Though today over half of medical school graduates are women, it hasn’t been a level playing field for very long. Women have had to struggle and fight hard for the right to study and practice medicine, and Black women in America have had to face the double barriers of racism and sexism in this struggle. […]
Mary Richards, Civil War Spy: She Never Surrendered
Mary Richards was born into slavery in Richmond, Virginia. Freed by the Van Lew family who owned her, she was sent to school in the North, in order to become a missionary. At age 15, she was sent to teach in Liberia, West Africa. But after four years, ill and miserable, she wrote to her […]
4 Famous Black Women Of the Harlem Renaissance
Around the 1920s in Harlem, New York, a new movement celebrating African American art and culture thrived. The “New Negro Movement,” as it was called at the time, gathered together artists, poets, authors, and intellectuals, and had a lasting effect on the development of African American culture. This literary and social movement became known as […]
5 Successful Black Businesswomen In History
Black women entrepreneurs have faced the double barriers of sexism and racism throughout United States history. Despite these challenges, many have achieved remarkable success. Here are five inspiring stories of 19th and early 20th century black businesswomen who overcame adversity and built thriving businesses: Bridget “Biddy” Mason (c. 1818 – 1891) Bridget, also known as […]
The Role of Women In the 1963 March on Washington
In 1963, hundreds of thousands of people from across the United States rallied in Washington, D.C. to demand equal rights for African Americans. While women played a key role in organizing the march, they were purposely excluded from the official program, and struggled for recognition for their contributions. March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom […]
Women Who Sued For Freedom From Slavery
Under certain circumstances, people who were held as slaves in the British colonies and early United States were able to sue for their right to be free from slavery. In the 17th through the 19th centuries, hundreds of “freedom suits” were filed and many slaves were able to successfully petition the courts for their freedom […]
4 Famous Black Women Mathematicians in History
For most of history, women of all races have been shut out of the most prestigious universities and colleges. Only in the past couple of centuries have women begun to attend the same schools as men, with many of the most prestigious universities excluding women until well into the 21st century. Black women, who have […]
Harriet Powers: A Sermon in Patchwork
Harriet Powers was a creative African-American quilting genius! She used her quilts to re-tell familiar Bible stories in a unique and fascinating way.
Fannie Lou Hamer, Civil Rights Activist
Fannie Lou Hamer was a powerful public speaker who fought tirelessly for the rights of African Americans to vote safely, despite the danger to her life.
Ida B. Wells: Fierce Anti-Lynching Activist and Abolitionist
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, better known as Ida B. Wells, was an African American writer and activist famous for her work campaigning against lynching in the South.
