10 most unforgettable Black women; commanding presence and natural talent make these great leaders memorable

Ebony, Feb, 1990 by Lynn Norment

10 Most Unforgettable Black Women

THERE comes a time in life when you cross paths with an individual who is truly unforgettable. It could be good looks or a fine physique that captures your interest. Or it could be pure talent, political savvy or stimulating intellect. That unforgettable quality could be style and personality.

Throughout our history, there have been Black women who have left their marks indelibly etched in the hearts and minds of America and the world. Though they were smart, talented women, that special something that made them memorable transcended their fields of expertise. It was personal charisma and electric personality that made them linger in one's consciousness. Once you met them, you could never forget them.

It is said that Mary McLeod Bethune was not what the world calls beautiful, but she had so much presence and so much inner beauty that when she walked into a room, people stood up and gave her respect. President Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt frequently sought her advice. Unforgettable is also a most appropriate adjective for the bedazzling Josephine Baker, the one-woman extravaganza who enraptured Paris and the world in the 1920s. It is also a fitting description of one of Baker's show business contemporaries, Ethel Waters, who started out on the blues circuit and evolved into one of Broadway's most popular Black performers. Madame C. J. Walker was quite a dynamic woman, having made a fortune with the hot-iron method of straightening hair. And Ida B. Wells will forever be remembered as the journalist who crusaded against racism.

On these pages EBONY presents "10 Unforgettable Black Women" who have had a significant impact on Black America. Whether their contributions were in the arts and literature, entertainment, or in civil and human rights, they, in their own unforgettable way, enriched the lives of their contemporaries as well as those who follow.

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was indeed a great American woman, having elevated her status from a cotton picker in South Carolina to confidante and advisor to presidents and founder of Bethune-Cookman College. The talented and flamboyant Josephine Baker (1906-1975), originally from St. Louis, enthralled Paris with her sizzling performances and became an internationally famous entertainer.

Madame C. J. Walker (1867-1919) was the first Black businesswoman millionaire, having made her fortune by developing the hot comb hair straightening process. Starting as a washerwoman in St. Louis, she used business skills and hard work to train thousands of agents to distribute her hair-care and beauty products nationwide. In the early 1900s, she lived regally in New York, and also contributed generously to Black institutions.

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) used her powerful voice and flair for dramatic communication to advance abolitionist and women's causes. She even presented her views to President Lincoln himself in 1864. Harriet Tubman (1821?-1913) (bottom, left) was the heroic former slave who relied on a cool head, ingenuity and her belief in divine sanction to return to the Deep South 19 times to lead 300 slaves to freedom. She was also an invaluable Union Army scout and spy during the Civil War.

Ethel Waters (1900-1977) is remembered as one of America's warmest dramatic actresses. During the Depression era, she started performing in honky-tonks as Sweet Mama Stringbean, became the first woman to record Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and gained acclaim for her rendition of "Stormy Weather." From the late 20s through the 30s, she performed in numerous Broadway productions, and went on to appear in several movies in the 50s, including Cabin In The Sky and Pinky.

Mary Church Terrell (left) (1863-1954) spent her life fighting for the rights of Blacks and women. The daughter of wealthy Memphis businessman Robert Church, she served on the Washington, D.C., school board in 1896, was a charter member of the National Association of Colored Women, and was a pioneer in the Black women's club movement. Bessie Smith (1894-1937), who at age 9 started singing for coins in Chattanooga, Tenn., became a world-famous blues singer. From 1923-33, she made a number of successful recordings for Columbia Records, becoming the highest-paid black performer in the country, packing in White and Black audiences alike.

Zora Neale Hurston (left) (1901-1960) was a writer, anthropologist and folklorist who was indeed a woman ahead of her time. At age 14 she left her all-Black hometown of Eatonville, Fla., and later studied at Morgan College and Howard University. Between 1920-50, she wrote a number of plays, short stories, essays and articles. Her best-known work is the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) started teaching school at age 14 in her native Holly Springs, Miss. After studying at Rust College and Fisk University, she started writing about the atrocities committed against Blacks, becoming the most noted Black female journalist of her day and a founding member of the NAACP.