Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

Every woman has a story.

"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon."

-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

Women have always played an active role in history. Explore some of the historical women and contemporary newsmakers that continue to impact the world. New biographies are added regularly, so check back to discover inspiring new stories!

Featured Biographies

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a skilled performer and woman guitarist, credited with the creation of rock and roll.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her 60-year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music.

Toshiko Akiyoshi

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.

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey

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Rosie Lee Tompkins

Rosie Lee Tompkins was a renowned African-American quiltmaker whose dazzling work helped bring a new appreciation to the artistic form.

Biography

Nkenge Touré

Nkenge Touré is an activist whose expansive collection of speeches and written works confront issues around reproductive justice, Black feminism, and women’s rights.

Biography

Sister Margaret Traxler

Sister Margaret Traxler was a Catholic feminist nun and a civil rights activist who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the famous march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

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Mary Treadwell was a notable DC-based activist and community organizer, best known for co-creating Youth Pride, Inc., a job-training program helping inner-city youth, and her abortion decriminalization advocacy.

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Sojourner Truth

A former slave, Sojourner Truth was an advocate for abolition, temperance, and civil and women’s rights in the 19th century.

Biography

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman escaped enslavement and helped others reach freedom.

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Sister Marjorie Tuite, O.P.

Sister Marjorie Tuite, O.P. was a Catholic feminist nun who fought for gender equality, especially within the Catholic Church.

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Cicely Tyson

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

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Minnie Vautrin

"Goddess of Mercy!" During the Rape of Nanking (1937-38), the Chinese women refugees under Minnie Vautrin’s protection gratefully addressed her this way.

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Nydia M. Velázquez

Nydia M. Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress, is the Representative for New York’s 7th Congressional District.

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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.

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Lillian Wald

Lillian D. Wald helped to bring health care to the residents of New York’s Lower East Side at the turn of the twentieth century.

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Maggie Lena Walker

Maggie Lena Walker was one of the foremost female business leaders in the US and the first woman to own a bank.

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Mary Edwards Walker

Mary Edwards Walker is the only US woman to receive the Presidential Medal of Honor.

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Madam C.J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist. She rose from poverty in the South to become one of the wealthiest African American women of her time.

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Nanfu Wang

A 2020 MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant winner, Nanfu Wang uses film to explore the relationship between individuals and governments.

Biography

LaNada War Jack

LaNada War Jack is an indigenous activist, who since childhood, has fought to preserve Native American identity and tribal rights.

Biography

Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren was a published poet, political playwright and satirist during the age of the American Revolution.

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Martha Washington

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the first First Lady of the United States.

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Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a prominent journalist, suffragist, activist, and researcher.