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

Motion picture star Florence Lawrence invented the turn signal and brake signal for vehicles.

Although she did not pick up a camera until she was thirty-two, Ava DuVernay has made history as a writer, director, and producer.

104 year-old Abstract painter, sculptor, and minimalist Carmen Herrera continues to influence a generation of artists.

Rita Moreno became the first Latina woman to earn an “E.G.O.T.:” an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Appearing in over sixty movies throughout her career, Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood.

Janet Mock became the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of television.

Poet, activist, and musician Joy Harjo became the first Native American United States Poet Laureate in history.

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today’s WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems

Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar, Maya Angelou is a world-famous author. She is best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style.

Known as the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low created the largest and most successful organisation for girls in the world.

Famous chef, author, and television personality, Julia Child made French cuisine accessible to American audiences.

Miné Okubo is well known for her representations of daily life and humanity in drawings depicting Japanese American internment during WWII.

Pearl S. Buck produced works of fiction and non-fiction throughout her lifetime, many of which focused on her experiences in China.

Amelia Bloomer was a suffragist, editor, social activist, and fashion advocate who worked to change women’s clothing.

Lucille Ball was an American actress, pioneer in comedy, and businesswoman. 

Sarah Josepha Hale is best known for creating the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Her influence can also be seen in historic sites and a national holiday still widely celebrated today.