Name: Charlotte E. Ray Born: January 13, 1850/New York City, New York Died: January 04, 1911/Woodside, New York Occupation: Lawyer, educator, African-American civil and women’s rights activist What Makes Her Bitchin’: In 1872, Charlotte E. Ray graduated from the Howard University School of Law, subsequently becoming the first African-American female lawyer. The first woman admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, Charlotte struggled against persistent discrimination due to her gender and race. Unable to draw a steady stream of clients, she practiced law for only a couple of years. Charlotte eventually relocated to New York City where she became a teacher. Betcha’ Didn’t Know: Charlotte was the first woman permitted to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. For more about this litigating lady, check-out : Charlotte E. Ray (biography.com) Ray, Charlotte E. (1850-1911) (BlackPast.org)
Name: Zelda Wynn Valdes Born: June 28, 1905 Died: Jun September 26, 2001 Occupation: Fashion designer and costumer What Makes Her Bitchin’: A designer and costumer, Zelda created the original Playboy Bunny outfits and costumes for the Dance Theater of Harlem. Among her superstar clientele were entertainers like Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, and Joyce Bryant. Reflecting on her decades of success, Zelda summed up her career thusly, “I just had a God-given talent for making people beautiful.” Betcha’ Didn’t Know: Zelda became the first African-American to own a store on Broadway in New York City when she opened her boutique, "Chez Zelda," in 1948. For more about black fashion’s fairy godmother, check-out : Fashionable Game-Changer: Zelda Wynn Valdes Zelda Wynn Valdes: Black Fashion Designer Who Created The Playboy Bunny Outfit
Name: Harriet E. Wilson Born: March 15, 1825/Milford, New Hampshire Died: June 28, 1900/ Quincy, Massachusetts Occupation: Novelist, Spiritualist What Makes Her Bitchin’: Considered the 1st African-American female novelist, Harriet was also the 1st Black-American, woman or man, to publish a book in North America. Though, in 1859, Harriet’s work, Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black was published anonymously in Boston, Massachusetts, it was not widely distributed. Over a century later, it was rediscovered by the scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in 1982. Betcha’ Didn’t Know: Harriet was also part of the Spiritualist tradition, popular in America during later 19th and early 20th centuries, and was recognized in Spiritualist circles as “the colored medium.” In the Boston Spiritualist newspaper, Banner of Light, she advertised herself as a trance reader and lecturer.
Name: Joyce Bryant Born: October 14, 1928/Oakland, California, Occupation: Singer, actress Nickname/Alias/ Nom de guerre: The Bronze Blonde Bombshell”, “the black Marilyn Monroe,” “The Belter,” and “The Voice You'll Always Remember” What Makes Her Bitchin’: One of the earliest African-American sex-symbols, Joyce became famous during the late 1940s and early 1950s performing at theaters and nightclubs. Besides her sterling silver hair and body-hugging mermaid dresses, she became noteworthy for crooning the popular standards “Love for Sale” and “Drunk with Love.” Both were prohibited from radio because of their provocative lyrics. Betcha’ Didn’t Know: Joyce left show business at the zenith of her career, choosing instead to dedicate her life to spirituality. She re-emerged a decade late, becoming a vocal coach for entertainers like Jennifer Holliday and Raquel Welch. Hear “The Voice You'll Always Remember” sing “Love for Sale”:
Name: Willa Brown Born: January 22, 1906/Glasgow, Kentucky Died: July 18, 1992/Chicago, Illinois Occupation: Pilot, African-American civil rights activist, educator What Makes Her Bitchin’: Maybe you've heard of Bessie Coleman, but do you know about Willa Brown? She was the first African-American woman to receive her commercial pilot’s license in America AND the first black female to become an officer in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. She also earned her MBA from Northwestern, and co-founded the Coffey School of Aeronautics to help train African-American pilots. What have you done lately? Yep, that's what I thought... Betcha’ Didn’t Know: Willa successfully lobbied the U.S. government to integrate African-American pilots into the “separate-but-equal” Army Air Corps and the federal Civilian Pilot Training Program. Having cultivated a taste for politics, she later ran unsuccessfully for Congress. For more about this audacious aviatrix, check-out:
Name: Angelina Weld Grimké Born: February 27, 1880/Boston, Massachusetts Died: June 10, 1958/New York City, New York Occupation: Educator, journalist, poet, playwright What Makes Her Bitchin’: A member of the Harlem Renaissance, Angelina was one of the first African-American women to have a play performed publicly. Premiering in 1916, Rachel was also one of the first theatrical productions to protest racially-motivated violence against Black-Americans. Betcha’ Didn’t Know: Examining her personal correspondence and published prose, numerous modern literary critics believe that Angelina was either bisexual or a lesbian. This would make her our first LGBT History Bitch! For more about this literary luminary, check-out: Angelina Weld Grimkè (1880-1958) (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Angelina Weld Grimkè (The University of Minnesota)
Name: Eunice Hunton Carter Born: July 16, 1899/Atlanta, Georgia Died: January 25, 1970/New York City, New York Occupation: Lawyer, women’s rights and anti-racism activist What Makes Her Bitchin’: She was the first African-American women to earn a law degree from Fordham University, one of New York's first black female lawyers, and one of the United States’ first district attorneys of color. Oh yeah, AND she helped take down mobster Lucky Luciano. Basically, Eunice Carter was a BOSS! Betcha’ Didn't Know: Besides wielding manila folders of evidence like Thor’s hammer, Eunice was on numerous United Nations that championed women’s rights, and served on the Executive Committee of the International Council of Women.
