Black History Month is a celebration of a culture that has overcome many obstacles to get to where they are today. I say culture because race is a made-up concept and I believe that we are all human beings. So in celebration of these magnificent people, I am going to take a moment to honor some black women who deserve high praise because of overcoming the obstacles of their skin color and their gender. We live in a white man’s country and it is a cause worth many celebrations to be seen as a lesser gender or skin color and have the ability to overcome such barriers.
Today, we celebrate Black Herstory Month!
A special shoutout to these amazing women, some that are lesser known in history, that have made our lives better through their advancements:
Shirley Chisholm– the first Black congresswoman and the first major-party Black candidate to run for President.
Mary McLeod Bethune– Director of the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, helping young people to find employment.
Dame Eugenia Charles– The Caribbean’s first female Prime Minister, who held the position for 15 years and was the longest serving female Prime Minister in world history.
Condoleezza Rice– The first Black woman to serve as the U.S. National Security Adviser.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf– The world’s first elected Black female President and Africa’s first female Head of State.
Coretta Scott King– Along with being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife, she fought for her own civil rights, against war, for the LGBTQ community, and was a syndicated columnist writing about social issues becoming a regular commentator on CNN.
Madam C.J. Walker– One of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire.
Ella Baker– Worked with The NAACP, The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and The Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Nicknamed Fundi after the Swahili word for a person that passes down a craft to the next generation.
Rub Bridges– At the age of six she was the first Black child to racially integrate an all-White elementary school in the South.
Josephine Baker– The Lady Gaga before Lady Gaga ever even existed. As a Comedian and Broadway Actress, this singer-dancer performed in controversial outfits such as a skirt made of bananas.