During Black History Month we often look back on achievements and advancements that have been made by historical Black leaders and pioneers. However, with the past few years of racial reckoning and the call for greater representation and inclusion in every sector, we are living in a time when history is unfolding right before our eyes.
At the FQ, we are celebrating trailblazing Black women who are breaking barriers across government, media, science, sports, tech and more because Black history is truly history in the making.
1. Mariah Stackhouse
The first Black Woman on the Curtis Cup team and the youngest Black woman to earn a berth in the U.S. Women’s Open field
2. Shelly Cayette
The first Black Woman to Hold Title of EVP, COO in the NBA
3. Angela F. Williams
The first Black president and chief executive of United Way Worldwide
4. Bianca Smith
The first Black woman to serve as a coach in the history of professional baseball
5. Dr. Claire Karekezi
The first and sole female neurosurgeon in all of Rwanda, who, since 2018, has served as a consultant neurosurgeon at the Rwandan Military Hospital in the country’s capital
6. Jennifer King
The first Black woman to serve as a full-time assistant coach in the NFL when she was hired as assistant running backs coach for the Washington Football Team
7. Kristen Clarke
The first woman and first Black woman to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division
8. Maia Chaka
The first Black female referee in the NFL; she is also the second female referee following Sarah Thomas
9. Cori Bush
The first Black woman and first nurse to represent Missouri; she’s also the first woman to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District
10. Rashida Jones
The first Black president at MSNBC, making her the first Black woman to run a major cable news network
11. Cynt Marshall
The first Black female CEO of an NBA franchise; she also holds another first as one of the first Black cheerleaders at Berkley
12. Alicia Boler Davis
The first Black woman named to Amazon’s senior team, the inner circle that advises Jeff Bezos
13. Sydney Barber
The U.S. Naval Academy’s first Black female brigade commander
14. Nia DaCosta
The first Black female director to debut a film at No. 1 with Candyman; she was also hired to direct The Marvels — making her both the first Black woman and the youngest director to helm a Marvel film
15. Aicha Evans
The first Black woman to run a self-driving car company when she agreed to become the new CEO of autonomous vehicle start-up Zoox in 2019
16. Susan Collins
Currently an economist at the University of Michigan, Collins will be the new president of The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, making her the first Black woman to lead one of the U.S. central bank’s 12 districts
Celebrate the Black women who are breaking barriers in your industry by sharing in the comments or at @FemaleQuotient.
