Biography
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary created some of the most beloved children’s book characters of the 20th century.
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Biography
Cicely Tyson
Cecily Tyson dedicated her career to portraying resilient African American women on the stage and the screen.
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Biography
Edmonia Lewis
Edmonia “Wildfire” Lewis is considered the first professional BIPOC sculptor in the United States and the first to achieve international acclaim.
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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.
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Exhibit
Feminismo: La Primera Ola
Durante generaciones, el movimiento feminista ha avanzado notablemente en la defensa de los derechos de las mujeres.
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Lesson Plan
The Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston
Examine Zora Neale Hurston’s lifelong commitment to African American literature and cultural preservation.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Biography
Florence Lawrence
Motion picture star Florence Lawrence invented the turn signal and brake signal for vehicles.
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