Continuing Research

African American Female Pioneers

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, Inc. continues our series highlighting local African American Female Pioneers

In March 2021 in celebration of Women’s History Month, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation undertook a full-year research initiative to identify and highlight the many African American Female Pioneers in our local area of Annapolis and Ann Arundel County, Maryland, and now, for our summer release, we are adding ten additional “firsts” to our wall of accomplished African American Female Pioneers.

Throughout history, Black women have overcome insurmountable odds to achieve their goals. Generally, they have been the 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.

Throughout 2021, the Foundation will continue its research, unveiling and adding more indomitable African American women to our website to share with you.  Our first research release was posted to the website in March 2021 in celebration of Women’s History Month, with subsequent releases scheduled for summer and early fall of 2021. The many accomplished women being identified require this continued research to appropriately acknowledge these female “firsts.”

To date, the Foundation has completed the investigation of eighteen African Amerian Female Pioneers in numerous categories and with accomplishments from the early 1800s through the present. We have identified business owners, community activists, educators, civil servants, managers, political figures,  and other categories as well.

Please continue to 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.