54 Black Women Who Shaped History

Unsung Legends & Trailblazing Icons

These women, among many others, have made enduring contributions to civil rights,

literature, science, entrepreneurship, technology and social justice, leaving a lasting

impact on history and inspiring future generations.

1. Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919): She was an entrepreneur and philanthropist

who became one of the first self-made female millionaires in the United States.

She founded a successful hair care business, providing employment opportunities

for many Black women.

2. Harriet Tubman (1822-1913): Known as the “Moses of her people,” Tubman was

an abolitionist and political activist. She escaped slavery and then made

numerous missions to rescue enslaved people through the Underground Railroad.

3. Rosa Parks (1913-2005): Parks was a civil rights activist known for her pivotal

role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white

man sparked a wave of protests against segregation.

4. Maya Angelou (1928-2014): A renowned poet, author, and civil rights activist,

Angelou is celebrated for her autobiographical work “I Know Why the Caged Bird

Sings” and her contributions to literature and social justice.

5. Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005): Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to

the United States Congress and the first Black major-party candidate for President

of the United States.

6. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020): A mathematician whose calculations were

crucial to NASA’s early space missions. Her work contributed significantly to the

success of John Glenn’s orbit around the Earth and the Apollo moon landing.

7. Audre Lorde (1934-1992): A poet, essayist, and feminist who addressed issues

of race, gender, and sexuality in her writing. She was a prominent voice in the civil

rights and feminist movements.

8. Oprah Winfrey: Media mogul and philanthropist known for her influential talk

show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and her contributions to entertainment,

education, and philanthropy.

9. Dr. Marie Maynard Daly (1921-2003): A pioneering biochemist, Dr. Daly was the

first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in the U.S. Her work

contributed to our understanding of the relationship between high blood pressure

and clogged arteries, as well as the biochemical effects of diet on the body.

10. Claudette Colvin (1939-Present): Nine months before Rosa Parks’ famous

protest, Colvin, a 15-year-old student, refused to give up her seat to a white

person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested, but her case did not

gain as much attention. However, her act of defiance contributed to the

momentum of the Civil Rights Movement.

11. Bessie Coleman (1892-1926): The first African American woman to hold a pilot’s

license, Coleman faced both racial and gender barriers. She became a pioneering

aviator and performed in air shows across the United States and Europe.

12. Ella Baker (1903-1986): A key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Ella Baker

was an activist and organizer who worked alongside leaders like Martin Luther

King Jr. She played a crucial role in founding the Southern Christian Leadership

Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

13. Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977): A civil rights activist and leader in the

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Hamer was known for her passionate

speeches, advocating for voting rights, and fighting against the

disenfranchisement of Black voters.

14. Alice Ball (1892-1916): An accomplished chemist, Alice Ball developed the first

effective treatment for leprosy. She was the first woman and the first African

American to earn a degree in chemistry from the University of Hawaii.

15. Miriam Makeba (1932-2008): A South African singer and civil rights activist,

Makeba, known as “Mama Africa,” was influential in raising awareness about

apartheid and advocating for social change through her music.

16. Annie Turnbo Malone (1869-1957): An African American businesswoman and

philanthropist, Malone was a pioneer in the African American beauty industry,

founding a highly successful cosmetics company and providing employment to

many Black women.

17. Marian Anderson (1897-1993): A world-renowned contralto singer, Anderson

broke racial barriers in the classical music world. She became the first African

American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1955.

18. Audre Lorde’s sister, Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000): A celebrated poet,

Brooks was the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Her works addressed the complexities of Black identity, social justice, and

personal introspection.

19. Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-2019): A pioneering ophthalmologist and inventor, Dr.

Bath was the first African American woman to complete a residency in

ophthalmology. She invented the Laserphaco Probe, a device that revolutionized

cataract surgery, and was the first African American woman to receive a medical

Patent.

20. Lena Horne (1917-2010): A legendary singer, dancer, and actress, Horne broke

racial barriers in Hollywood. She became an international symbol of Black

excellence in entertainment while also being an outspoken civil rights advocate.

21. Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008): A mathematician and one of the first African

American women to work as a “human computer” at NASA, Vaughan was a

leader in the development of computer programming and contributed to the

success of early space missions, particularly during the 1960s.

22. Ida B. Wells (1862-1931): A pioneering journalist, educator, and early civil rights

leader, Wells is known for her investigative reporting on the lynching of African

Americans in the U.S. She co-founded the NAACP and worked tirelessly for racial

Justice.

23. Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960): An anthropologist and author, Hurston is best

known for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. She was a key figure in the

Harlem Renaissance and a champion for Black women’s voices in literature.

24. Betty Shabazz (1934-1997): The wife of Malcolm X, Shabazz was a committed

educator and civil rights advocate. After her husband’s assassination, she

dedicated her life to promoting education for Black youth and supporting the civil

rights movement.

25. Barbara Jordan (1936-1996): A lawyer, educator, and politician, Jordan was the

first African American woman to be elected to the Texas Senate. She became the

first Black woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National

Convention in 1976.

26. Ruth Simmons (1945-Present): An educator and administrator, Ruth Simmons

made history as the first African American president of an Ivy League university,

Brown University, where she served from 2001 to 2012. She has worked tirelessly

to improve access to higher education for underrepresented groups.

27. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911): An author, poet, and abolitionist,

Harper was one of the first Black women to be published in the United States. Her

literary works and public speeches addressed the issues of racial and gender

inequality, and she played an active role in the abolitionist movement.

28. Mae Jemison (1956-Present): The first African American woman to travel to

space, Jemison is also a physician and engineer. She went into space aboard the

Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992 and has since become an advocate for STEM

education and scientific advancement.

