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Dorothy Porter, a pioneer in library and information science. Phillis Wheatley, the first African American of either gender to publish a book of poetry. Elizabeth Jennings, a nineteenth-century civil rights activist refused to leave a whites-only streetcar. Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress. These are just a few of the great Black women in American history. This roundup offers a glimpse into their persistence, their accomplishments, and their impact(s) on culture and society. The linked scholarship is free to read and download by all.

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Phillis Wheatley

The Privileged and Impoverished Life of Phillis Wheatley

The first African American of either gender to publish a book of poetry has remained a controversial figure in the black community.
Jarena Lee

Jarena Lee, The First Woman African American Autobiographer

Jarena Lee was the first female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1836, she published her autobiography.
Elizabeth Jennings Graham

The Woman Who Refused to Leave a Whites-Only Streetcar

In 1854, Elizabeth Jennings rode the streetcar of her choice, in an early civil rights protest that led to desegregating public transportation in NYC.
The cover page of Rebecca Lee Crumpler's book

The “Doctress” Was In: Rebecca Lee Crumpler

The first Black woman physician served communities in the South after the Civil War but was buried in an anonymous grave. That will likely change.
Termites

Margaret S. Collins, Pioneering Black Entomologist

She was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in entomology as well as an activist for freedom in the Civil Rights Movement.
Madame Sul-Te-Wan (left) in Maid of Salem, 1937

Madame Sul-Te-Wan’s Forgotten Brilliant Career

The mysteriously named Madame Sul-Te-Wan was the first black actress to land a Hollywood studio contract.
Dorothy B Porter

What Dorothy Porter’s Life Meant for Black Studies

Dorothy Porter, a Black woman pioneer in library and information science, created an archive that structured a new field.
Lillian Smith, noted author and lecturer, congratulating Mrs. Mabel Keaton Staupers, winner of the 36th Springarn medal, for outstanding work in the integration of African American nurses into the American nursing profession

The Black Nurse Who Drove Integration of the U.S. Nurse Corps

In World War II, Mabel Keaton Staupers tirelessly fought for the integration of the Army and Navy Nurse Corps—and eventually won.
Photograph of Septima Clark, ca. 1960, Avery Photo Collection, 10-9, Courtesy of the Avery Research Center.

How Septima Poinsette Clark Spoke Up for Civil Rights

The daughter of a slave, Septima Clark graduated from college, became a teacher, and became a fierce advocate for social and cultural change.  
Sarah Webster Fabio

Sarah Webster Fabio: Mother of Black Studies

Poet, teacher, musician, and scholar of black literature, Sarah Webser Fabio, helped build a Black Arts movement on the West Coast.
Shirley Chisholm and Rosa Parks

The Significance of Shirley Chisholm’s Presidential Campaign

Shirley Chisholm: the first black female U.S. Representative, first black major-party candidate for President, and the first Democratic Party woman to run.
Jeanette Epps

More Hidden Figures of NASA History

Katherine G. Johnson, Charles F. Bolden, Jeanette Epps, and roles of African Americans in NASA.
Audre Lorde

Barbara Christian on Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde's influence on contemporary intersectional feminism was profound, as pioneering Black literary scholar Barbara Christian wrote.
MacArthur Fellow Jennifer L. Eberhardt poised to give an interview

MacArthur Fellow Jennifer L. Eberhardt Shines Light on Racism and Criminal Justice

Social psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt has won a MacArthur fellowship for her research in criminal justice reform.
In this April 16, 2015, photo, Carla Hayden, CEO of the Pratt Library, gives a tour of the library's central branch in Baltimore. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, has nominated Hayden, the longtime head of Baltimore’s library system, as the next Librarian of Congress. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun via AP) WASHINGTON EXAMINER OUT

Carla Hayden: Librarian of Congress

Carla Hayden has a history of social justice work in public libraries.