number one songs in the past year, ‘Savage’ and ‘WAP’.

Taraji P. Henson writes:

Once you discover her, you become a fan. I don’t like to put the stigma of the word strong on Black women because I think it dehumanizes us, but she has strength—strength through vulnerability. She’s lost much of her family—her mother, her father, her grandmother—yet she is the epitome of tenacity, of pulling herself up by her bootstraps. She was shot this summer, and still people tried to tear her down. But she’s out here still loving and being sweet.

Megan Thee Stallion is a pinnacle of strength, making her an ideal candidate for the list.

Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir

In one giant step for womankind, astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir exited the International Space Station to restore a controller regulating the batteries that store the station’s solar power. You can imagine what would have happened if the ISS ran out of power.

That’s not all, though, writes Mae Jemison:

They completed the first all-female spacewalk, shifting who we see as strong, brave, competent, and who’s on the team pushing the boundaries of exploration.

Yes, as Koch and Meir said, they were just doing their jobs. All astronauts say that, because being in space is our job. Yet two women executing intellectually and physically demanding work in one of the most challenging circumstances in which humans operate—orbital altitude of 250 miles, velocity of 17,500 m.p.h.—is an important event.

Only 34% of NASA’s workforce is female. Christina Koch and Jessica Meir stand as an inspiration for women wanting to go into space travel.

LEADERS

Donald Trump

Influence is not always positive, evidenced by Donald Trump.

Brian Bennet wasn’t kind in his depiction of the US President:

Trump’s calculations have had real-world consequences. He’s stripped away environmental regulations, even as the changing climate brings widespread fires and more powerful hurricanes. He downplayed the severity of COVID-19 early on, refused for months to wear a mask and pressured government scientists to change their recommendations, as the virus spread to eventually kill more than 200,000 Americans.

If there are any Americans reading this – vote in the upcoming elections.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum

Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum’s invaluable work against Ebola extends back to its discovery in 1976, through to the recent outbreak from 2018 to 2020, writes Dennis Mukwege.

Dr. Muyembe took exemplary action to battle misinformation and public mistrust of vaccine therapies, and pioneered new containment techniques for the devastating virus, thus strengthening the medical and scientific commitment of an entire generation. For five decades, he has been a model of excellence for humanity as he gives hope to the most vulnerable. Dr. Muyembe is among the exceptional men who advance science and truly make a difference.

His many contributions to medicine and science have also led the way to a better understanding of new infectious diseases, like COVID-19.

TITANS

Tyler Perry

As Oprah Winfrey puts it: “There’s no one else like him. In the entertainment business and in life. He’s a true visionary. A trailblazer.”

Tyler Perry started as a playwright before founding the largest privately-owned motion-picture studio in America.

Though he now sits atop a growing pinnacle of successes, he’s always trying to help others. Whether addressing food insecurity and homelessness in his community, helping the families of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and Secoriea Turner, or donating millions, his giving always comes from a personal place.

On September 20, he made history again when he received the prestigious Governors Award at the Emmys.

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot

In excess of 54 million Americans are faced with food insecurity this year, something which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and that’s where people like Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, and her organisation Feeding America, come in.

According to Rachel Ray:

Feeding America works tirelessly to provide food at food banks across the country, thanks to its leader Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.

Claire responded rapidly to meet increased need when hunger surged because of the corona­virus pandemic and economic downturn this spring. My cooking and kids’ initiatives, the Yum-o! Organization and the Rachael Ray Foundation, have been longtime partners of Feeding America, and we know firsthand all of the work they do on the front lines.

Without her, millions of people would lose access to food.

ICONS

Billy Porter

From the first time I saw his groundbreaking performance in Pose, to his striking gender-queer outfits on the red carpet, I have been a dedicated fan of Billy Porter.

Cyndi Lauper can relate:

Look at this guy. You want to see living proof of talent, perseverance, tenacity, resilience, dedication to craft? When he couldn’t get in the front door, the side door or the window, he found a whole other route. And now—especially since his historic Emmy win for Lead Actor in a Drama Series last fall—the whole world has found him, and that makes me so happy.

He is spectacular.

Arussi Unda

Arussi Unda is a feminist from Veracruz, Mexico, who led the call for a national women’s strike on March 9, 2020.

Lydia Cacho notes that in response to her call millions of women in Mexico stayed home from work and refused to care for others, reminding the world that reproductive labour is labour and the foundation of society.

Arussi insists women are the gatekeepers of our crumbling country, yet we are the ones being assassinated, raped, disappeared, bought and sold by traffickers. We care for the children, for the sick, for the elderly, and yet our governments have systematically denied us our right to rebel against an unjust system. We will put an end to this brutality that affects us all.

Her activism and leadership as a spokesperson for the feminist organisation Las Brujas del Mar, has made her an icon in the fight for women’s rights.

ARTISTS

The Weeknd

Elton John describes meeting Abel Tesfaye, who performs as the Weeknd, at an Oscars party, who told him that he should listen to his new album because it would excite him.

It turned out he’d used the chorus of “Your Song” on a track called “Scared to Live”—he was right, I was excited—but he’ll also sample the Smiths and Ethiopian singer Aster Aweke.

…He’s not interested in commerciality for commerciality’s sake, but he’s one of the biggest-streaming artists on Spotify. Like Prince, he marches to his own beat.

That’s a great way for an artist to be.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Phoebe Waller-Bridge didn’t just fall into fame. It came after years and hours of hard work.

Here’s Taylor Swift:

A combination of razor-sharp instincts, killer wit and genuine care for the people she works with proved to be a winning hand. She is the executive producer and was a showrunner of the thrilling hit show Killing Eve. Her one-woman play Fleabag was adapted into a show that turned her into everyone’s favorite self-sabotaging maker of mischief. (Phoebe has a habit of creating complex female anti­heroes in a way that seemed previously reserved for male characters.) And she co-wrote the screenplay for the new Bond film.

She’s a powerhouse, and could easily fit into TIME’s icon category as well.

And that’s a wrap.

Read the full list here.

[source:time]