Celebrating African American Women

In the tradition of celebrating African American History this month, Corporate Chics has decided to highlight even more remarkable women. We love the idea of being the FIRST to accomplish certain goals and will highlight some of the women in our generation (past and present) that hold this prestigious title. Next week, we will return with highlighting women within our network.

 

No one ever remembers second place or average...

Photo montage by Beti Ellerson. The African Women Filmmakers Forum, ...

africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com

Although we celebrate women of all colors, cultures and ethnicities (monthly and weekly) this is the last official week of "Black History Month." We have covered all industries excluding religion, music and sports. While I am more of a spiritual person and not so athletic, I am grateful for the women that open the door for us, in these markets. Faith is the key needed to open the door of believing that dreams come true. These women used the key and gave us a blueprint. Know that if they can do it, you can as well. You must take responsibility for the space you hold on this earth. We want to introduce you to some amazing women, just in case you don't or didn't know that we ARE the bomb.com.net.info.org!

RELIGION
The first Black woman ordained as as Episcopal priest was the Rev. Pauli Murray in 1977.

The first Black woman bishop of a major U.S. religious denomination was the Rev. Leontine T.C. Kelly, who was elected in 1984, by the United Methodist Church.

The first woman bishop in the Episcopal Church was the Rev. Barbara Clementine Harris, who was elected in 1989.

The first Black nun in the U.S. to head a Catholic parish was Sister Cora Billings, who was installed as a pastor in Richmond, Va., in 1990.

ARMED SERVICES
The first Black woman general was Hazel Winifred Johnson, who was appointed in 1979.

The first Black, woman to reach the position of general through the ranks of the regular U.S. Army was Sherian Grace Cadoria, who was appointed in 1985.

The first and only Black Female U.S. Air Force general was Marcelite Jordan Harris, who was promoted in September 1990.

MUSIC

The first Black singer to appear with a major opera company was Caterina Jarboro, who sang the title role in Verdi's opera Aida with the Chicago Civic Opera in 1933.

The first Black singer to perform on the stage of the New York City Metropolitan Opera House was Marian Anderson in 1955.
SPORTS
The first Black woman to win a gold medal was Alice Coachman of Albany State Teachers College, who set a record in the high jump competition at 5 feet, 6 1/4 inches in the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London.

The first African-American woman to win the prestigious Wimbledon singles competition was Althea Gibson, who won in 1957 and again in 1958.

The first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals was track star Wilma Rudolph, a polio survivor, at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

The first American woman to win four medals in one Olympics was Florence Griffith-Joyner, who won three gold medals and one silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1988.

The first Black woman gymnast to win a gold medal was Dominique Dawes, who in 1996, in Atlanta was a member of the U.S. Women's gymnastic team that won its first gold medal in Olympic history.

The first female runner to win gold medals for both the 100-meter dash and 400-meter relay in consecutive Olympic games was Gail Devers, who won in 1996 at the Summer Games in Atlanta.

"Black women firsts: hidden gems of black history". Ebony. FindArticles.com. 07 Feb, 2012.  
COPYRIGHT 1997 Johnson Publishing Co.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

I've come to the conclusion that...

When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent abstract, positive thinking. -Albert Einstein

SGT Highlight:: More African American Women FIRSTS

In the tradition of celebrating African American History this month, Corporate Chics has decided to highlight even more remarkable women. We love the idea of being the FIRST to accomplish certain goals and will highlight some of the women in our generation (past and present) that hold this prestigious title.

No one ever remembers second place or average...

Photo Courtesy of http://www.scientificamerican.com/

Math and Science has never been my thing but for the African American Females listed below, they love it and they excel in it. I am honored to highlight these wonderful women. As I stated last week in the Sista Girl Tuesday Highlight, education is the single most attractive thing about a female. Looks fade but manners and education will open doors no one can close. Persistence and faith unlock grace and perseverance. That is what separates average from best.  Know that if they can do it, you can as well. You must take responsibility for the space you hold on this earth. We want to introduce you to some amazing women, just in case you don't or didn't know that we ARE the bomb.com.net.info.org!


