Negro History Week was started in February of 1926 by the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) with the help of founder Carter G. Woodson. It was celebrated in a week that included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Carter G. Woodson, a graduate member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., wanted black organizations to help promote scientific findings and achievements that could help empower the black community. Almost 100 years later, it is recognized nationally as Black History Month to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of African Americans for their essential role in American History.
Today, I want to showcase not only impactful Black Americans, but Black American women who have been instrumental in creating the society we live in today.
Claudette Colvin
We all know the story of Rosa Parks, a young woman who refused to give up her seat for a white patron, but Claudette Colvin did the same thing nine-months before Parks and at the young age of 15. Claudette was one of the plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the federal court case to challenge bus sergeant in the south.
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was the first African American woman to work as a NASA scientist. Her work led to the success of the first and many other crewed space flights for NASA. Her 35-year career earned her a strong reputation for creating and completing complicated laugh trajectories. She is portrayed in the 2016 movie Hidden Figures by Taraji P. Henson.
Daisy Bates
Daisy Bates faced her racial hardships when she was only three-years-old after her mother was killed. As an adult, she worked with many civil rights organizations around Arkansas, one of which was the NAACP. After the Supreme Court ruling that desegregated schools were handed down, she was one of the main organizers of the Little Rock Nine.
Madam C.J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker was an entrepreneur, political activist and recognized as one of the first female self-made millionaires in the world after creating hair care and cosmetic products through her business, Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Co.
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel was a professional singer, songwriter, and comedian best known for her role as “Mammy” in Gone With The Wind. She was the first black entertainer to win an Oscar.
These women, among many more, are trailblazers and have set the tone for the black girls of today. Black history and black women should be celebrated every day, but we should make it a point to do so this month to acknowledge the achievements of those who came before us.