Continuing Research

March is Women’s History Month

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, Inc. highlights local African American Female Pioneers

Throughout history, Black women have overcome insurmountable odds to achieve their goals. Generally, they have been last to be given opportunities. Last behind men, and last behind women of other ethnic backgrounds.  However, as paraphrased from poetry by Maya Angelou…Still They Rise.

The amazing accomplishments of Black women overall, including prominent African American women, are a testimony to their abilities, their strength, and their courage to say, I am, and I can.

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation applauds the accomplishments of our first African American female United States Vice President, Kamala Harris. We also take pride in and recognize the accomplishments of many other African American female firsts, for example, Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919), “the first Black woman millionaire in America,” who made her fortune from homemade hair care products, and  Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917-2000) American poet, author, and teacher, who received a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950. But, comparable to these firsts, there are so many other African American women, across the country and at local levels, who through the might of their respective talents and wills, have broken the barriers that bound them, and for centuries, these women have served as the backbone of our families and communities.

In the coming months, The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation will lift up the many African American female pioneers in our local area of Annapolis and Anne County, Maryland. Throughout 2021 the Foundation will be unveiling its research on African American history and adding these indomitable women to our website to share with you. The first research release will be in March 2021 in celebration of Women’s History Month, with subsequent releases scheduled for summer and early fall of 2021. Please reference our website regularly for the latest updates. We also suggest that you reference the informative historical work of Janice Hayes-Williams at Our Legacy Tours (oltannapolis.com), whose research was motivational in shaping our ideas for this project.