For generations, journalism has shaped how we understand the world. Reporters research, investigate, interview, and write so the public can stay informed. But for many years, newsrooms were dominated by white men, and the voices shaping national conversations were limited. During Women’s History Month, it is important to recognize the women who refused to accept that limitation. Pioneers like Alice Allison Dunnigan, Ethel Payne, and Charlotta Bass did more than report the news they changed who had the right to tell it.
Here’s a little more about these inspiring women.
Alice Allison Dunnigan
Her journey began far from the White House press room. Born in 1906 in Kentucky, she grew up in a small three room cottage. And worked as a maid and did laundry. Despite humble beginnings, Dunnigan believed there was something more for her. She began her career as a schoolteacher while writing for Black newspapers such as the Louisville Defender. She also moved to Washington, D.C., working as a typist for the Department of Labor while continuing to pursue journalism. And in 1947, Dunnigan became Chief for the Associated Negro Press, a news service that supplied over 100 Black newspapers across the United States and Africa. That same year, she became the first Black woman to receive U.S. Capitol accreditation and soon after earned a White House press pass, joining the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Ethel Payne
Often referred to as the “First Lady of the Black Press.” A native of Chicago’s South Side, Payne rose to prominence as a reporter for The Chicago Defender. She became the first Black female international correspondent, covering the Korean War and reporting on global affairs. Payne was known for asking direct, challenging questions at presidential press conferences and holding leaders accountable on issues of race and civil rights. Her work extended beyond print journalism into radio and television commentary, and later she taught Journalism at Fisk University in Tennessee. She also used her platform to advocate for justice worldwide, including speaking out for Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment.
Charlotta Bass
Bass represents true power especially through her courage and independence in journalism. At just 24 years old, she took over a struggling newspaper that would become The California Eagle. Frustrated that Black communities were often mentioned only in connection with crime, Bass used her paper to highlight achievements, demand equal rights, and challenge discrimination. Her activism extended beyond journalism. In 1952, she became the first Black woman to run for vice president of the United States, far before our beloved Kamala Harris. She also campaigned for Congress and fought for labor rights, fair housing, and workplace equality.
These women did not simply enter journalism, they transformed it. From a three-room cottage to the White House, from Chicago to international war zones, and from the newsroom to national political campaigns, Dunnigan, Payne, and Bass expanded what was possible. During Women’s History Month, their stories remind us that representation matters and that sometimes, reporting history means making it as well.