Notable African American Women From History - A Women’s History Month Special
Notable African American Women From History - A Women’s History Month Special Women’s history month is celebrated every year to honor and commemorate the success stories of women from the past who substantially contributed to making important events and changes in history. Why should we celebrate women’s history month? It is important to celebrate women’s history month because there are so many African-American women in history who have done some amazing things, yet, we fail to recognize their achievements and successes.
Women of color have always been underrepresented and underappreciated in history. This women’s history month, we have compiled a list of five more affluent women in history who have substantially contributed to making history. Some of those women are:
1. Mary McLeod Bethune
2. Claudette Colvin
3. Madam C.J. Walker
4. Lyda D. Newman
5. Fannie Lou Hamer
1. Mary McLeod Bethune
African American Educator Mary McLeod Bethune (1875 - 1955) knew that it was extensively unyielding for African-American women to attain proper education in the segregated South. However, she also knew that education was something very crucial to attain. Mary McLeod struggled in school and worked on a plantation to help support her family. In 1904, she became an educator and also found the Industrial Institute for girls and the Daytona Educational. Her leadership skills and educational activism did not stop there. She became a political activist while working in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as a “race leader at large,” and also found the National Council of Negro Women.
2. Claudette Colvin
Nurse Claudette Colvin (1939 - Present) was a civil rights movement activist. Almost everyone is aware of Rosa Parks’ story but what most people do not know is that Claudette Colvin was the first woman who refused to give up her seat to a white man. She openly challenged the law at the age of fifteen. In a 2017 interview with Teen Vogue, Claudette Colvin said, “The whole movement was about young people, saying we want more from America.”
3. Madam C.J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker (1867 - 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. Madam C.J Walker was amongst the very first self-made female millionaires in America. She manufactured solutions for hair-care and remedies for Black women. Walker sold those solutions door-to-door which eventually led to the creation of a brand that people recognized, bought, and appreciated. Her company also hired 40,000 ambassadors who helped sell her products.
4. Lyda D. Newman
Lyda D. Newman (1885 - unknown) was a patented African American inventor and involved activist for women’s suffrage. Similar to Madam C.J. Walker, Newman’s career involved the hair-care industry. In 1898, Lyda D. Newman got a patent for her invention, the first synthetic hairbrush. Her alterations allowed for more convenient access to the bristles for cleaning the brush. Lyda D. Newman introduced synthetic bristles. Her impeccable invention made the process of brushing long hair easier and more hygienic.
5. Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917 - 1977) was an American voting and women’s rights activist, civil rights movement leader, and community organizer. She was the co-founder and vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Fannie Lou Hamer was an activist of civil rights and fought tirelessly for the voting rights of African Americans, she also helped them register.
For a certain amount of time, Fannie Lou Hamer also worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and fought violent voter suppression and racial segregation in the South. Fannie Lou Hamer was also one of the founding members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.