Since the 18th century, many famous African American women have accomplished what they set out to. Here is a list of 10 that are particularly representative of the last two and a half centuries. With their work to advance the country, many will understand that Black History Month, which was originated in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson, is a holiday that binds countries together.
1. Toni Morrison. Born on February 18, 1931, Chloe Ardelia Wofford is a Nobel Prize-winning African American author, as well as editor and professor. She has also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. She was born in Lorain, Ohio, with Jane Austen and Leo Tolstoy noted as her favorite authors.
2. Maya Angelou. Born Marguerite Ann Johnson, on April 4th, 1928, she was most noted for her prominence in the American Civil Rights Movement. She is also known for her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, published in 1969. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She helped Malcolm X build a new civil rights organization in 1964, known as the Organization of African American Unity.
3. Condoleezza Rice. Born in November 14th, 1954, Condoleezza Rice is the 66th United States Secretary of State. She has also served as President Bush’s National Security Advisor during his first term. She pioneered a policy of Transformational Diplomacy, while beginning as Secretary of State. She emphasizes support towards governments that are elected democratically.
4. Natalie Maria Cole. Born in February 6th, 1950, she has won eight Grammy Awards between 1975 and 2002. She is the daughter of Nat King Cole and Maria Hawkins Ellington Cole. She began performing at the age of 11.
5. Sarah Jane Woodson Early. Born November 15th, 1825, in Chillicothe, Ohio, Sarah Jane Woodson Early was the first African-American woman college instructor. This was in 1858, as a faculty member of Wilberforce University. This university had been closed for two years during the Civil War. In 1893, at the World’s Fair in Chicago, Ms. Early was named “Representative Woman of the Year.” She died at the age of 81.
6. Cathay Williams. Born in September 1844, she was the first African American female to enlist and serve in the United States Army, posing as a man under the pseudonym William Cathay. She was born in Independence, Missouri. She served, at age seventeen, in the 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment. She travelled with the 8th Indiana through Arkansas, Louisiana, and Georgia. She enlisted in the United States Regular Army on November 15th, 1866, despite the prohibition against women serving in the military, and was discharged on October 14th, 1868. She died at the age of 48.
7. Lucy Diggs Slowe. Born in July 4th, 1885, Lucy Diggs Slowe was the first African-American woman to win a major sports title. She was also one of the original sixteen founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first sorority founded by African-American women. She was the first Dean of Women at Howard University. She died at the age of 52.
8. Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones. Born in January 5th, 1868, Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones was an African-American soprano. She began singing at an early age in her father’s Pond Street Baptist Church. She retired from performing in 1915. She died on June 24, 1933.
9. Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman. She was born in January 26th, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas as the tenth of thirteen children. She was the first African American to become an airplane pilot with an international pilot license. On April 30th, 1926, in Jacksonville, Florida, Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman, along with William Wills, her mechanic, crashed as William Wills lost control of the plane.
10. Alice Marie Coachman. Born in November 9th, 1923, in Albany, Georgia, she was the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the high jump competition. Her leap measured 1.68 meters.
