History lessons often spotlight a small group of well-known figures when discussing Black history. This Women’s History Month, we want to acknowledge the Black women you may not have learned about in school. Check out 15 Black women you need to know inside.
Names like Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman are rightfully honored, but they represent only a portion of the Black women whose contributions have shaped and continue to shape the world. Across science, politics, sports, literature and civil rights, countless trailblazers changed history without receiving the same recognition in classrooms.
According to Bustle, less than ten percent of classroom time in many schools is dedicated to Black history, leaving many stories untold. Publications like Her Campus have highlighted how many pioneering Black women remain absent from textbooks despite their enormous impact.
Below are 15 remarkable Black women whose stories deserve far more recognition.
15 Black Women You Need To Know
1. Claudette Colvin
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At 15, Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus months before Rosa Parks’ famous protest. Her case later helped challenge bus segregation in court.
2. Fannie Lou Hamer
Hamer fought tirelessly for voting rights and helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to challenge racial discrimination in politics.
3. Alice Ball
Ball developed the first successful treatment for leprosy using chaulmoogra oil, a breakthrough that saved countless lives.
4. Dr. Jane Cooke Wright
A pioneer in chemotherapy research, Wright helped develop new techniques that dramatically improved cancer treatment.
5. Bessie Coleman
Coleman became the first Black woman in the world to earn a pilot’s license and used her platform to advocate for equal opportunities in aviation.
6. Ann Petry
Her 1946 novel The Street became the first book by a Black woman to sell more than one million copies.
7. Augusta Savage
A leading artist of the Harlem Renaissance, Savage mentored many young Black creatives while building a celebrated career as a sculptor.
8. Annie Turnbo Malone
Malone built a successful Black haircare empire and created economic opportunities for thousands of women through her beauty schools.
9. Toni Stone
Stone broke gender barriers when she became the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues.
10. Jane Bolin
Bolin made history as the first Black woman judge in the United States after graduating from Yale Law School.
11. Dorothy Height
Often called the “godmother of the civil rights movement,” Height spent decades advocating for racial equality and women’s rights.
12. Mary Mahoney
Mahoney became the first professionally trained Black nurse in the United States and helped pave the way for future generations in healthcare.
13. Althea Gibson
Gibson broke racial barriers in professional tennis and became the first Black athlete to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
14. Susie King Taylor
Born into slavery, Taylor later became the first Black teacher to openly educate formerly enslaved people in Georgia.
15. Dr. Mae Jemison
Jemison made history in 1992 as the first Black woman to travel into space, inspiring generations of scientists and explorers.
These women remind us that history is much longer than the handful of names most of us learned in school. Their courage, intelligence and determination shaped society in ways that deserve to be studied, celebrated and passed on to future generations.
