Celebrating Black Women in History

This month we observe Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their vital role in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. While there are many achievements to celebrate, I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the strong, intelligent, beautiful African American women that have accomplished so much throughout history. In March we observe Women’s History Month and celebrate the contributions of women in American history. In this month’s newsletter I’d like to celebrate both by highlighting African American women leaders, their achievements, and what we can learn from them.  

1. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895)
   • Medical doctor, author, public health pioneer
   • 1864 earned an M.D., first African American woman to do so in the U.S.
2. Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919)
   • American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist.
   • Recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records.
3. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)
   • Educator, institution builder, civic leader, women’s organizer
   • In 1904 opened a school for black girls that developed into Bethune-Cookman College, and in 1935 founded the National Council of Negro Women.
4. Hatti McDaniels (1893-1952)
   • American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian
   • Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar.
5. Pauli Murray (1910-1985)
   • Priest, legal scholar, civil rights and gender-equality advocate, writer
   • Ordained as the first African American woman priest in the Episcopal Church in 1977.
6. Shirley Chisholm (1924-1955)
   • Politician, legislator, presidential candidate
   • First African American woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968, and the first African American and the first woman to seek the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1972.
7. Toni Morrison (1931-2019)
   • Novelist, editor, cultural intellectual
   • Won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
8. Vashti Murphy McKenzie (1947-present)
   • Religious leader, bishop, author, institutional leader
   • The first woman elected to an AME Episcopal office, as bishop in 2000, currently President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.
9. Mae C. Jemison (1956-present)
   • Astronaut, physician, engineer, science communicator
   • Became the first African American woman to fly in space, serving as a mission specialist on STS-47 in 1992.
10. Michelle Obama (1964-present)
    • Attorney, author, advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition and physical activity.  
    • The first African-American woman to serve as Frist Lady of the United States from 2009-2017.

Isn’t this list impressive! And I only listed ten women, and there are so many more. These women are trail blazers and pioneers, many the first in their areas of expertise. They demonstrate that it’s possible to achieve your goals and do amazing work. And they didn’t let being a woman, or an African American stop them reaching their dreams.

These leaders exhibit impressive skills and values that we can learn from:

• Strength and courage under pressure
• Faith and trust in God
• Persistence and resilience
• Drive and ambition
• Passion and a vision

When you think of your own leadership, what do these women inspire in you? They remind me that we can achieve things that may seem daunting or to some unimaginable. They remind me to dream and not give up because things get tough. As Madame C.J. Walker said: “Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” And most of all they remind me to have faith and trust in God and commit my plans to Him.

While I admire what these African American women have achieved, I also admire the women in my own life who gave me so much. I admire my mother for her love, her generous spirit, her faith in God, and giving me my love of dancing. She would share her faith in God with anyone and give to others when she really didn’t have it to give. She taught me what loving God and my neighbor really meant. She sacrificed so much for me to be where I am today, and she always believed in me.

I’m grateful and celebrate the contributions of African American women throughout history, who paved the way, fought the fight and gave this country so much. But I’m even more grateful and celebrate my African American mother, my grandmothers, aunties and women like them, who paved the way, fought the fight, and gave so much to me. Thank you!