10 Famous African American Women You Should Know About

Famous African American Women
It is not untrue when they said it’s a men’s world. One hardly see equal ratio of man and woman, be it in a workplace setting, educational institute or sports. Men always tend to stay ahead of women throughout the history. Even in the twenty-first century we see a huge pay gap between two genders as women are paid twenty percent less than men for the same amount of work done or maybe even more. Despite the oppression of patriarch society some women managed to brave the odds proved their worth by marching side by side with men. Being a woman and let alone an African one in America was a struggle of its own, yet some courageous and famous African American women stood up for their rights against all odds. Their contribution to the society often went without recognition, though this progression wouldn’t have been possible if it were not for their efforts.

Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells
In the late 19th century, Ida B. Wells started her career as a journalist, who actively took part in Civil Rights Movement. It was the time when blacks were still held captive by white and lived under their command. Wells took upon the responsibility to bring the truth to light that how brutally white segregationists treated blacks to show their place in the social ranks. Half a decade before Rosa Parks incident, Wells found herself in a similar situation where she was asked to relinquish her seat for a white passenger. Upon her outright refusal, she was dragged out of train car by the conductors. The brave woman took a daring step and sued the train owner. Despite winning the case it didn’t make any difference as the white patriarchs overturned the ruling.

Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer
During the Civil Rights Movement another black woman that appeared at the forefront was Fannie Lou Hamer. She played an instrumental role in organizing the Mississippi Freedom Summer. The campaign was organized to register as many black voters. It was a hazardous act as it could have easily put a target on one’s back for being involved in such activities. That didn’t scare away Hamer, she was fearless and fully devoted to her cause which she expressed in her speeches at several conferences.

Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel
Besides civil activists, there were women from different walks of lives who contributed as much within their capacity such as Hattie McDaniel. She is best known for her supporting role as Mammy in the iconic film Gone with the Wind. Some believed that her role did injustice to black women, on the other hand, it is deemed she could not have done a better job of representing blacks in a limited time slot she was given in the film. Shockingly enough she was prohibited from attending the movie premiere. To honor her part in the film she was nominated for Oscar, which she won hands-down.

Vivian Malone Jones
Vivian Malone Jones
The University of Alabama was known for its notorious reputation for promoting racism and disallowing blacks to seek admission. Vivian Malone Jones was among the first two women who got enrolled in this all-white institute. George Wallace was the menacing threat to black’s education, whom Malone managed to defeat and not just got enrolled but received a doctorate of humane letters from the college. She eventually became the director of civil rights and served the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promoting environmental justice.

Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune
Another notable figure who is credited for promoting African Americans’ right for equal education was Mary McLeod Bethune. Being a racial justice activist Bethune invested all her energy seeking the educational situation for her race that was overlooked by the whites. In Florida, she laid down the foundation of a school for African-American students that evolved into Bethune-Cookman University. Being a president of the National Association of Colored Women, she paved way for other black women.

Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman
There are many stories of brave black women, Harriet Tubman’s tale stand quite apart from any other story. She managed to escape the slavery at the age of 29 but returned to free the rest of her family. Her valiant act is that she also helped seventy other slaves escape the captivity through the Underground Railroad leading to Canada which already passed the law against slavery.

Elaine Brown
Elaine Brown
Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the Black Panther Party’s member Elaine Brown attended her first meeting in L. A. In 1974, she substituted for Huey Newton’s position as minister of defense as he fled the country. She wholeheartedly served the position and maintained control till Newton returned from his exile in 1977. During her leadership, Brown faced many hardships and downright hostility in the patriarchic society. She extended her services to free legal and medical clinics and the free-breakfast program of Oakland.

Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm received the honor of becoming first African American woman to be elected to Congress. In early seventies, she ran a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. She invested all her power serving Congressional committees and for the development of the nation. In addition to that she is well known in the popular culture for her contribution in academic and political domains.

Septima Clark
Septima Clark
Known for being the epitome of civil right activism and community teaching, Septima Clark championed the rights of her race. For over three decades she invested all her energy and academic zeal in teaching students throughout South Carolina. She legally fought for the pay equity for black and white teachers while serving for NAACP.

Hannah Stanley Haywood
Hannah Stanley Haywood
Eminent scholar and educator in black history was a woman named Hannah Stanley Haywood. She spent her entire life fighting the injustices that women were subjected to due to the color of their skin. She believed that the equality of black women’s rights is as pivotal to the progress of a nation as of white’s equality.

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