7 Black Women in American History Who Changed the World
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Credit: Hans Harzheim
By: Omar Cook
Black history is a living legacy of brilliance, courage, and transformation. At the heart of that legacy are Black women whose leadership, resilience, and vision have shaped the foundation of America as we know it today. Across generations, Black women have broken barriers in politics, civil rights, education, business, and culture, often without the recognition they deserved, yet with an undeniable impact that continues to influence the world at every level of society.
These women did more than rise to prominence. They challenged systems of oppression, redefined what was possible, and created pathways for future generations to walk boldly in their purpose. Through unwavering strength, intelligence, and fearless determination, they turned adversity into progress and purpose into power, becoming symbols of excellence and change.
In honor of their lasting influence, we’re celebrating seven iconic Black women whose contributions helped shape American history and continue to inspire greatness today.
1. Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune founded a school for Black girls in 1904 that later became Bethune-Cookman University. She also became the highest-ranking Black woman in the U.S. government when Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her Director of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration.
2. Amelia Boynton Robinson
Amelia Boynton Robinson was a pioneering voting rights leader who helped organize the Selma movement and became the first Black woman in Alabama to run for Congress in 1964. She also worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. to expand voter registration efforts and empower Black communities across the South.
3. Bridget “Biddy” Mason
Bridget “Biddy” Mason won her freedom from slavery in California in the landmark 1856 court case Mason v. Smith, and went on to become wealthy in real estate, using her wealth to co-found First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles and establish a school and orphanage for her community.
4. Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson broke racial and gender barriers as one of the first Black women to work as a mathematician at NASA, where her precise calculations made it possible for John Glenn to safely orbit Earth before his flight aboard Friendship 7. Her work earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.
5. Evelyn Boyd Granville
Evelyn Boyd Granville was the second African American woman in U.S. history to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, graduating from Yale University in 1949, and went on to break barriers in the space race. Granville developed satellite orbit software at IBM for NASA’s Project Mercury and Apollo missions before dedicating her career to educating future generations of mathematicians.
6. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe revolutionized modern music as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll,” blending gospel with early rock sounds and becoming one of the first artists to bring electric guitar into mainstream performance. Tharpe was the first gospel soloist to perform at the Apollo Theater, influencing legends like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.
7. Frances Barrier Williams
Frances Barrier Williams was a pioneering civil rights and women’s suffrage leader who became the first African American graduate of SUNY Brockport and later broke barriers as the first Black woman nominated to the Chicago Woman’s Club, while also co-founding major organizations like the National Association of Colored Women and the NAACP.
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