She paved the way.  Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis Wheatley, was one of the most known poets of pre-19th century America. Enslaved in the home of prominent Boston businessman John Wheatly, the family helped educate a young Wheatly, teaching her to read and write and assisting with publishing her works as a young adult all across the globe. Eventually, Wheatley made history as the first Black author to have her work published as a book.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brown Girls Revolution (@brown_girls_revolution)   Her work helped propel the antislavery movement and served as...

It was so much bigger than a pageant! Jennifer Hosten made history at the age of 23 during the 1970 Miss World contest when she became the first Black woman ever to be crowned with the title since its inception in 1951. Representing a smaller country, she was particularly proud of her accomplishment as a Black woman. However, her historic win was marred by political unrest. With the backdrop of the Vietnam war, South African apartheid, and the British feminist uprising, the London competition was looked at as anything but favorable, and Hosten was catapulted into the middle of a...

This company paved the way! Black Swan Records is the second Black-owned venture breaking into the recording business but remains one of the most influential businesses ever established east of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although Broome Special Phonograph Records is believed to be the first Black-owned record label in the U.S., established just two years before, Black Swan Records was the first widely distributed label to be owned, operated, and marketed to African-Americans. It gave an opportunity for heightened visibility for trained singers and musicians who otherwise were not being picked up by white-owned record labels. Shortly after the Tulsa...

She’s calling the shots! Salima Mukansanga started on a path earning her bachelor's degree in Nursing and Midwifery from the University of Gitwe, located in Rwanda’s South Province, Ruhango District, but deep down she always had a love for sports. Her favorite sport to play is football (or soccer if you're American), but her desire was never to go pro. Mukansanga says, “I loved football so much that I wanted to remain in the circle.” From there, she formed a relationship with the Rwandan Football Federation and took time to learn how to referee. When she finished school, she started...

She was a gem of a human! Mary Jeanette Wilson grew up in West Baltimore, born to parents Willie Wilson and Mary Henry, her mother passed away of diphtheria when she was only 5 years old, The New York Times reports. She spent a lot of her childhood moving between the homes of various family members, causing her to be separated from her sister for a period of time. She found her love for animals early; shortly after graduating from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, she landed a job at the local zoo when she was only 21 years old. ...