Arts and Culture

Biography

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary created some of the most beloved children’s book characters of the 20th century. 
READ MORE
Biography

Cicely Tyson

Cecily Tyson dedicated her career to portraying resilient African American women on the stage and the screen.
READ MORE
Biography

Edmonia Lewis

Edmonia “Wildfire” Lewis is considered the first professional BIPOC sculptor in the United States and the first to achieve international acclaim.
READ MORE
Biography

Octavia Estelle Butler

Octavia Butler was a pioneering writer of science fiction. As one of the first African American and female science fiction writers, Butler wrote novels that concerned themes of injustice towards African Americans, global warming, and women's rights.
READ MORE
Biography

Selma Burke

Selma Burke discovered her love for sculpture as a young child and followed her passion to Harlem Renaissance New York, Parisian art studios, and even the White House.
READ MORE
Biography

Suzan-Lori Parks

Though a high school teacher discouraged her from writing because of her poor spelling, Suzan-Lori Parks went on to become one of the most successful playwrights in the United States.
READ MORE
Biography

Anne Spencer

Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer lived her entire life in Virginia, where she tended her garden, worked as a librarian and teacher, hosted luminaries of Black intellectual and cultural life, and fought for equal rights for African Americans. 
READ MORE
Biography

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey

Often called the “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey was known for her deep-throated voice and mesmerizing stage presence that drew packed audiences and sold hit records in the early twentieth century.
READ MORE
Biography

Hazel Scott

Jazz pianist and singer Hazel Scott was not only the first African-American woman to host her own television show, but she also bravely stood up to the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood studio machine.
READ MORE
Biography

Betsy Wade

As the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the New York Times in 1974, Wade transformed the industry and newsrooms across the nation. 
READ MORE
Lesson Plan

Feminist Philosophers of the 20th Century

Students will explore the life and core philosophic contributions of three female philosophers: Simone De Beauvoir, Hannah Arendt, and Judith Butler. Students will grapple with the core questions and feminist-theoretical perspectives of each philosopher.
READ MORE
Biography

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was the first African American woman to publish a short story and was also an influential abolitionist, suffragist, and reformer.
READ MORE