MEDICINE and SCIENCE
-The first Black woman to receive a medical degree was Rebecca Lee Crumpher (b. 1833), who received a "doctress of medicine" degree from the New England Female Medical College in Boston on March 1, 1864.

-The first Black woman to become a fellow of the American College of Surgeons was Dr. Dorothy Brown of Nashville, Tenn., in 1957.

-The country's first Black woman neurosurgeon was Dr. Alexa Canady, who completed her medical degree with a specialty in pediatric neurosurgery in 1975.

-The country's first Black Surgeon General was Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who was confirmed by the Senate in 1993.

-The first Black woman to receive a dental degree in the United States was Ida Gray Nelson Rollins, who graduated from the University of Michigan Dental School in 1887.

-The first Black woman to practice dentistry professionally was probably Emeline Roberts Jones of Connecticut, who assisted her dentist husband and developed a large practice after his death in 1864.

-The first Black female nursing school graduate was Mary Elizabeth Mahoney, who graduated from the New England hospital for Women and Children in Boston in 1879.

-The first woman, the first Black, and the youngest person to become president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America was Faye Wattleton in 1978.

-The first Black woman to serve as president of the American Medical Association was Roselyn Payne Epps in 1990.

-The first woman to lead the National Medical Association was Edith Irby Jones, who was elected in 1985.

-The first patent awarded to a Black woman was awarded to Sarah Goode in 1885 for a "folding cabinet bed" which was similar to a convertible couch.

-The first Black woman astronaut was Dr. Mae C. Jemison, who traveled into outer space aboard NASA's space shuttle Endeavor in 1992.

-The first woman to serve as chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, a physicist, who was confirmed in April 1995.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Johnson Publishing Co.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

SGT Highlight: More Black Women Firsts

In the tradition of celebrating African American History this month, Corporate Chics has decided to highlight even more remarkable women. We love the idea of being the FIRST to accomplish certain goals and will highlight some of the women in our generation (past and present) that hold this prestigious title.

No one ever remembers second place or average...

Photo Courtesy of feministlawprofessors.com

Education is the single most attractive thing about a female. Looks fade but manners and education will open doors no one can close. Smart Women finish Rich as David Bach would say and the women highlighted this Tuesday were successful in areas of politics, education, and law. Know that if they can do it, you can as well. You must take responsibility for the space you hold on this earth. We want to introduce you to some amazing women, just in case you don't or didn't know that we ARE the bomb.com.net.info.org!

EDUCATION

The first Black woman to graduate from an American college was Mary Jane Patterson, who received a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio's Oberlin College in 1862.

The first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. was Sadie M. Alexander, who received a degree in economics from University of Pennsylvania in 1921. 

The first Black woman to establish a four-year accredited college was Mary McLeod Bethune, who founded Bethune-Cookman College in 1904.

The first Black woman president of the National Education Association was Elizabeth Duncan Koontz, who was elected in 1968.

The first Black president of a "Seven-Sister School" was Ruth J. Simmons, who was installed as president of Smith College in 1995.

POLITICS and LAW

The first Black woman to receive a major appointment from the federal government was Mary McLeod Bethune, who was named director of Negro affairs of the National Youth Administration by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 24, 1936.

The first Black woman to serve in a state legislature was Crystal Bird Fauset, who was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Nov. 8, 1938.

The first Black to hold two cabinet positions was Patricia Roberts Harris, who held the offices of secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in the Carter administration.

The first Black woman to head a U.S. embassy was Patricia Roberts Harris, who was appointed ambassador to Luxembourg President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.

The first Black woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was Shirley Chisholm, who was elected by her Brooklyn, N.Y., constituency under the campaign slogan "Unbought and Unbossed" in 1968.

The first Black woman nominated for president of the U.S. was Shirley Chisholm, who received nearly 152 votes on the first ballot at the 1972 Democratic convention.

The first woman and the first Black to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention was former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan in 1976.

The first Black woman mayor of a large U.S. city was Carrie Saxon Perry, who in 1987 was elected mayor of Hartford, the capital of Connecticut.

The first woman mayor of Washington, D.C., and the first Black woman mayor of a major city was Sharon Pratt Kelly, who was elected in 1990.

