Influential Black Women in Modern History to Celebrate Every Day (2025)

Black women throughout history have faced roadblocks, racial injustices and a flurry of “no’s” when it comes to rising through the ranks in any field in America. But as Alice Walker said, you can't keep a good woman (or women, in this case) down. And that's why it is more than just nice, it's necessary to celebrate all that Black women have done for this country and across the world. Right now, allow us to give our flowers to famous Black women across various industries who are role models and, in many cases, heroes in their own right.

Though many of these entrepreneurs, thought leaders, actors, singers, athletes, poets, authors, filmmakers and directors receive recognition during Black History Month, their hard work and accolades should be acknowledged year round. Women like Maxine Waters and Cori Bush to Beyoncé and Rihanna, have an immense reach and social impact that isn't short of remarkable.

While this list focuses mostly on modern day women, we would be remiss not to acknowledge trailblazers who paved the way for many of them, including legends like Billie Holiday, Coretta Scott King, Sojourner Truth and so many more.

Continue to expand your knowledge of Black people who are shaping the world, and brush up on your Black history with books that are essential reads.

Angel Reese had a whirlwind year in 2023. After making LSU history by leading the Tigers in securing the NCAA Basketball Championship and the 50th team national title in LSU Athletics’ 130-year history, she also was named Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player and won Breakthrough Athlete of the Year at the ESPYs. She is one of the highest-earning college athletes, partnering with Amazon, Coach and Mercedes-Benz, among others. Earlier this year, she also launched the Angel C. Reese Foundation, which aims to "ensure equal opportunities for all girls in sports, education, financial literacy, and other areas where girls have historically been overlooked."

Journalist, news anchor and talk show host, Tamron Hall has a career that inspires many, daily. In 2014, became the first African American woman to co-anchor on TODAY. Just five years later, she went on to launch the Tamron Hall Show, which is a daytime talk show. Since its start, she has on two Daytime Emmy Awards, with the first win in 2020 marking the first time that a freshman host received the honor. Most recently, she received four nominations for the 2023 Daytime Emmys.

Dr. Watkins' talents are literally unbound. At just 35 years old, she became the first Black woman to complete an International Space Station long-term mission. What's next? As part of NASA's Artemis program, she could be sent on a mission to the moon!

Comedian, actress and singer are all titles used to describe Maya Rudolph. The daughter of late singer Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph, Maya rose to fame with her notable role as a cast member on the Saturday Night Live, where she pulled off hilarious renditions of icons like Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey. At the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys, she won the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance award for her role as Connie The Hormone Monstress in Netflix's Big Mouth. She currently stars in the Apple TV+ comedy Loot.

Congresswoman Cori Bush is a community activist, registered nurse and ordained pastor. After she was elected to the House of Representatives in 2021, she became the first African American woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. House. She routinely lends her voice and her platform to combat social injustice as the co-founder of The Truth Telling Project and as a leader of the protest group #ExpectUS.

While her rise to fame began in the 1990s, makeup artist and innovator, Pat McGrath, has maintained her relevance through to today's fashion and beauty industries. Since she took on the role as Procter & Gamble's Global Beauty Creative Design Director in 2004, she has overseen brands such as Covergirl, Max Factor, and launched Dolce & Gabbana: The Makeup. She also launched her own brand, Pat McGrath Labs, in 2015 and was also dubbed by the late Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the fashion and beauty industry.

Coco Gauff first captured the attention of the world with her 2019 win over former World No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams at Wimbledon. That same year, Gauff, 15 at the time, won her first WTA Tour singles title, becoming the youngest singles title-holder on the Tour since 2004. Since then, she has secured the ranking of world No. 3 in singles, and No 3. in doubles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) as of December 2023.

Actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph has been in the entertainment world for decades, with notable performances as an original in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls and as a co-star alongside Brandy Norwood in Moesha. Most recently, she has taken on the role of Barbara Howard on the hit series Abbott Elementary, a portrayal which won her the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.

You may recognize Quinta Brunson from her multiple viral dating parodies or trending BuzzFeed videos. The producer, actress and writer has expanded her career by appearing on television shows such as Big Mouth and most recently launching her own show, Abbott Elementary, which has won her Golden Globe Awards and Critics' Choice Television Awards.

Political strategist Symone D. Sanders is the former chief spokeswoman for Vice President Kamala Harris, and in 2016, was named national press secretary for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during his presidential campaign. A few years later, Ms. Sanders would join Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign as a senior advisor. Once elected, the Biden-Harris administration named Sanders a senior member. Now, Sanders has landed multiple shows on MSNBC.

This fashion forward, author, talk show host and award-winning journalist got her start in the editorial industry. After years of hard work Welteroth was named editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue in 2017, making her the youngest EIC in the publication's history at the time. Author of New York Time's bestseller More Than Enough and judge on the new Project Runway, Welteroth has proven there's no stopping her.

Harvard University student, activist and actress, Yara Shahidi is well known for her role as Zoey Johnson on ABC's Black-ish, as well as her own spinoff, Grown-ish, among many other television and film roles. At a young age, Shahidi demonstrated her dedication to advocating for people of color and bringing light to injustices happening around the globe.

Time magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year, Tarana Burke is an activist and the founder of Me Too. The New York native's group brings awareness and support to sexual violence survivors. In 2017, the group's hashtag #metoo started a revolution and brought women together in solidarity in the fight against sexual assault. Me Too helps bring resources to survivors, as well as those in their lives.

Creator of the award-winning television show Insecure, Issa Rae has proven that there are no limits to what you can accomplish. After creating the popular web series The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, Rae broke into the television and film industries — producing, directing and starring in multiple projects, and even began her own production company, HOORAE, as well as her own record label, Raedio and most recently her own prosecco brand Viarae. Rae has dedicated her career to creating storylines and platforms for artists and actors of color.

Before becoming Vice President, she graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law. In 2017, Vice President Harris was sworn into the United States Senate, and focused on reforming cash bail, combating hunger, providing rent relief, improving maternal health care and addressing the climate crisis, amongst other issues facing the American people. In 2021, she was not only the first woman, but the first Black and South Asian American to become Vice President of the United States.

Owner of Debbie Allen Dance Academy, actress, choreographer, producer and director, Debbie Allen is an icon in the entertainment industry. Allen is well known for her work on the television series FAME, as both a choreographer and actress and earned countless awards, including a Golden Globe, Emmy and NAACP. She has been a director on numerous shows including How To Get Away with Murder, Scandal and A Different World, and is currently a director, star and executive producer on Grey's Anatomy.