29. Angela Davis (1944-Present): A political activist, scholar, and author, Davis was

involved in the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party. She gained

international attention for her role in advocating for the rights of prisoners and her

support of Black liberation movements.

30. Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907): An African American and Native American sculptor,

Lewis was the first Black woman to gain international recognition as a sculptor.

Her works often focused on themes of race and identity.

31. Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961): An educator, businesswoman, and civil

rights activist, Burroughs was an advocate for the education and empowerment of

Black women. She founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in

Washington, D.C., in 1909.

32. Josephine Baker (1906-1975): A celebrated performer, dancer, and civil rights

activist, Baker became a star in France and used her fame to advocate for racial

equality. She was a member of the French Resistance during World War II and

later adopted 12 children of different nationalities, calling them her “Rainbow

Tribe” to promote racial harmony.

33. Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934): The first African American woman to charter a

bank in the United States, Walker was a pioneering businesswoman and civil

rights leader. She helped establish the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in

Richmond, Virginia, and was a key figure in the African American community

during the early 20th century.

34. Constance Baker Motley (1921-2005): An attorney, judge, and civil rights

activist, Motley was the first African American woman to argue a case before the

U.S. Supreme Court and the first to become a federal judge. She was

instrumental in the legal battles that desegregated schools in the 1960s.

35. Frances Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1994): The wife of famous author F. Scott

Fitzgerald, she was a pioneering writer in her own right. Her writing was an

important part of the Harlem Renaissance, and her work helped capture and

articulate the struggles of Black women in the early 20th century.

36. Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965): A playwright, Hansberry is best known for her

groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun, which explored themes of race, class,

and the American Dream. She was a key figure in raising awareness about racial

inequality and Black identity in the arts.

37. Octavia Butler (1947-2006): A science fiction author, Butler was one of the first

African American women to gain recognition in the genre. Her works, such as

Kindred and Parable of the Sower, addressed issues of race, power, and identity

in futuristic and dystopian settings.

38. Ethel Waters (1896-1977): A singer, actress, and entertainer, Waters was one of

the first Black women to be nominated for an Academy Award. She was an

influential figure in early 20th-century music and theater, performing in both jazz

and Broadway shows.

39. Bessie Smith (1894-1937): Known as the “Empress of the Blues,” Smith was one of the most popular and influential blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s. She was

a trailblazer in the music industry and helped shape the sound of jazz and blues in

America.

40. Paulette Nardal (1896-1985): A pioneering Afro-French writer and intellectual,

Nardal is considered one of the key figures in the development of the Negritude

movement. She worked to bridge African and Caribbean cultures, particularly

through her literary and cultural critique.

41. Althea Gibson (1927-2003): The first African American woman to win a Grand

Slam tennis title, Gibson broke racial barriers in professional sports. She went on

to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, becoming an international sports icon.

42. Diahann Carroll (1935-2019): An actress and singer, Carroll made history as the

first African American woman to star in a prime-time television series with Julia

(1968-1971). She was also a trailblazer on Broadway and in Hollywood, often

playing roles that challenged stereotypes.

43. Marian Wright Edelman (1939-Present): A civil rights attorney and activist,

Edelman is the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization

that advocates for children’s rights and education, particularly for underprivileged

children.

44. Mable K. Thomas (1924-2001): A labor leader and educator, Thomas was

instrumental in organizing the first Black teacher’s union in the U.S. Her work in

educational reform and civil rights for teachers helped improve the opportunities

for African American educators.

45. Zita Allen (1941-Present): An African American scientist, Allen made significant

contributions in the field of microbiology and immunology. She was one of the first

women to study the structure of enzymes and work in the field of molecular

Genetics.

46. Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922-1999): Brown was an inventor and nurse who

developed the first home security system in the 1960s. Her invention included a

closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, which is now widely used in security

systems today.

47. Dr. Shirley Jackson (1946-Present): A physicist and the first African American

woman to earn a Ph.D. from MIT, Dr. Jackson’s research in telecommunications

led to several innovations, including the invention of the technology behind the

portable fax, touch-tone telephones, and caller ID.

48. Dr. Alice Ball (1892-1916): Ball was a chemist who developed the first effective

treatment for leprosy in the early 20th century, known as the “Ball Method.” While

her work was initially overshadowed, her research continues to be recognized for

its contribution to the treatment of the disease.

49. Gladys West (1930-Present): West is a mathematician whose work in the

development of satellite systems laid the foundation for GPS technology. She

worked for the U.S. government at the Naval Surface Warfare Center and helped

refine mathematical models that led to the development of GPS.

50. Dr. Marie Maynard Daly (1921-2003): A pioneering biochemist, Daly was the first

African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in the U.S. Her research in

hypertension and cholesterol led to breakthroughs that impacted the development

of modern medicine and health technology.

51. Dr. Valerie Thomas (1943-Present): An inventor and scientist, Dr. Thomas is

known for her invention of the Illusion Transmitter, which was the precursor to the

technology behind modern 3D television and virtual reality systems. She worked

at NASA and made groundbreaking contributions to the field of space science.

52. Dr. Junita Dozier (1932-2020): A computer scientist and electrical engineer, Dr.

Dozier worked on early developments in computer technology. She was one of

the first African American women to work in the field of computer programming,

and she contributed to projects that helped shape modern computing.

53. Marian R. Croak (1955-Present): An engineer and inventor, Croak holds over

200 patents. She is best known for her work in developing Voice over Internet

Protocol (VoIP) technology, which is fundamental to services like Skype and

Zoom.

54. Lydia O. Barnett (1900-1991): An inventor and engineer, Barnett is credited with

developing the “Barnett Ruler,” a tool used for precision measurements in

engineering and construction, which helped revolutionize manufacturing

processes.