Black History Month was created in February 1926 as “Negro History Week” by historian Carter G. Woodson to promote the study and recognition of African American history. In 1976, it expanded into a month-long celebration honoring the achievements, resilience, and impact of Black Americans. While Black History Month often highlights influential men such as Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is just as important to recognize the powerful African American women who have shaped our society, broken barriers, and continue to inspire generations today.

One of the most influential women in modern history is Kamala Harris, the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent to serve as Vice President of the United States. She had a groundbreaking career marked by leadership and resilience. After earning her law degree, she worked as a deputy district attorney in Oakland, gaining a reputation for toughness before becoming district attorney in 2004. In 2010, she was narrowly elected California’s attorney general, the first woman and Black American to hold the position. Kamala Harris became the first Indian American and second Black American woman in the U.S. Senate, serving on key committees and representing both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, inspiring young women of color to pursue leadership roles.

Oprah Winfrey is another incredible figure. Rising from poverty to become the first Black woman billionaire, she has used her platform to uplift voices, share meaning stories, and promote education and empowerment globally. Winfrey engaged in numerous philanthropic efforts, including founding Oprah’s Angel Network and opening a $40 million school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa in 2007. She has been a vocal advocate against child abuse and has received many honors, such as the 2010 Kennedy Center Honor, the 2011 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award, where her powerful speech on racial and gender equality was widely celebrated.

In 1992, Mae Jemison made history as the first Black woman in space to board the space shuttle Endeavor. She broke stereotypes and expanding representation in STEM to inspire many, particularly young girls, to pursue science and innovation. Her passion for biomedical engineering began in high school.

Shirley Chisholm was a true political spotlight as the first Black woman elected to the U.S Congress, where she served from 1969 and 1983, and the first Black woman to run for president from a major political party in 1972. She fearlessly advocated for racial and gender equality, famously declaring she was “unbought and unbossed.” Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1924, Chisholm co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus and Championed causes such as the Equal Rights Amendment throughout her congressional career. She also authored the autobiographies Unbought and Unbossed and Good Fight.

Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States, redefined leadership and advocacy through her work in education, health, and women’s empowerment, inspiring young people to recognize their worth and potential. She earned a B.A. in Sociology and African American Studies from Princeton University in 1985 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988. After working as a junior associate specializing in intellectual property law at Sidley & Austin in Chicago, where she met Barack Obama, she shifted toward public service, becoming an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991. She married Barack Obama in 1992, served as assistant commissioner for Chicago’s Department of Planning and development, and founded the Chicago branch of Public Allies, a leadership program for young adults, serving as its executive director until 1996. As First Lady, Michelle championed causes such as supporting military families and combating childhood obesity, notably promoting healthy eating by planting a vegetable garden on the White House’s South Lawn in 2009.

These women, Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Mae Jemison, Shirley Chisholm, and Michelle Obama, each transformed their respective fields and challenged the limits placed on women of color. Their courage, resilience, and leadership remind us that Black history month is not just something to remember, but something that continues to be made every day.

“Power is not given to you. You have to take it.”- Maya Angelou