American activist Ruth Ellis was BOTD in 1899. Born in Springfield, Illinois to a working-class family, she was openly lesbian by her teens, crediting her family with providing an accepting environment. In 1919, she graduated from high school (at the time, a rare achievement for African-American students) and worked for a printing company. In 1927, she and her partner Ceciline “Babe” Franklin moved to Detroit, Michigan, eventually opening their own printing press. Ellis’ and Franklin’s home became a refuge for Detroit’s LGBTQ community, particularly for African-American gays and lesbians rejected by their families. After decades of grassroots activism, they became more well-known during the gay liberation movement of the late 1960s. Ellis and Franklin remained together until Franklin’s death in 1973. On her 70th birthday in 1976, Ellis attended the inaugural Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival in Oceana County, becoming an annual fixture of the event. In 1999, she celebrated her 100th birthday by leading the San Francisco Dyke March, and was featured in Yvonne Welbon’s documentary Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100. Ellis died in 2000, aged 101. Among many posthumous tributes, the Ruth Ellis Centre, a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth in Detroit, was named in her honour.