SOJOURNER TRUTH (1797-1883) Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, was a formerly enslaved woman who became an outspoken advocate for abolition and women’s rights in the 19th century. She is best known for her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” Truth was born into slavery and sold four times, often subjected to harsh physical labor and violent … Read more
KETANJI BROWN JACKSON (b. 1970) Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is the first Black woman and first former public defender to be serve on the Supreme Court. Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. in 1970 and grew up in Miami, Florida. In high school, Jackson served as class president and excelled at debate and speech competitions. … Read more
ANDREA JENKINS (b. 1961) Andrea Jenkins is the first out Black transgender woman to win elected office in the US. Jenkins is also an accomplished poet, writer, and historian, focusing her efforts on documenting the stories of transgender and gender non-conforming Midwesterners. Born in Chicago, IL in 1961, Jenkins was raised by a single mother … Read more
NINA SIMONE (1933-2003) Nina Simone was a singer, songwriter, composer, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music defied standard definitions and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. Simone, née Eunice Kathleen Waymon, was born in North Carolina in 1933. Her talent as a musician was evident early on, when she started playing the piano by … Read more
LAVERNE COX (b. 1972) Laverne Cox is 4-time Emmy-nominated actress, Emmy award-winning producer, and a prominent equal rights advocate and public speaker. Cox’s groundbreaking role of Sophia Burset in the Netflix series, Orange is The New Black (OINTB), brought her to the attention of diverse audiences all over the world. This role led to her to becoming … Read more
VERNICE ARMOUR (b. 1973) Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour is used to breaking barriers and challenging the status quo. She was the first Black woman combat pilot, the first Black woman on the Motorcycle Squad for the Nashville PD, and was the first Black woman on the Tempe PD in Arizona. She also served as a diversity … Read more
WANGARI MAATHAI (1940-2011) Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya (Africa) in 1940. She was a social, environmental, and political activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Her work was often considered to be subversive and unwelcome, stepping far outside traditional gender roles. Maathai was educated in Kenya, Germany, and the United … Read more