Teenage scientist and inventor Dasia Taylor was born on April 6, 2004, in Chicago, Illinois, to LaDonna Phillips. When she was eight, they moved to Madison, Indiana, and on to Iowa City, Iowa. She attended Creek Southeast Junior High School and graduated from Iowa City … Read MoreDasia Taylor (2004- )
Tireless adoption advocate and civil rights activist Mabel T. Grammer was born on December 23, 1913, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the granddaughter of slaves and one of the seven children of Pearl and Edward Treadwell. Her father, who worked as a bellhop, died when she … Read MoreMabel Treadwell Grammer (1913-2002)
Dee Sharp, is a popular American R&B singer, known for “Mashed Potatoes Time,” a number one hit in 1962. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 9, 1945, as Dione LaRue. LaRue has a musical background as a lead singer of group of gospel-singing … Read MoreDee Dee Sharp (1945- )
Arabella Fields was a singer and actress known as “The Black Nightingale” and had a storied career performing in Europe. She was born on January 31, 1879, as Sarah Arabella Middleton in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early reports state she was performing at the young age of … Read MoreArabella Fields (1879-1933)
Environmental and social justice activist Freweyni Asress of Gondar, Ethiopia runs the Instagram account @ZeroWasteHabesha, with which she documents her progress toward a zero-waste lifestyle, alongside encouraging and facilitating conversations on topics such as Black ecology, race, and colonization. Defined by academics J.T. Roane and … Read MoreFreweyni Asress (?- )
Freweini Mebrahtu (Ge’ez: ፍሬወይኒ መብራህቱ) is an Ethiopian Chemical Engineer and the creator of reusable menstrual sanitary pads for women and girls in Ethiopia. Mebrahtu was born in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in 1965 and is the youngest daughter of seven children. Her parents … Read MoreFreweini Mebrahtu (1965- )
This entry is for juvenile audiences. To see the full version of this entry, click here. Who are they: Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space during her flight on the STS-47, Spacelab-J in September of 1992. Why are they important to … Read MoreMae C. Jemison (1956- )
This entry is for juvenile audiences. To see the full version of this entry, click here. Who are they: On November 3, 2020, Kamala Devi Harris was elected Vice-President of the United States. She is the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian … Read MoreKamala Devi Harris (1964- )
