CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                       BESSIE SMITH-1894-1937-SINGER
                                             EMPRESS OF THE BLUES

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

ODETTA HOLMES-1930-2008-SNGER-SONGWRITER-MUSICIAN-ACTRESS-CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                      OCTAVIA BUTLER-1947-2006-AUTHOR
                        First Science Fiction Writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                            SHIRLEY CHISHOLM-1924-2005-POLITICIAN-EDUCATOR-AUTHOR
                                              First Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress
                               First woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination
                      First Black candidate for a major party's nomination for President of the U.S.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

    FANNIE LOU HAMER-1917-1977-CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER/ACTIVIST-PHILANTROPHIST

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

       DOROTHY HEIGHT-1912-2010-CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST-HUMANITARIAN-EDUCATOR
                              Her life's work represents dedication to justice for all.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                     CLARA WARD-1924-1973-GOSPEL MUSIC PIONEER
                                First gospel singer to sing with a 100-piece symphony orchestra

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                  ETHEL L. PAYNE-1911-1991
                             JOURNALIST-PUBLISHER-EDUCATOR-CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
                                         First Black Woman Radio and Television Commentator

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                    NAOMI SIMS-1948-2009-Model-Writer-Businesswoman
                                            One of America's first Black Supermodels

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                          LENA HORNE-1917-2010
                               SINGER-DANCER-ACTRESS-CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                   ELLA JOSEPHINE BAKER-1903-1986
                                           CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                           IDA B. WELLS-1862-1931-WRITER-JOURNALIST-EDITOR-ACTIVIST
            Born a slave, she brought international attention to the lynching of Black people in the South in the 1890s.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                       HARRIET TUBMAN-1820-1913
                           ABOLITIONIST-ARMED CIVIL WAR SCOUT/SPY-HUMANITARIAN
                            ***LEAD CONDUCTOR ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                           ROSA PARKS-1913-2005
                                                  THE "FIRST LADY" OF CIVIL RIGHTS

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                BRIDGET "BIDDY" MASON-1818-1891
                                      NURSE-REAL ESTATE ENTREPRENEUR-PHILANTROPIST
Born a slave she organized First A.M.E. Church, the oldest Black church in Los Angeles, California

BIRTH of a COMMUNITY CREATOR

SLY STONE, Musician, Songwriter, and Record Producer was born SYLVESTER STEWART on this day 3/15/1943 in Denton, Texas.

His band, SLY and the FAMILY STONE was instrumental in the development of the music genres of SOUL, ROCK, and FUNK. Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the ROCK and ROLL HALL OF FAME in 1993.

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                                                SOJOURNER TRUTH-1797-1883
                                              Abolitionist-Women's Rights Activist

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                 MARIE CATHERINE LAVEAU-1801-1881-Voodoo Practitioner
                                                  The most powerful woman in New Orleans in the 19th century

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                ELIZABETH HOBBS KECKLEY-1818-1907-Seamstress-Author
An ex-slave who bought her freedom in 1852. She was an expert seamstress and dressmaker. In 1861 she became the dress-designer, personal modiste and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln, the President's wife.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                          SUSAN (SUSIE) BAKER KING TAYLOR-1848-1912
                                  First Black teacher to openly instruct Black students in Georgia.
                                       Nurse with a Black regiment during the Civil War

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                            SARAH PARKER REDMOND-1824-1894
A free Black woman who lectured against slavery in the British Isles and other parts of Europe prior to the Civil War. She made her first anti-slavery speech at the age of sixteen.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                       EMMA JANE ATKINSON-A FREE BLACK WOMAN
                                       CONDUCTOR ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                      JULIANN JANE TILLMAN
This picture is from 1844. It was labelled "Mrs Juliann Jane Tillman, Preacher of the A.M.E. Church.                      Women were not "officially" allowed to preach until more than a hundred years later.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                 ROGER ARLINER YOUNG - 1899-1964
                                               First Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Zoology

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                           ELIZABETH TAYLOR GREENFIELD-1809-1876
                                                America's First Black Classical Music Singer
                              The first Black singer to gain recognition in both Europe and the United States.

jazz LEGEND

JOHN LESLIE  "WES"  MONTGOMERY was born on this day 3/6/1923. He was one of  the greatest jazz guitarists of all time.

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                        ALTHEA GIBSON-1927-2003
                            First Black tennis player to win the French, Wimbledon, and U.S. singles titles

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                 EMMA VIRGINIA KELLEY- 1867-1932
                                                Founder of the Grand Temple Daughters of Elks

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                   ZORA NEALE HURSTON-1901-1960
                                                       Novelist,Folklorist,Anthropologist

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                                    GWENDOLYN BROOKS-1917-2000
                                                First Black Poet to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

  HETTIE LLOYD BROWN-1889-1970- FAMILY MATRIARCH
              MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER






REMEMBERING GRAND-MAMA
                               By Lonewolf




She was tall and lean
Skin as dark as night
Hands on her hips
Fists clenched tight when
She caught the spirit just right.
And at Pee Dee Baptist Church
On any Sunday afternoon
Mama be shouting and singing
Some ole time spiritual tune
Strutting back and forth
Holy ghost dancing across the floor
Shouting in the fire of  the spirit
Until she couldn't shout no more
Praise the Lord she be saying
Glory must be on high
Praise him hallelujah
Until the day I die

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                           SARAH JANE WOODSON EARLY - 1825-1907
                                                                 Pioneer Educator

CELEBRATE THE BLACK WOMAN

                                         QUEEN MOTHER AUDLEY MOORE 1898-1997
                                                     Political, Social and Cultural Activist