The first Black woman elected to the Senate was Carol Mosley Braun of Chicago, who was elected on Nov. 3, 1992.

The first Black woman lawyer in the United States was Charlotte E. Ray (1850-1911), who was admitted to the bar of the District Columbia in April 1872. She graduated from Howard University Law School that same year.

The first Black woman sheriff in the United States was Jacquelyn Barrett, who was elected sheriff of Fulton County, Ga., in November 1992.

The first country's first Black woman judge was Jane Matilda Bolin, who was appointed justice of the Domestic Relations Court of New York on July 22, 1939.

The first Black woman to hold a federal judicial position was Constance Baker Motley, who was named a U.S. District Court judge on August 30, 1966.

The first woman named to the U.S. Court of Appeals was Amalya Lyle Kearse, who was named to the Second Circuit in 1979.

The first Black woman to serve on a state supreme court was Juanita Kidd Stout, who was named an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1988.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Johnson Publishing Co.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

SGT Highlight: Black Women FIRSTS

In the tradition of celebrating African American History this month, Corporate Chics has decided to highlight even more remarkable women. We love the idea of being the FIRST to accomplish certain goals and will highlight some of the women in our generation (past and present) that holds the title.


No one ever remembers second place or average...

The Corporate Chics culture and the heartbeat of the organization derives from passion, purpose and support. At the core of the company's existence is Business, Writing and Entertainment. With this embedded in the DNA we are always intrigued by other women making it happen and paving the way for even more of us to follow our dreams. This Tuesday we are highlighting women in these industries. Know that if they can do it, you can as well. You must take responsibility for the space you hold on this earth. We want to introduce you to some amazing women, just in case you don't or didn't know that we ARE the bomb.com.net.info.org!



BUSINESS
-The first self-made Black woman millionaire was Madame C.J. Walker, who made her fortune from a line of the 20th century.

-The first woman bank president was Maggie Lena Walker, who headed the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, Va., in 1903.

-The first Black woman to head a major corporate division was Ann Fudge, who was named president of Maxwell House Coffee Co. in 1995.

Entertainment::Film/Television/Theater
-The first African-American to win an Academy Award was Hattie McDaniel, who won an Oscar for best supporting actress in 1939 for her role in Gone With the Wind.

-The first Black woman awarded a Tony Award was Juanita Hall, who won in 1949 for her performance as "Bloody Mary" in South Pacific.

-The first Black woman nominated for an Oscar as best actress was Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated in 1954 for her role in Carmen Jones.

Writing::The Arts
-The first Black woman to become a licensed architect was Norma Sklarek in 1954.

-The first Black to write a book that was published in America was Phillis Peters Wheatley, a former slave. Her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in 1773.

-The first African-American awarded a Pulitzer Prize was Gwendolyn Brooks, who was cited in 1950 for her collection of poems, Annie Allen.

-The first Black woman playwright to have her work performed on Broadway was Lorraine Vivian Hansberry. Her play, A Raisin In The Sun, opened at the Barrymore Theater on March 11, 1959, with Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil in the starring roles.

-The first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction was Alice Walker, who was cited in 1983 for her book The Color Purple.

-The first African-American appointed United States poet laureate was Rita Dove, who was named in 1993.

-The first Black American to win the Nobel Prize for literature was Toni Morrison in 1993.

-The first Black woman to edit a daily newspaper in a major U.S. city was Pearl Stewart, who in 1992 was named editor of the Oakland Tribune, Oakland, Calif.

Business::Film/Television/Theater:: The Arts
Oprah Winfrey (born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. -The first Black woman to host a national television talk show was Oprah Winfrey, who in 1993 became the first woman to top Forbes' list of the 40 highest-paid entertainers -- $98 million in 1992-93. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was for a time the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.


"Black women firsts: hidden gems of black history". Ebony. FindArticles.com. 07 Feb, 2012.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Johnson Publishing Co.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey

Wisdom Nugget

One of the best secrets in life is when children of God make up their minds, when they bring their minds into harmony with the desire, when they pray for and follow intuitive guidance; then no one and nothing can stop them. -I. Vanzant