Top 25 trailblazers who define the modern black woman

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How do we define what it means to be a black woman in today’s America? Is she smart? Is she beautiful? Healthy? Capable? What readily comes to mind and why? Who is the quintessential black woman and how did she get here?

There’s no denying that the 19th and 20th centuries took the black woman through dramatic changes. In the beginning of the 19th century, she was largely enslaved and, by the end, she was legally free. Still her economic choices were few. Perhaps she could become a teacher or a nurse but, by and large, she was a domestic or, at least, that was how she was often presented.

During the 20th century, her economic possibilities grew considerably, especially towards century’s end. A successful talk show host, Secretary of State, an astronaut, editor-in-chief of a magazine, president of a college, top-charting diva, all of these historic achievements were and are real possibilities for black women today. Fifty years ago, such options were nearly nonexistent.

The 21st century has started out with a bang as the role of first lady has been checked off the list of black female possibilities. Black women own more businesses than was imaginable just 20 years ago. More major corporations bank on the economic viability of black women as evidenced by the black women who serve as spokeswomen for cosmetic conglomerates and other industry-leading brands. That’s a far cry from the welfare queen stereotype that often dominated mainstream depictions of black women in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.

The black woman has indeed undergone a renaissance, if only in her own mind, and the proof is all around us. But how does one qualify this change of attitude? Who are the architects of this newfound freedom? Compiling a list of black women who have changed how black women perceive themselves and, in turn, are perceived in the world at large, is not without its challenges. Who makes such a list and why? There will be disagreements for sure regarding some selections and a collective nod of approval for others. Still, theGrio took on the challenge. Here is our list, organized alphabetically, so bring on the debate.