Madam C. J. Walker

Madam C. J. Walker

Madam C. J. Walker: Building Wealth, Opportunity, and Community Power Madam C. J. Walker (1867–1919), born Sarah Breedlove, was one of the most influential entrepreneurs in American history. Rising from poverty, she became one of the first self-made women millionaires...
Help or Hate

Help or Hate

Speaking out against a Local Hate Crime A hate crime at a local middle school is heartbreaking for many reasons. It hurts the student or students who were targeted. It frightens families. It damages the feeling of safety that every child deserves at school. And it...
Recy Taylor

Recy Taylor

1919-2017 Refusing to Remain Silent Recy Taylor was a young Black wife, mother, and sharecropper from Abbeville, Alabama. On September 3, 1944, she was walking home from church when she was abducted and brutally attacked by six white men. Although some of the men...
Nannie Helen Burroughs

Nannie Helen Burroughs

1879 –1961 Nannie Helen Burroughs was a woman of vision and determination. Born in 1879, she became an educator, orator, religious leader, civil rights activist, feminist, and businesswoman. When she was unable to find a teaching position after graduating with honors,...
Anna Mangin

Anna Mangin

1844 – 1931 Inventor and Practical Problem Solver Sometimes a small invention can make everyday life easier, and also open doors for others. Anna Mangin was an American inventor who used creativity and observation to improve common kitchen work. In 1892, she was...
Constance Motley

Constance Motley

1921–2005 Civil Rights Lawyer, Judge, and Champion of Equal Justice Long before she took the bench, Constance Baker Motley stood in courtrooms where history was being decided—and helped shape the outcome. Constance was a civil rights lawyer, judge, and public servant...