Patriots and Pathfinders

We Remember the Marches—But Not the Women Who Made Them Possible
To tell the truth about how the movement endured, we have to listen for…
1950’s Claudette Colvin — We Will Not Be Moved
Originally published on March 28, 2024 Claudette Colvin passed away on January 13, 2026.…
Anna Julia Cooper: Champion of Black Women’s Voices
Born into slavery in Raleigh, North Carolina, Anna Julia Cooper transformed the limitations imposed…
Dorothy Cotton: An Architect of the Civil Rights Movement
When we think of the Civil Rights Movement, names like Martin Luther King, Jr.…
Tradition of Giving- Celebrating Our Philanthropy
The tradition of Black philanthropy predates the Civil War. Black men and women joined…
“Small d” Democrats Demand Full Citizenship
It is in the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer and countless Black women small…
Celebrating Three Blues Queens
Musical royalty, they were all late 19th Century contemporaries who staked out their legendary…
Showing Up With the Stars in Paris Noir
Bricktop, the fiery red headed saloon keeper, held court in Paris’ “it” scene. Captivating…
Shirley Chisholm Legacy Claimed A Seat at the Table for Black Women
The life of the great Shirley Chisholm was punctuated with pivotal firsts.
Marsha P. Johnson – Queen of the Village
The 1960’s whirlwind of change brought a new form of LGBTQ activism, led by…
Septima Clark’s School for Troublemakers
More than a witness to history, Clark helped shape it, responding to voter suppression…
Suffragist, Citizen, Everywoman Extraordinaire
Fannie Lou Hamer’s worldview birthed a vision for a future trained on equity, freedom,…