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Feb 1, 2022 · By Madeline Merinuk and Sarah Lemire. Rosa Parks. Ketanji Brown Jackson. Ida B. Wells. Kamala Harris. They're just a few of many Black women in history whose names represent a legacy of ...
- Quinta Brunson. Claim to fame: Actress, comedian, writer, producer. Why she’s extraordinary: From winning the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Performance to winning an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Quinta Brunson and her show, Abbott Elementary, have been on a roll.
- Janet Mock. Claim to fame: Writer, producer, transgender rights activist. Why she’s extraordinary: Mock, who received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards, is one of the leading voices for transgender rights in the 21st century.
- Lizzo. Claim to fame: Singer, songwriter, rapper, activist. Why she’s extraordinary: Lizzo has won three Grammy Awards, a Billboard Music Award, and a BET Award.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph. Claim to fame: Actress, singer. Why she’s extraordinary: Sheryl Lee Ralph has been making waves this awards season, winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy at the age of 66, along with being nominated for a Critics Choice Award.
- Daisy Bates: A Civil Rights Hero. Daisy Bates was a complex, unconventional and largely forgotten heroine of the civil rights movement who led the charge to desegregate the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957.
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll. Despite not being a household name today, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
- Harriet Tubman. "I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say – I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger."
- Maya Angelou. Learn how Dr. Maya Angelou began writing and reading poetry as a child.
- Rosa Parks. Best known for her refusal to leave her seat for a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks sparked a citywide boycott of buses that led to a law desegregating buses across the nation.
- Marjorie Joyner. Marjorie was a beauty salon owner, who changed the game of hair styling when she invented the “permanent wave machine.” Her perm machine simplified the process of straightening and curling hair for all women; it allowed women to achieve a long-lasting style without the hassle of heating up numerous rods in an oven.
- Mary Kenner. Mary received five patents in her lifetime for household items including the sanitary belt (maxi pads), the bathroom tissue holder, a back washer that mounted on the wall of the shower and the carrier attachment on walkers for disabled people.
- Ruane Jeter. Ruane was most notably the inventor of the toaster, but along with the help of Sheila Lynn Jeter, they created many items of stationery. This included sheathed scissors, the stapler, a staple remover and many multi-purpose office supplies.
Feb 23, 2019 · Wilma Rudolph was dubbed “the fastest woman in the world” and in 1960 became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the same Olympic Games, according to the...
Aug 29, 2022 · These Black Women Changed America Thirty years ago, photographer Brian Lanker made indelible images of historical lives; a new exhibition says their stories have never seemed more relevant
Feb 3, 2021 · At the Smithsonian, we share African American history all year round. To mark Black History Month, here are eight objects and videos from the Smithsonian's collections. They represent 12 women whose stories you may not know. 1. Amanda Smith
