Poets & Writers
Politics
STEM
TV Business
Music
Sports
Trailblazers
100
Central figure of Harlem Renaissance ; American author and filmmaker
Zora Neale Hurston
100
American politician and attorney; currently serves as 49th Vice President of the United States
Kamala Harris
100
American mathematician and former NASA employee; her calculations were critical to the success of the first United States spaceflights
Katherine Johnson
100
American television producer, screenwriter, and author; currently serves as executive producer of Grey's Anatomy
Shonda Rhimes
100
American jazz and swing music singer who had an influence on jazz music; known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills
Billie Holiday
100
American professional tennis player; she has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other player
Serena Williams
100
American educator, stateswoman, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist; founder of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
Mary McLeod Bethune
200
American poet, civil rights activist, and author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969 autobiography)
Maya Angelou
200
American politician and lawyer; 60th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
Keisha Lance Bottoms
200
First African-American woman and first Native-American to hold a pilot license
Bessie Coleman
200
American talk show host, television producer, philanthropist and actress; has her own talk show broadcast from Chicago
Oprah Winfrey
200
American jazz singer, known as the "Queen of Jazz"; she was known for her "horn-like" or scat singing
Ella Fitzgerald
200
American tennis player and professional golfer; one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis
Althea Gibson
200
African-American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social activist; first female self-made millionaire in America
Madam C.J. Walker
300
American novelist, book editor, and college professor; her first novel was published in 1970, called The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
300
American politician, lawyer, and voting rights activist who served in the Georgia House of Representatives; founder of Fair Fight Action
Stacey Abrams
300
First black woman to travel into space
Mae C. Jemison
300
American actress, known for her portrayal of "strong African-American women"; gained attention from her performance as Rebecca Morgan in Sounder
Cicely Tyson
300
American singer, dancer, and civil rights activist; she was a nightclub performer and she took part in the March on Washington in 1963
Lena Horne
300
American artistic gymnast; she has the most World medals and the most World gold medals
Simone Biles
300
American politician, educator, and author; first black woman elected to the United States Congress
Shirley Chisholm
400
American novelist and social activist; she published the novel The Color Purple
Alice Walker
400
Democratic politician who served in the United States House of Representatives representing Florida's 17th congressional district
Carrie Meek
400
American physician and nurse; first African-American woman to become a doctor in the United States
Rebecca Lee Crumpler
400
American filmmaker; co-wrote, produced, and directed When They See Us
Ava DuVernay
400
American singer who performed in blues, R&B, soul, and gospel; she gained fame with hits such as I'd Rather Go Blind, Something's Got a Hold on Me, and Tell Mama
Etta James
400
American track and field athlete; fastest woman of all time, and still holds the world records for the 100 m and 200 m
Florence "Flo-Jo" Joyner
400
American actress, singer, and voice artist, best known for her groundbreaking role as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series; she also held a critical role in promoting NASA's programs
Nichelle Nichols
500
American poet, writer, activist, and educator; her work covers race and social issues to children's literature and she is known for having a "strong, militant African-American perspective"
Nikki Giovanni
500
American diplomat, political scientist, and professor; first female African-American secretary of state and first woman to serve as National Security Advisor in the United States
Condoleezza Rice
500
African-American woman whose cells are the source of the HeLa cell line
Henrietta Lacks
500
American Actress, singer, and activist; first African-American woman to win a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
Diahann Carroll
500
American singer, songwriter, musician, and civil rights activist; she is known for her debut Little Girl Blue and hit single I Loves You, Porgy
Nina Simone
500
American former professional basketball player; first player to be signed in the WNBA
Sheryl Swoopes
500
American filmmaker, television, and documentary producer; first African-American woman to executive produce a nationally aired television series, Infinity Factory
Madeline Anderson