Gloria Richardson was born on May 6, 1922 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Richardson attended Howard University at the age of 16 and graduated in 1942.
A civil rights activist, she was a leader of the Cambridge Movement and was involved in multiple marches and protests.
Today, Gloria Richardson is 98.
Her defiance, resilience, and dedication are exemplary.
Click here to read more.Mary Kenner was born on May 17, 1912 in Monroe, North Carolina.
Although Kenner attended Howard University, she was unable to obtain her degree due to her financial situation.
Kenner is best known as an inventor who patented an early version of the menstrual pad which was called a sanitary belt.
Investors passed on Kenner’s invention because she was a Black woman.
She also patented a wall-mounted back washer.
Mary Kenner (who passed in 2006) was an incredibly bright and talented woman.
Click here to read more.Dorothy “Dot” Counts was born on March 25, 1942 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is best known for being one of the first Black students to attend Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the age of 15, Counts was heckled, verbally harassed and assaulted by her whyte classmates.
Today, Dorothy Counts is 78.
Dorothy Counts was a pioneer in the struggle for education rights.
Click here to read more.Fannie Lou Hamer was born Fannie Lou Townsend on October 6, 1917 in Montgomery County, Mississippi.
As a child, Hamer worked on a cotton plantation with her family.
Hamer developed a love for the Bible and poetry at a young age and this would be seen in her activism in the years to come…
Hamer, like many Black women, experienced horrific medical racism. In the Civil Rights Movement, Hamer championed voting rights.
Hamer (who passed in 1977) was an incredible and passionate advocate for issues African-Americans faced.
Click here to read more.Dorothy Height was born on 1912 in Richmond, Virginia.
Dorothy Height became active in politics while in high school. She was a civil rights activist, focusing on the issues African American women faced and was the President of the NCNW (The National Council of Negro Women) from 1958-1990.
Height (who passed in 2010 was dedicated to seeing justice done for African-Americans, particularly women.
“I want to be remembered as someone who used herself and anything she could touch to work for justice and freedom…. I want to be remembered as one who tried.” – Dorothy Height
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