While striving to save the world is trendy, it’s not necessarily the easiest task to take on. African-American women have accomplished great feats throughout history, but in a sea of achievers, it’s only natural a few deserving dignitaries might fall beneath the radar.
In honor of Women’s History Month, JET is here to bridge the gap by delivering our top 10 historical Black women figures in a feature we’d like to call, Unsung Sheroes. Click through the gallery for a dose of inspiration and history. If we missed anyone, comment below or feel free to share your personal sheroe.
Octavia E. Butler
Often known as being shy, Octavia E. Butler was diagnosed with dyslexia in her younger years, but developed a love for science fiction after watching Devil Girl from Mars at the age of 12. She went on to pen the award-wining Parable series and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010, four years after her death in 2006.
Dr. Mae C. Jemison
Houston, we’ve found our wonder woman! Dr. Mae C. Jemison was the first African-American woman astronaut and the first African-American to travel in space during the Space Shuttle Endeavour mission in September 1992.
A graduate of Stanford University, Jemison entered college at the age of 16 and earned a B.S. in chemical engineering and a B.A. in African-American studies. She later graduated with a medical degree from Cornell Medical College and served in the Peace Corps before being recruited by NASA in 1987.
Jemison left NASA in 1993 to start the Jemison Group, a company that researches the application of technology to everyday life. She is currently a professor-at-large at Cornell University and strives to increase minority interest in the sciences.
Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a pioneer of 20th century music and is considered to be the vocalist responsible for introducing gospel music to the mainstream.
Known as “ The Godmother of Rock n’ Roll,” she gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s due to her mixture of spiritual lyrics with rhythmic and rock instrumentation. Her song “Strange Things Happen Every Day,” hit No. 2 on the Billboard Race Records chart in 1945 becoming the first gospel record to crossover.
Tharpe’s music was an early influence to the careers of Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. She was posthumously inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame in 2007.
Mary Edmonia Lewis
Inspired by the lives of abolitionists and Civil War heroes, Mary Edmonia Lewis is hailed as the first African-American woman to gain fame and recognition as a sculptor in the fine arts community.
She studied under sculptor Edward Augustus Brackett before moving to Rome in 1865. Lewis adopted the neoclassical technique and was able to sell her work for large sums of money. She later officiated several major exhibitions both in the United States and in Rome before her death in 1907.
Susie King Taylor
An African-American army nurse, Susie King Taylor risked her personal health to provide education for others. Born in Georgia, Taylor earned her education by attending secret schools taught by Black women.
Retreating to St. Simons Island, an area occupied by Union forces in Georgia, she continued her education and established the first of her many schools. Taylor is the only African-American woman to write and publish a memoir of her wartime experiences. She later established another school in Savannah, Ga. to continue providing educational opportunities for freed men.
Nichelle Nichols
Before Olivia Pope, Nichelle Nichols made her mark as the first African-American woman to be casted in a major television series. Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek until the series ended in 1969.
After her appearance, she was invited to participate in a NASA initiative to recruit women and minorities for their space program. In addition to acting, Nichols had an expansive singing career as well, releasing two albums and singing alongside of Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton.
Ethel L. Payne
An African-American journalist, Ethel L. Payne was known as the “First Lady of the Black Press.” Combing journalism and advocacy, Payne used her talent to provide commentary during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
She later became the first African-American female journalist to be hired by a major news organization when CBS offered her a position in 1972. Payne is the recipient of a National Association of Black Journalists’ Lifetime Achievement Award and was an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority before her death in 1991.
Maria P. Williams
Little is known about her, but Maria P. Williams is credited with being one of the first African-American filmmakers. The film The Flames of Wrath was released in 1923 through the Western Film Producing Company and Booking Exchange owned by her and husband, Jesse L. Williams. Only one frame of the film is known to exist and is housed at the George P. Johnson Negro Film Collection in the Young Research Library at the University of California Los Angeles.
Ella Baker
While it’s important to celebrate those at the frontlines, Civil Rights leader Ella Baker is hailed for her noise behind the scenes. An ally with NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Baker fought for equal rights alongside W.E.B. Dubois, Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall.
In addition to advocating for African-American civil rights, Baker also participated in the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, as well as member of the Third World Women’s Alliance. She continued fighting for human rights until her death in 1986.
Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman is the first African-American female pilot and the first person of color to hold an international pilot license. Her interest in aviation began after hearing stories of World War 1 pilots, but couldn’t get into any flight schools because she was a Black woman.
However, thanks to a grant from the Chicago Defender, Coleman studied in France in July 1922 and returned to New York in September 1922 a media sensation. Coleman would often perform daredevil stunts which ultimately lead to her death in August 1923. A Chicago public library was erected in her honor in 1993.
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