Harriet Tubman: Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She also served as a scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War.  

Madam C.J. Walker: Born Sarah Breedlove, Madam C.J. Walker was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social activist. She developed and marketed a line of hair care products for Black women, becoming one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire.

Rosa Parks: Known as “the mother of the freedom movement,” Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. This act of defiance sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

Shirley Chisholm: In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. She represented New York’s 12th congressional district for seven terms and in 1972, she became the first Black candidate for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States.  

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson: These brilliant mathematicians, known as “human computers,” were instrumental in NASA’s early space missions. Their calculations were critical to the success of Project Mercury and the Apollo program, including the first American orbital spaceflight and the moon landing.

Mae C. Jemison: Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel to space in 1992. She was a science mission specialist on Space Shuttle Endeavour, conducting experiments in life and material sciences.

Oprah Winfrey: Overcoming a challenging childhood, Oprah Winfrey became a media executive, actress, talk show host, television producer, and philanthropist. Her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, was one of the most influential in television history.

Michelle Obama: A lawyer and writer, Michelle Obama served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She has been an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating.