Month: September 2021

Ruth Ella Moore 1903-1994 Ruth Ella Moore overcame obstacles of race and gender to become the very first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in Microbiology and the first African-American to join the American Society for Microbiology. Besides being a well-known scientist with a passion for her professional work, Moore was a talented seamstress and her passion for… Continue reading Ruth Ella Moore

Cathay Williams 1844 – 1893 Cathay Williams was an African-American soldier who enlisted in the United States Army under the pseudonym William Cathay. She was the first Black woman to enlist, and the only documented woman to serve in the United States Army posing as a man during the American Indian Wars. Williams was born to an enslaved mother and a free father… Continue reading Cathay Williams