Below, we've listed some black women from history that you may not have learned about in school, but should know more about.
Bessie Coleman was the first African-American woman to hold a pilots license.
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Born in 1892 , Bessie Coleman always knew she wanted to fly. Although she was rejected by aviation schools in the United States, Coleman never gave up on her dream to become a pilot.
She was also the first Native-American woman to do so. (Her father, George Coleman , was Native American and black.)
Wilma Rudolph ran off with three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics.
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Shirley Chisholm made political history as the first black woman elected to the US Congress.
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Educator and civil rights advocate, Shirley Chisholm dedicated her life to helping the people in her community. In 1968, Chisholm was elected to represent her Brooklyn district in the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first black woman to serve in US Congress. Chisholm served seven terms in the House, where she was a dedicated advocate for education and employment opportunities for people of color.
Mary McLeod Bethune was a trailblazer for African-American people in education by opening her own school.
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Althea Gibson broke barriers in tennis.
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About 43 years before Serena Williams won the 1999 US Open, there was Althea Gibson.
In 1957 and 1958, Gibson won consecutive titles at both Wimbledon and the US Nationals.
Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American author to publish a book of poetry.
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Janet Collins became the first African-American artist to perform full-time at the Met.
Although she was often received well in New York, Collins was often replaced by understudies when the company traveled through the South because of a race laws and fear of violence.
Mamie Johnson was a pitcher for the Indianapolis Clowns.
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Born in 1935, Mamie Johnson grew up playing baseball in her South Carolina hometown . At age 17, she traveled to Virginia in hopes of landing a spot on the All-American Girl Professional Baseball team, though she was not allowed to try out due to the color of her skin.
Determined to play the game she loved, Johnson went on to become one of three women to play baseball in the Negro Leaguesin 1953 at 17, and the only woman to pitch. She played for the Indianapolis Clowns .
Despite being one of few women, Johnson later told MLB that she was treated very well by the men in the league. "I was pleased to be treated like a lady at all times. I can say I had 26 brothers, and they were so nice."
In 2008, the MLB honored Johnson along with other African-American players who were excluded from the league with a ceremonial draft . Johnson was drafted by the Washington Nationals. She died in 2017.
Ida B Wells investigative journalism looked to shine a spotlight on hate crimes.
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Ida B. Wells was born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862, during the Civil War. After three friends were lynched, Wells, who was a journalist and former schoolteacher, worked to bring increased awareness to these brutal, racially-motivated crimes against black Americans.
Wells was also an outspoken advocate for women's rights issues, including suffrage. She was a founder of the National Association of Colored Womens Club and she and Belle Squire co-founded the Alpha Suffrage Club .
Flo Kennedy was a dedicated advocate for womens rights.
Flo Kennedy was a lawyer and civil rights advocate who worked to improve conditions for American women generally, and especially black women. She attended Columbia University enrolled in pre-law studies. Though she had outstanding grades, she was denied by law schools because she was a woman. After threatening to sue, she was admitted by Columbia's law school in 1948 and was the only black person in her class.
Kennedy was a colleague of prominent feminist, Gloria Steinem who called her an "outrageous, imaginative, humorous and witty spokeswoman for social justice." Kennedy was an outspoken supporter of women's reproductive rights.
For Constance Baker Motley, a run-in with discrimination inspired her legal career.
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Motley made history in 1964 as the first black woman ever elected to the New York State Senate and as the first African-American woman to be appointed as a federal judge in 1966.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler was instrumental in issuing medical treatment to those who couldnt afford it.
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Her practice was primarily focused on serving low-income women and children in Boston and Richmond, Virginia.
In 1883, Crumpler became the first black physician to publish a medical text , "A Book of Medical Discourses in Two Parts."
Ruby Bridges desegregated a public school in the south.
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Ruby Bridges became a civil-rights activist when she was only 6 years old. Although the Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, many all-white schools in the South were still not completely on board with welcoming black students.
Federal marshals escorted Bridges and her mother past angry protesters each day. Bridges wrote two books about her experiences and received the Carter G. Woodson Book Award .