International Women's Day: 31 Black Women You Should Know

Michelle Obama: 1st Black 1st Lady of the U.S. 2009-2017, lawyer, & writer.

• Viola Davis: 1st Black person to win the Triple Crown: Academy, Emmy & Tony, actress, & producer.

• Patrisse Khan: Co-founder of Black Lives Matter

• Ruth Simmons: 1st Black President of an Ivy League University (Brown University), 2001-2012.

• Anjelica Nwandu: Founder of The Shade Room.

• Oprah Winfrey: Producer, philanthropist, publisher & actress. Creator of OWN Network, O, & Oprah Magazine.

• Feminista Jones: Feminist, activist, writer, & social media personality.

• Ursula Burns: 1st Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. 1st Black CEO of Xerox.

• Rosalind Brewer: 1st Black and 1st female President & CEO of Sam’s Club.

• Ava Duvernay: Director & screenwriter. 1st Black female director nominated for a Golden Globe. Known for creating Queen Sugar which airs on OWN.

• Serena Williams: Black tennis superstar. The highest paid female athlete in 2016.

• Jasmine Mans: Spoken word artist, most famous for her pieces Dear Ex- Lover & Footnotes for Kanye.

• Beyoncé: Singer, songwriter & actress. Most known for her super catchy pop/R&B songs & her role in Dreamgirls.

• Lisa Price: Founder of Carol’s Daughter.

• Taraji P. Henson: Actress & author. Most known for her leading role in the hit FOX series Empire.

• Cathy Hughes: Founder of Radio One. 1st Black woman to have a publicly traded company in 1999.

• Brandy Norwood: Singer, actress & owner of several weave lines including Outre Pro. Most known for her star role in the 90s TV show Moesha.

• Tina Wells: Founder & CEO of Buzz Marketing Group.

• Queen Latifah: Rapper/singer, actress, model & talk show host. Most known for role in Set It Off.

• Shonda Rhimes: Screenwriter & TV producer. Best known for creating Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy & How to Get Away with Murder.

• Simone Bailes: The most decorated American gymnast.

• Misty Copeland: The 1st Black woman named "principal dancer" of the American Ballet Theat

er in 2105.

• Patrice Yursik: The founder and Creator of Afrobella. THEE natural hair blogger.

• Zim Ugochukwu: CEO of Travel Noire, a site changing the way Black travelers are viewed.

• Kimberly Foster: Founder of For Harriet an open forum for all black women to speak openly and freely about their own experiences and culture.

• Mo’ne Davis: 1st Black girl to play in a Little League World Series. 1st girl to pitch & win a shutout in a Little League World Series.

• Gabrielle Union: Actress and activist. Most known for her roles in Deliver Us from Eva & the BET series Being Mary Jane.

• Janelle Monae: Singer, actress & activist. Most known for her spunky tuxedos and role in the movie Hidden Figures.

• Kim Foxx: Cook county State’s Attorney.

• Issa Rae: Writer & actress. Most known for her creation of Awkward Black Girl a YouTube video series. She is also the star of Insecure on HBO.

• Violet Palmer: 1st female to referee any professional sport. NBA & WNBA referee.

#UrbanBlackGirl #BlackWomen #InternationalWomen39sDay