Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.
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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
Biography
Barbara R. Johns
As a teenager, Barbara Johns helped organize a strike that eventually led to the desegregation of schools in the United States.
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Biography
Claudia 'Lady Bird' Johnson
Claudia Johnson, known as “Lady Bird Johnson” was an environmentalist, businesswoman, political activist, and First Lady.
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Biography
Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City.
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Biography
Mary Harris Jones
Female labor activist “Mother Jones” was a self-proclaimed “hell-raiser”.
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Biography
Barbara Jordan
As a lawyer, a congresswoman, and a scholar, Barbara Jordan used her public speaking skills to fight for civil and human rights.
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Biography
Deloris Jordan
Deloris Jordan has established multiple charities, especially focused on underprivileged youth.
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Biography
Annie Jump Cannon
Known as the “census taker of the sky,” Annie Jump Cannon was a brilliant astronomer that revolutionized the way scientists classify stars.
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Biography
Elena Kagan
The first female Solicitor General of the United States and now an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, Elena Kagan is a prominent legal scholar and jurist who has advocated for justice and equality since childhood.
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Edith Kanaka'ole
Edith Kanaka’ole (also affectionately called “Aunty Edith”), a native Hawaiian composer, chanter and dancer, was a champion for the preservation of native Hawaiian culture and arts.
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Biography
Kati Karikó
Karikó’s research and perseverance proved that mRNA vaccines were possible and paved the way for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to end the Covid-19 Pandemic.
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Biography
Lani Ka’ahumanu
Lani Ka’ahumanu, a leader of the bisexual rights movement in the U.S., has worked for greater visibility for bisexuals both within the LGBTQ movement as well as broader society.
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Liya Kebede
Ethiopian-born supermodel Liya Kebede is a leading advocate for maternal, newborn, and child health around the world.
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Elizabeth Keckley
Born into slavery, Elizabeth Keckley’s story is one of perseverance and ingenuity in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
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Helen Keller
Undeterred by deafness and blindness, Helen Keller rose to become a major 20th century humanitarian, educator and writer.
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Biography
Florence Kelley
Florence Kelley dedicated her life to social reform. She worked to end many social problems, including labor and racial discrimination.
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Frances Kathleen Oldham Kelsey
Frances “Frankie” Kathleen Oldham Kelsey. Kelsey was universally credited with sparing the US the damage inflicted by the drug thalidomide to the human nervous system by refusing to approve the drug for distribution in the US.
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Biography
Billie Jean King
One of the greatest tennis players of all time and a renowned advocate for women in sports and LGBTQ rights, Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam titles in her tennis career and led the fight for equal pay in tennis.
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Biography
Coretta Scott King
Although best known for being the wife of famed civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Coretta Scott King created her own legacy.
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Biography
Susan G. Komen
Susan G. Komen's name became synonymous with breast cancer awareness throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but who was Susan G. Komen?
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