Pioneers & Trailblazers
This civil rights activist refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus in 1955.
Who is Rosa Parks
Known as the “Queen of Soul,” she sang “Respect.”
Who is Aretha Franklin
She wrote the groundbreaking essay collection Sister Outsider, which explores Black feminism, identity, and social justice.
Who is Audre Lorde.
Her immortal cells, known as HeLa cells, revolutionized medical research.
Who is Henrietta Lacks
This tennis champion has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Serena Williams
She was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968.
Who is Shirley Chisholm
This actress became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Who is Viola Davis
This author wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Who is Zora Neale Hurston
This NASA mathematician’s calculations were critical to the success of early space missions.
Who is Katherine Johnson
She was the mother of Shaka Zulu and is remembered for her political influence and leadership within the Zulu Kingdom.
Who is Queen Nandi.
She became the first Black woman to travel into space in 1992.
Who is Mae Jemison
This poet performed “Still I Rise” and read at President Clinton’s inauguration.
Who is Maya Angelou
A leading Black feminist scholar, she wrote Ain’t I a Woman?
Who is bell hooks
She developed laser cataract surgery techniques and became the first Black woman ophthalmologist.
Who is Patricia Bath
This 17th‑century Angolan queen resisted Portuguese colonization and is celebrated for her diplomatic and military leadership
Who is Ana Nzinga
This journalist and anti-lynching crusader co-founded the NAACP.
Who is Ida B. Wells
She choreographed and founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s women’s company, Ailey II.
Who is Judith Jamison
This journalist wrote The Warmth of Other Suns, chronicling the Great Migration.
Who is Isabel Wilkerson
This chemist created a hair-care line and became one of the first Black female millionaires.
Who is Madam C.J. Walker
One of ancient Egypt’s most successful pharaohs, she expanded trade networks and commissioned monumental architecture during her long reign.
Who is Hatshepsut.
She was the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
Who is Toni Morrison
She became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in 2002.
Who is Halle Berry
She became the first Black woman to earn a PhD from MIT and is known for her work on algorithmic bias.
Who is Joy Buolamwini
A neuroscientist and former president of Spelman College, she is known for her work on brain development.
Who is Beverly Daniel Tatum
Known as the “Lioness of Lisabi,” she was a Nigerian activist who led women’s anti‑tax protests and helped shape the country’s independence movement.
Who is Funmilayo Ransome‑Kuti.